Travel Lodge

aliasojo

Why on earth do places like this not cater for anyone other than Mr & Mrs average with 2.4 children?!

We have 3 kids but the eldest is 21 and despite the fact he has various (mental/emotional) disabilities he is judged to be an adult and therefore can't be included in our room.

It was ok when the youngest was a baby, it was perfectly acceptable to have us all in one room then as we were classed as being 4 (baby didn't really count), but now, even although she could sleep on an airbed that we brought with us, it's still not acceptable.

Family rooms should be family sized, for families!

Spendless

aliasojo - one of my closest friends with 3 children is always complaining about this sort of thing.
Hers are aged 9,10 and 13 and she is unable to book a room as you say for 5 of them.

When she goes on holiday she has had to pay 3 adult and 2 childrens prices.

Even things like Theme parks a family ticket is 2 adults and 2 children.

Better not have a third then should i

aliasojo

Don't even think about it!

Life is not geared up to cater for 5 people, even fish fingers come in packs of 16 for God's sake!

16 / 5 does not go!

Well actually it does in my house 'cos the wee one doesn't eat much.....but you know what I mean!. ;D

MarkyMarkD

Who says you have to eat a whole packet of fish fingers, or whatever, at a time?

aliasojo

Eh? ???

There's FIVE of us. Do you seriously think we should eat less than a packet at a time?

Everyone is on the go all day, come Dinner time they're usuallly starving. I can just imagine their faces if I handed them each a plate with 2 fish fingers on it!

My kids would be phoning Childline, lol. ;D

We don't often eat the things anyway, I just used them as an illustration.

peterbaker

Just make up your own mind if one of their family rooms is appropriate, aliasojo. Travelodge aren't going to send an Inquisitor to knock on your door. They are all for the quiet life there!

I don't think there's anything illegal if you take a decision to put your family of five in one of their rooms. Travelodge however might be in breach of fire regulations if they condoned it.

So don't tell them!

1. Just book for four and avoid the fuss about the extra adult. If you use the Internet, make sure the person that checks in can produce the credit card you used.

2. Don't make an obvious crowd of five in the lobby when you check in. One of you can do that and you can move in in twos and threes afterwards. I really don't think anyone will challenge you unless you make a point of trying to hold a five to one conversation with the attendant behind the desk.

3. Be prepared to list the names of everyone in the room when you check in (some Travelodges do this and some don't in my experience) - obviously you name only four. They say it's for fire evacuation purposes and so it may be, but I don't think half the overnight visitors in most Travelodges get named, do you?

4. Be prepared for the Travelodge room to contain just one tiny bar of soap for all of you, & no shower gel/shampoo (it's their latest policy), and just two mugs for drinks even if you book for four people.

5. And before you all pile in to your room the person who checks in should check the room carefully to make sure it doesn't smell. Many Travelodges have had plumbing problems in my experience (I received a free night from them for bringing the general and a specific problem to their attention).

6. Be prepared for a tv that the kids cannot plug your games console into and get it to work. I calculate a 30% probability of kids disappointment on that one based on my experience!

7. The rooms are generally all to the same standard, size and decor now throughout the UK and the bathrooms, duvets pillows and sheets are usually very clean, but because of the obvious other uses the rooms tend to attract, do be prepared for odd stains on sofa covers and the like. The person checking can make a decision before you all pile in!

OK and enjoy the stay! I have myself strategically booked 5 nights around Christmas and New Year at £10 a night. At that price I can afford not even to use them every night!

aliasojo

Thanks for all that Peter!  ;D

I have to admit to being tempted.  :-/

A quick check online reveals no decent bargains for when we're going though. Going to have a look at the laterooms site too.

Maybe we'd get a ground floor room and we can sneak the 5 year old in through the window, lol.


Edit: Doh, just realised the 5 year old is allowed to be there, it's the 21 year old we'd have to sneak in. His backside would get stuck in the window.

peterbaker

Thanks for all that Peter!  ;D

I have to admit to being tempted.  :-/

Edit: Doh, just realised the 5 year old is allowed to be there, it's the 21 year old we'd have to sneak in. His backside would get stuck in the window.  ;)

Forget the window, you all go in via the front door.  But don't give the attendant (that's all they are at Travelodge, attendants) a reason to count you all.  That's why I say one of you checks in.  There's usually a few people queuing for checkin in the evenings so once you are checked in, the attendant will be far too busy with the next one to notice who is passing back and forth.  If not busy, they have their tv!  Quite honestly they really are not interested in who comes and goes once the check-in process is complete.

They are really little more than night watchmen with a simple brief to identify you with your booking, swipe your card, print off the form for you to sign and perhaps ask you to add the first names of the four non-stowaways ;D  They can provide extra drinks mugs sometimes and they will come and try to unblock the toilet if you are unlucky with the plumbing, but that's it!

Remember there is no checkout next morning.  You just drop the keys in the box at the desk which is unlikely to be manned until 3pm. You can stay in the room with a Do Not Disturb sign on the door until noon and the only Travelodge people you will see
in the morning are the cleaners who will stay clear of the Do Not Disturb signs until you are gone.

It's that simple 8)

bridiej

I used to work for a company that booked airport hotels, and Travel lodge was one of them.

I'm sure they have interconnecting rooms, basically two separate rooms with an interconnecting door, so why not phone them and request that?

It might be tempting to pull the wool over Travelodge's eyes but what happens if there is a fire and one of your kids is missing, but they've counted everyone there? I know I wouldnt want to be in that position...

aliasojo

Lol, Peter. I was actually kidding about the window. ;D