Innkeeper's Lodge are a fairly large chain of lodge accommodation style hotels the length and breadth of Britain, from Perth in Scotland down to Plymouth in Devon, England.
Until last week, I have never stayed in the chain, but have now made two separate stays at the Slough/Windsor Inn during the last week or so. This Inn is located conveniently just off the M4 J5 and across London Road from the less attractive and undoubtedly more expensive Marriott Slough/Windsor.
Innkeeper's Lodge do not compete with full service three and four star hotels, and nor do they attempt to do. However they do line up nicely against the much larger Travelodge Chain, and other similar brands such as Holiday Inn Express, Premier Inn etc. In fact it was the fact that the Travelodge in Slough was fully booked that I was pointed to Innkeeper's in the first place, making it my preferred option for the second stay in a week.
Booking -----------
Booking can be made on line from the website www.innkeeperslodge.com, and is very simple and quick. There are a choice of over 75 inns and if your first choice is not available, then you will be presented with a lengthy list of others to choose from. Rates can vary enormously depending on the day of the week, however for both my stays I booked on the day of arrival. I arrived mid week last week, and paid a total of £79.90 for a family room
(sleeping 1), including continental breakfast. I checked back in to the same inn this Sunday and was quoted £79.90 for my TWO nights' stay, Sunday night usually being good for a bargain in many hotels.
You need to guarantee your booking with a credit/debit card, however the card itself is not charged until your arrival. Their cancellation policy is slightly more generous than their competitor Travelodge, as you can cancel up until 4pm on the day of arrival, the same as most full service hotels.
I did like the fact that you could get a deal last minute. I literally booked about three hours before I checked in and was able to get a 2 nights for the price of 1 type deal, whereas some of the other chains insist you book up to six days in advance to benefit from the cheapest rooms.
Most inns have a 3 for 2 type deal for weekend stays, where your Sunday night can be free, thus reducing the cost of a weekend break still further.
If you prefer not to book using their secure website, you can ring the Room Reservations Central Number on 0870 243 0500. I did have to ring this on one occasion, and found that it was answered very promptly.
Checking INN -------------------
Obviously budget hotels have to keep their costs down somehow. Most Lodge's have their reception desk fully manned between 5pm and 9pm, although you can check in from 3pm onwards. I was fortunate on both occasions that there was no queue for check in on my arrival, and I was able to check in with the minimum of fuss. Tonight when I returned to my Inn (Having left my car there all day, free of charge) there was a queue of about eight people for check in at around 3pm.
On my second arrival, this Sunday, I was unable to gain an answer at the lodge for around ten minutes. I phoned Central Reservations who made contact with the Inn Management within 2 minutes and someone was at the door to attend to me. The cause seemed to be a power cut, which had somehow tripped the doorbell system. While standing with five bags at a locked up hotel was inconvenient, it was resolved with remarkably little fuss.
You are not able to post charges to your room itself, and you settle your account for accommodation in advance. This means a speedier checkout as all you have to do is deposit your keys in the wooden boxes in reception and depart.
Car parking was free at the Slough Inn, although the Inn carpark itself was very small, and fills quickly. Further parking was available on the pub side, and I did not experience a problem, although I did prefer to walk or catch a bus once I knew my car was parked safely!
The Room ---------------
The room was extremely fresh and modern with quality warm wood furnishings in excellent condition on both occasions ( I had the Family room on both stays). Both rooms were identical in their layout, and included a Double Wardrobe with plenty of hangers and spare bedding, TV unit, Tea/Coffee cabinet, and dressing table.
The bedding was bright white, fresh and clean, with a homely comfort of a woollen blanket as well as the duvet.
Lighting was adequate. There was plenty of wall lighting, and bedside lighting, although I felt I would have benefited from more ceiling lighting as I had a lot of work to accomplish during my stay.
As well as the double bed I had a double sofa bed, which would fold down to sleep two smaller children, up to say 12 years.
The walls were generally adorned with artwork, and the room I have stayed in for the last few nights had the inspirational poem 'If' by Rudyard Kipling framed on the wall.
There were adequate mirrors in the rooms, and a hairdryer, although if an iron is required, this should be requested from reception.
Internet access is available via a third party for 20p per minute with a 30p connection for 0845 and 0870 dial up. Unfortunately I was unable to make a successful connection by following their laminated instructions, although I am not sure if this is user error or a failing on their part!
The bathroom itself was also modern and fresh, and had the convenience of both Dove/Lux dispensing soaps/shower gels and adequate towels. Once again I find the use of plastic shower curtains annoying, as there is a tendency to soak the tiled floor with the spray, and I honestly think it would be easier just to install decent shower screens in the first place.
Entry to the Inn is controlled via security key fobs, as is entry to every floor, and despite the fact that this is a busy location and attached to a busy (Toby) restaurant, it did feel like a safe place to stop.
The room was a little hot, but not excessively so, and the windows were easily opened. Unfortunately I found it difficult to close the window on my first stay, which was less than ideal as the Slough Innkeeper's is right under the flight path for Heathrow…
Customer Service ------------------------
The 100% Mystery Shopper certificate proudly on display in the reception did make me feel that Innkeepers staff are well versed in providing a consistent level of customer service and my brief interactions with the reception staff certainly backed this up. They took care to explain security, meal times etc, and were more than willing to help with luggage, despite the fact I had a total of five bags and there is no lift! On the second occasion when booking via web I did request a ground floor room and this request was met for me.
They are able to accommodate those forgotten toiletries such as toothbrush/toothpaste or shaving kit, free of charge, and these are freely available at reception whether it is manned or unmanned, which is great service!
On the downside, I did try to ring the reception for ages and ages on Sunday night, as I was having difficulties getting an internet connection to check mail. I could not get an answer…
Eating Inn? ----------------
Complimentary continental breakfast is included in the room rate, and this provided a more than ample selection of pastries, cereal, yoghurt, fruit, fruit juices, and the very much needed caffeine required to start the day. There were also complimentary newspapers available from the Toby Restaurant where breakfast is served, and staff were warm and friendly.
I did not eat an evening meal in the affiliated Toby Carvery, as they don't really serve the kind of food I enjoy and I did not relish the thought of eating in a packed pub style restaurant alone. This is probably the only factor that would put off women travelling on business from selecting an Innkeepers Lodge.
Summing Up ------------------
I most certainly would stay at an Innkeepers Lodge again, especially suitable for leisure bookings and families, taking advantage of the special deals that they run from time to time. They are also very popular with business users, although not as attractive for women travelling alone, unless you can dine elsewhere.
To win a free weekend break, log on to their website and click the "Forgot your Toothbrush" logo
Contact -----------
www.innkeeperslodge.com
Tel 0870 243 0500
Trading Name of Mitchell and Butlers
Pictures of Innkeepers Lodge, Slough/Windsor
Reception
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
This is a full review... I enjoyed reading it and wil consider using this chain. Know what you mean about eating and drinking as a single traveller.... a good read. Writing321 Lois
jo145 26.08.2005 23:34
I think eating alone in any hotel can be a bit daunting at times. Glad you managed to eventually get in. jo
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Jul 26th, 2005
exceptional by (8%):
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