Well Ciao, I'm all for change, but usually it makes things better, not worse? Anybody ever get thei...
Well Ciao, I'm all for change, but usually it makes things better, not worse? Anybody ever get their money from Ciao.com, or were those couple of months of torment all for nothing?
Member since:27.10.2005
Reviews:57
Members who trust:120
The Travelodge chain is the fasted growing in the country, with a total of 333 hotels as I write this and 40 new ones planned for this year alone! Hotels can be found in the UK, Ireland and suprisingly, Spain. Many are very basic, to include ensuite facilities, tea & coffee making facilities and most importantly, sleeping facilities! But some have inhouse cafes, wi-fi access, conference rooms and parking. If restaurants aren't on site, then you can usually find a Little Chef, Burger King or Harry Ramsdens close by, usually with some level of discount subtracted by showing your key. I know, not very classy, no fluffy bath robes, little shower products or fancy biscuits, but the rooms are nice, comfortable and clean (at least in the ones we've visited), plus they can be booked from £9 online in some
cases. I've never been this lucky. Ok, that was a general overview, if I haven't bored you too much, please read on for my personal experience of Travelodge Haydock.
Unfortunately, a funeral brought us to Haydock on Friday 11th January. We travelled up by car from Cinderford which is in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, nowadays the 142 mile trip only takes about two and a half hours (if we avoid the work traffic) and we decided to travel back that evening as our son was being looked after at home by my sister. My husbands parents who came with us, had already booked a room at the Travelodge for £29, a £22 saving on the usual price of £51. This had been done with no fuss, online the previous week.
The day was cold but dry and bright. By mid afternoon the red sun had begun setting and the darkness was creeping in. In Haydock anyway. In Cinderford however, it had been snowing thickly for a hour! Localised flooding was causing havock in the surrounding areas, so my Dad advised us to sit tight and wait to see how the weather progressed. To cut a long story short, the fast and thick snowfall cut off the roads and made getting home impossible.
The Travelodge was a 5-10 minute walk from the cricket club (where the wake was held) so we strolled over to see if there were any rooms available. We decided not to look for other hotels because of the proximity and also because our family already had rooms booked there. From the key rack we could se that there were many rooms free and were asked to pay the going rate of £51.00. Obviously I questioned this and explained that my in Laws had already booked for £29. The receptionist explained that it was an internet offer only which must be booked at least a week in advance. I will admit, I felt a bit cheated at this. I had hoped to get a room a little cheaper as we booked at the last minute so to speak and I doubt very much that the hotel would otherwise be fully booked by nightfall. Nevertheless, we weren't really in a position to turn it down, and I must point out that the receptionist was very polite & friendly throughout. Also just opposite the reception was a vending machine and alongside the usual crisp, chocs and drinks was some shampoos & showergels. Handy as we hadn't brought a thing!
The room was the usual, not exceptionally big, but enough room to move about. In the main area we had a double bed, a bed setee and a long desk, on which was a portable t.v. (with remote!), small travel kettle, a few sachets of coffee, tea, sugar etc and a menu from the little chef next door. In the hallway was an open wooden unit with hangers for coats and clothes and a high shelf holding spare pillows. Opposite this is a small ensuite, with a sink, toilet, tiny waste bin, bath and overbath shower. There were two towels, not large enough to wrap up in when I got out the shower! There was a lovely large mirror over the toilet and sink with overhead lights. The bathroom was mainly white, and although you could see it had been around a while it was clean. The living area decor was pale yellow & one terracota wall with dark blue carpet, sofa and duvet cover. A bit dated maybe, but again clean & tidy.
The hotel is on the A580, so I wasn't expecting it to be quiet. The traffic wasn't really busy during the night anyway and I hardly noticed it. What did keep me awake most of the night was the slamming doors. Our room was on the first floor at the front of the hotel, it seemed a main door was directly underneath us and we could hear others opening & closing throughout the hotel. I think there must have been an insomniac convention on! It also didn't help that the radiator shook and vibrated against the wall every time a door shut. The bed was also very soft and we kept rolling into the middle, funny at first, but very annoying when you've had very little sleep! My in-laws also complained about the noise but had no trouble with their bed.
We treated ourselves to breakfast at the Little Chef, as a hotel guest you get 25% off the menu when you show your key (so have breakfast first and then checkout!). I remember Little Chef being quite grotty, so was impressed with this one (which is situated in hotel car park) the menu was full of choice and my pancakes, bacon and eggs were delicious. The coffee was strong and hot and refills were free. Perfect!
Checking out is easy, just pop your keys in a bowl on the reception.
Conclusion. I would be much happier if we had only paid £26! But then I suppose anyone would. I do think £52 is expensive just for a room to put your head down, but on the flip side I would gladly pay extra to know my room is clean. I would stay there again, but ask for a room on a different side of the hotel and see how that goes!
You may also like to know the hotel is 5 minutes from St Helens Railway Station and 35 minutes from Manchester Airport.
Travelodge Haydock St. Helens Hotel A580, Piele Road, Haydock Haydock WA11 0JZ
All Travelodge boxes ticked!!! They're all the same. Makes you wonder who's in charge.......
martin0201 06.02.2008 10:14
good review there. I know what you mean about the price, but they do do good deals if you book in advance! Sounds exactly the same as the one I have reviewed in Newcastle, even down to the tiny bathroom! Well written, Martin
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Jan 24th, 2008
very helpful by (100%):
