Don't use Travelodge

[toontra]

The OP has plastered this inflamatorily-titled post all over the internet (well, at least the 3 cycle forums that I visit) yet never attempted to justify it when counter-arguments are put forward. I'd like to point out that TL are by far the most cycle-friendly hotel/motel chain that I've used, and I've used them countless times over the years.

I'm sorry that he had a disappointing experience, but that hardly justifies going on an indiscriminate slanging campaign against a company.

 

[mark i]

It looks like travel lodge overbooked and sorted another room of equal or better standard, as they would be required to under sales of good act. If there was an issue with being 10 miles away then they would be required to sort out the consequences of that too. It is a way of them trying to keep room costs down, sometimes they get it wrong and need to pay to make things right. It does make you wonder how many people, book, pay for and then do not use rooms though....

 

[ianrauk]

I like Travelodge... they allow you to book rooms by the hour..

 

[CopperBrompton]

This is nothing unique to Travelodge, all hotels do it because all hotels have no-shows.

Sounds like they sorted it fine. If I'd have been on a bike and not felt like cycling the extra ten miles, I'd have asked them to arrange transport for me and the bike, and I'm sure they would do so without any fuss.

 

[Norm]

Is it just my imagination or has this thread kinda de-railed and become an "in praise of Travelodge" thread?

I've used them in the past, on the basis of the experiences in the OP, I'd be even happier to use them again. Customer service is sorting things out when problems happen. I reckon things were pretty well sorted here.

 

[peteoc]

During the years I worked in the hotel industry they do indeed overbook. This however is only a handfull of people as they base it on the number of no shows and average it out. So over a year if a thursday night has an average of 5 no shows then they overbook by 5 to compensate. The number of times a hotel double books a room and gets away with it out weighs the cost of relocating someone to another hotel of the same standard or higher.

Hotels that do this normally have an agreement with another hotel to get cheaper rates.

If a hotel room as been booked and confirmed, then yes they have an obligation to relocate you to a hotel that is of the same standard or higher. They should also give you money for the mileage however I believe this is very minimal and probably not worth asking for, a couple of quid at max.

 

[mangaman]

I like Travelodge as well! Cheap and comfortable.

Overbooking seems obvious - especially for a chain of roadside stops, where they must get more no-shows than a hotel in a holiday destination or city centre.

 

[Bayerd]

During the years I worked in the hotel industry they do indeed overbook. This however is only a handfull of people as they base it on the number of no shows and average it out. So over a year if a thursday night has an average of 5 no shows then they overbook by 5 to compensate. The number of times a hotel double books a room and gets away with it out weighs the cost of relocating someone to another hotel of the same standard or higher.

Hotels that do this normally have an agreement with another hotel to get cheaper rates.

If a hotel room as been booked and confirmed, then yes they have an obligation to relocate you to a hotel that is of the same standard or higher. They should also give you money for the mileage however I believe this is very minimal and probably not worth asking for, a couple of quid at max.

+1

It's standard practise across the industry. Part of a receptionist's morning duty is to do the 'ring round'. Basically they all ring each other with occupancy for that night. The hotel I worked in would typically overbook 5 nights a week, and have to send someone to another hotel about once a month.

 

[mangaman]

Incidentally (according to Bill Bailey) Little Chefs and Travelodges were built on ley lines centuries ago and the road network was built later to connect them.

At least that what he told us when I saw him live in Brighton once

 

[peteoc]

lol

 

[gavintc]

I try and avoid them but I realise it isn't always possible. The last meeting I went to in Newcastle all the managers stayed at a chain hotel - I find them too stuffy, often air conditioned with no opening windows. I stayed at a small B+B out of town for half the money with a fantastic brekkie and I got to play on my bike rather than sit around talking managemnt style bollocks until 4 in the morning.

Newcastle is seriously expensive for a bed. My son is at uni there and I am always surprised at how much they want for me for a night in a hotel/B&B.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Is it just my imagination or has this thread kinda de-railed and become an "in praise of Travelodge" thread?

Indeed, the OP's attempt to slag them off seems to have backfired rather!

 

[Night Train]

I'm another in favour of Travel Lodge, their number is even in my mobile phone book.

Sometimes when I want a holiday and I am broke I will advance book a TL, for very little money, near a good holiday spot and use it instead of a more local B&B. So long as I arrive early, or phone ahead to say I am enroute, I have not had any problems.

I also like the rooms all being the same and to the same standard, saves me stressing over what I might end up with if I booked a cheap B&B.

 

[Norm]

I also like the rooms all being the same and to the same standard, saves me stressing over what I might end up with if I booked a cheap B&B.

This is indeed one of the reasons that Family Norm use them. For instance, we toured (in a car) Scotland a couple of years back. I'd done it a few months previously on my own and I've no issue with staying in random B&Bs but Mrs Norm wasn't feeling so comfortable with the idea "because of the kids".

As a compromise, we booked the first night into a Travelodge near St Andrews, which meant Mrs Norm was happy as she knew exactly what would be waiting for us at the far end of the long trudge up there.

 

[Fnaar]

Sometimes when I want a holiday and I am broke I will advance book a TL, for very little money, near a good holiday spot and use it instead of a more local B&B. So long as I arrive early, or phone ahead to say I am enroute, I have not had any problems.

Given the OP's experience, I'm now tempted to arrive late, and get upgraded to a night of 5-star luxury