Accommodation suggestions and reviews

[Travelmonkey]

I still remember my 1st Britania experience i ended up sleeping on the floor because it was more comfortable, my partner who id just started dating at the time thought I was mad, although that was a good few years ago. For acomadations I tend to use hotels.com although can go off peast on occasion into the chains. In April I found myself in Sittingbourne *for a cancelled bus show* but the travelodge across from the station was a nice base for 4 nights although for a pretty much brand new hotel it wasn't too bad.

Although my best most recent stop was using the new Holiday Inn hotel in Sunderland. I bagged a fully accessible room and it was huge with a full on wetroom too definitely a comfy stop off point after bouncing about on the metro and ferry.

 

[Lewisham2221]

I've stayed in a few Brittania hotels over the past 15 years or so and not found any of them to be anywhere near as bad as the universally scathing reviews would suggest. I've certainly stayed in worse.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't book one as a gift or for a special occasion, but for somewhere to sleep, shower and sh** when visiting a different town or city I've found them adequate. They can look somewhat neglected and dated - I've probably spent more money decorating my terraced house than the entire Brittania group has spent on decorating its entire estate within the same time period. Think torn/scuffed wallpaper, worn/frayed edges of carpets, scratched/scuffed woodwork, 80s decor and minor maintenance issues such as odd missing handles on drawers and it's almost a given that at least 20% of the lighting within your room won't work. But I've always found the rooms to be spacious enough, the bathrooms clean and functional, bed and bedding clean and reasonably comfortable. Reception is often understaffed, so there can be a long queue for check in at busy times.

As with all hotels, I guess it comes down to how much you pay and how realistic your expectations are. I certainly wouldn't expect to (and wouldn't!) pay triple figures for a night at a Brittania, even in London. Nor would I expect anything considerably more if I'm only paying around the £50-80 mark.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Well I've got my next Britannia stay coming up on Thursday. Be interested to see how this one's getting on actually as its the old Glasgow Charing cross Premier Inn which now trades as Britannia in Glasgow. When I last stated at the end of may they had major lift system failure but also had two or three workmen doing bits and pieces and perhaps starting to put their own stamp on the place a bit, is certainly noticed from the website that they've introduced a new executive room category with king size bed and coffee machine since last stay, I haven't booked one of these as the price differential was really quite large but we'll be interested to see what if any changes have been made other than the above advertised, I know that this property along with one other are the only two in the chain where you cannot collect or redeem loyalty points or vouchers

 

[Kite159]

Well I've got my next Britannia stay coming up on Thursday. Be interested to see how this one's getting on actually as its the old Glasgow Charing cross Premier Inn which now trades as Britannia in Glasgow. When I last stated at the end of may they had major lift system failure but also had two or three workmen doing bits and pieces and perhaps starting to put their own stamp on the place a bit, is certainly noticed from the website that they've introduced a new executive room category with king size bed and coffee machine since last stay, I haven't booked one of these as the price differential was really quite large but we'll be interested to see what if any changes have been made other than the above advertised, I know that this property along with one other are the only two in the chain where you cannot collect or redeem loyalty points or vouchers

"Welcome back, Mr Piggins"

You have probably used that Britannia in Glasgow more times than I've used Clen Holme in Crewe lol

 

[Travelmonkey]

Did look at that for my Jan Glasgow trip but I'm doing the sleeper up so I've opted for the Hampton Hilton, although I'm a gluton for punishment my trip home is Charring Cross to Edinburg Waverley then down to the Midlands on a voyager ,

 

[Blindtraveler]

"Welcome back, Mr Piggins"

You have probably used that Britannia in Glasgow more times than I've used Clen Holme in Crewe lol

Not quite, I think according to Google maps timeline feature it's maybe four stays since Jane ownership, I never used it when it was a Premier Inn as felt it was bad value for money but given that I've never paid more than 40 pound a night there since I can put up with whatever niggles and issues it has. One thing that has been noticeable is that each time I've had breakfast there it's got slightly better.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Did look at that for my Jan Glasgow trip but I'm doing the sleeper up so I've opted for the Hampton Hilton, although I'm a gluton for punishment my trip home is Charring Cross to Edinburg Waverley then down to the Midlands on a voyager ,

Route home. The Britannia is a good sound option as long as it's under 50 quid. Don't pay anymore for it as it's currently not worth the Mark up but as you said in your earlier posts it's a place to sleep, shower and shave, and also put away a decent full Scottish and it is a good quality breakfast these days

 

[Travelmonkey]

£66.26 per night at the Hampton so I'm not doing too bad it's a hilton property so should have quality, I'm not one for breaky more than a light snack, I should say bannana given the monkeys but usually end up in a local greggs,

Yep sadly with the best tickets for me I need to use the ECML I have about 5 different split tickets to get me home but after a weekend in a new city I'll probably be quite content especially if my seat has the coastal veiw, may see if there is a cheap seatfrog upgrade closer to the time.

With the ever present strike threats its key to make sure there is the ability for extra days in a itinerary but the cally sleeper has been on my bucket list for years so even if I need to coach to London I shall, everything is in place but there is always some worry, I know I have to take a uncouth route of EMR & XC after a upcoming London trip, (I'm stopped in a B&B near the Elizabeth line if I remember I may tag on a review here)

 

[Butts]

£66.26 per night at the Hampton so I'm not doing too bad it's a hilton property so should have quality, I'm not one for breaky more than a light snack, I should say bannana given the monkeys but usually end up in a local greggs,

Yep sadly with the best tickets for me I need to use the ECML I have about 5 different split tickets to get me home but after a weekend in a new city I'll probably be quite content especially if my seat has the coastal veiw, may see if there is a cheap seatfrog upgrade closer to the time.

With the ever present strike threats its key to make sure there is the ability for extra days in a itinerary but the cally sleeper has been on my bucket list for years so even if I need to coach to London I shall, everything is in place but there is always some worry, I know I have to take a uncouth route of EMR & XC after a upcoming London trip, (I'm stopped in a B&B near the Elizabeth line if I remember I may tag on a review here)

Don't you normally get a Free Breakfast at Hampton by Hilton ?

 

[Haywain]

Vermont Hotel, Newcastle upon Tyne.

This is the tenth different Newcastle hotel I have stayed in and more expensive hotel than seems to be normal on this thread, but at under £100 per night (for two of us) including breakfast not horribly expensive. The hotel is located alongside the main line close to the High Level Bridge, and adjacent to Newcastle's castle. We were initially given a room on the 8th floor but with the wifi not working there we were relocated to the 9th floor. In both cases the room looked out onto the railway for a diet of passing Azumas, Voyagers and various freights. On the 8th floor this was slightly below the level of the railway and on the 9th slightly above, so the latter would be better for spotting. In spite of the proximity of the trains noise wasn't a problem at all, so the secondary double glazing works well. It's a comfortable hotel and reasonably well located, and gets a good rating from me. Breakfast service was good in a very pleasant restaurant too.

 

[Travelmonkey]

Don't you normally get a Free Breakfast at Hampton by Hilton ?

I'm not a 100% sure if I do booking thru a 3rd party but it's on their marketing info, although it's not exactly Corrour so I'm sure I'll be able to find some scran,

 

[Blindtraveler]

Vermont Hotel, Newcastle upon Tyne.

This is the tenth different Newcastle hotel I have stayed in and more expensive hotel than seems to be normal on this thread, but at under £100 per night (for two of us) including breakfast not horribly expensive. The hotel is located alongside the main line close to the High Level Bridge, and adjacent to Newcastle's castle. We were initially given a room on the 8th floor but with the wifi not working there we were relocated to the 9th floor. In both cases the room looked out onto the railway for a diet of passing Azumas, Voyagers and various freights. On the 8th floor this was slightly below the level of the railway and on the 9th slightly above, so the latter would be better for spotting. In spite of the proximity of the trains noise wasn't a problem at all, so the secondary double glazing works well. It's a comfortable hotel and reasonably well located, and gets a good rating from me. Breakfast service was good in a very pleasant restaurant too.

Liking sound of this one

 

[Haywain]

Liking sound of this one

It's a nice place that I would consider again. It also has an entrance at Quayside level (under the rail bridge on Side) as well as the main entrance at High Level Bridge level, which is quite useful and probably unique. If only I'd worked that out while I was there instead of climbing the steps nearby - reception is on the 6th floor!

 

[ChrisC]

Don’t be fooled by some of the Black Friday sales that are now being advertised.
Whilst there may be some good offers available perhaps they are not all as good as they first appear.
At the beginning of last week I booked 4 nights for next week in a Holiday Inn. I booked it at the flexible rate just in case there were any rail strikes. I know it is expensive at £122 a night for bed and breakfast, but I wanted a reasonably good standard hotel in a city centre location. IHG have today announced a Save 20% Cyber Sale. I’ve just checked and the Cyber Sale is only applicable for non-refundable rates for which they are charging £118 a night for bed and breakfast. The flexible rate has now been increased to £151 a night. I only checked a couple of days ago if the price had increased since I booked and it was still £122.

 

[Kite159]

Don’t be fooled by some of the Black Friday sales that are now being advertised.
Whilst there may be some good offers available perhaps they are not all as good as they first appear.
At the beginning of last week I booked 4 nights for next week in a Holiday Inn. I booked it at the flexible rate just in case there were any rail strikes. I know it is expensive at £122 a night for bed and breakfast, but I wanted a reasonably good standard hotel in a city centre location. IHG have today announced a Save 20% Cyber Sale. I’ve just checked and the Cyber Sale is only applicable for non-refundable rates for which they are charging £118 a night for bed and breakfast. The flexible rate has now been increased to £151 a night. I only checked a couple of days ago if the price had increased since I booked and it was still £122.

Not the first (or last) time a hotel has taken part in a dodgy sale event where the 'base' price has been increased, so the sale price is the same as someone would have paid before the sale.

 

[Kite159]

Travelodge, Letherhead

Originally booked as a potential overnight stay in the event the UK Railtour today was of interest (it wasn't), I decided to keep the booking to avoid the hassle of the engineering works at Woking after coming back from Liverpool. Standard Travelodge room, first time I've seen USB-C sockets offered alongside the older style sockets. Around a 5-minute walk from the station (served by both Southern & SWR). Handy Greggs located opposite the entrance with a large Sainsburys a couple of minutes away (along with many other shops).

One I would use again if I needed to stay in that area and the timings worked out, especially as it normally pops up as one of the cheapest near London (which isn't the one located on the M4 service area at Heathrow).

 

[MasterSpenny]

Holiday Club, Visita Amadores

It’s not in the UK, but it is in fact in Gran Canaria in Spain. This hotel is on a really big hill, and it has a very out of practice floor numbering. I have found out that the top floor is numbered floor 0, and the bottom floor is floor 1. That said, it has everything a hotel needs, with a swimming pool, rooms, a restaurant/bar (where I’ve been spoilt for choice at lunch ), and a reception. The reception also has large bottles of water for purchase for €1.50 each. The road it is on is 1 way, and goes upwards. There is not much in the form of public transport available, but taxis do serve the resort as a pick up and drop off point.

 

[Haywain]

easyHotel, Manchester

Booked at fairly short notice but got a good price, with a double room for £34, although this was a Lower Ground floor room and it looks from their website* that these are a bit smaller than other double rooms. The room (007!) was, erm, compact - the bed was constrained by the wall of the building and the wall of the shower room, and you had to climb in from the side at the foot end. Facilities very basic but it was clean, and provided for my needs. There was a charging point right next to the bed which was convenient when in bed, inconvenient otherwise. Totally unsuitable for two people, in my view, but OK for one on a short stay with little luggage.

The location is excellent, in Dale Street, only a couple of minutes walk from Piccadilly station and Piccadilly Gardens, the city centre and the Northern Quarter. Also had the bonus of offering a 10% discount at the cafe/coffee shop across the road (just show the key card) where I had an excellent breakfast.

Would I stay again? Yes, but only if travelling alone.


*Booked through Booking.com

 

[185143]

@Haywain Book direct for EasyHotel, it's cheaper!

I stayed at The Mobray, Eastbourne on Monday night and I couldn't fault it. Not the biggest double room I've ever stayed in, but certainly wasn't small. At £25 for the night (£30 out of season discount) I was really happy with it. Would definitely stay there again.

 

[Haywain]

@Haywain Book direct for EasyHotel, it's cheaper!

It wasn't on this occasion.

 

[185143]

It wasn't on this occasion.

Fair enough. That's something for me to keep an eye on then as it always has been when I've looked.

 

[BJames]

Two recent ones for me in Nottingham:

Premier Inn, Nottingham City Centre (Chapel Bar)

Two nights at this hotel, which is in an excellent location, about 2 minutes walk to Old Market Square. Thought it was about 10-12 minutes walk from the station but Google Maps says 15 minutes so allow around that time. Faultlessly clean, extremely comfortable beds. The sofa that used to come as standard in the rooms is now a very comfortable armchair. The room is a good size and it was perfect for two people. Good breakfast. I was not disturbed by any noise either exterior or interior. Will stay here again next time I am in Nottingham.

I can't remember exactly how much it cost as I did not book, but I think it was around £100 a night including breakfast which was maybe on the expensive side for Premier Inn but it was worth it as it was a busy weekend in the city and I can't fault the place.

Travelodge, Nottingham City Centre

Moved to this hotel as I needed to stay an extra night and Premier Inn had no availability left. This hotel is definitely on the tired side. It is a tall building, with the rooms spread over 9 stories, and the lift feels a little precarious reliability wise. The service was pretty good but the actual room was a little strange, a lot of space with nothing in it except a small chair awkwardly put in the corner, and the bed was fine but the pillows were very thin. Slightly noisier than Premier Inn but I was not disturbed. Considering how much we paid for the night (£110), I would not say it was worth the money. This is a budget hotel and it should be priced accordingly. The location, however, is good, so for the right price (like, under £50 level) it is absolutely fine to stay in, but I'd definitely opt for the Premier Inn if you can. It is a few minutes closer to the station than the Premier Inn but they are located on the same stretch of the same road.

 

[Kite159]

@Haywain Book direct for EasyHotel, it's cheaper!

I stayed at The Mobray, Eastbourne on Monday night and I couldn't fault it. Not the biggest double room I've ever stayed in, but certainly wasn't small. At £25 for the night (£30 out of season discount) I was really happy with it. Would definitely stay there again.

Sometimes it isn't cheaper booking direct, especially if Booking. Com have random mobile only price discounts which makes themselves cheaper. Ie I've got Newcastle for £2 less than going direct.

----

As for Easy Hotel in Manchester, I can remember it well as both times I've stayed I've had a couple in the room above me making various noises when exploring their bodies.

@BJames Nottingham isn't a cheap city to stay

 

[Mojo]

Sometimes it isn't cheaper booking direct, especially if Booking. Com have random mobile only price discounts which makes themselves cheaper. Ie I've got Newcastle for £2 less than going direct

In my experience it’s very rarely worth booking direct, given that with Hotels.com you get a reward night credit for rooms booked by UK-based customers (they are rolling out a new inferior reward scheme which is currently in place for US-customers so this may change in the UK soon) and also Cashback which is typically between 10-20%.

 

[bspahh]

I recently stayed in Liverpool. I booked a room at

Travelodge Liverpool Central
I typed that into my SatNav (Waze) and found that I was at Travelodge Liverpool Central The Strand instead, which is a 15 minute walk away. Grrrrhhh.

Once I got to the right hotel, it was fine - clean, quiet and comfortable. WiFi was an extra charge, but there was a good mobile signal. It doesn't have a breakfast room, but there is a café in the same building, and there are lots of places to eat nearby. I had booked a week or two in advance, for a Sunday and Monday night £27.99 on a flexible rate. Quite a few museums were closed on the Monday, but there were enough other things to do.

 

[Steve4031]

Do they still have the book a bed ahead offices for booking B&B's? I used that and pretty good experiences in 1988.

 

[Kite159]

Dunskaith Villa, Inveress

This time I actually stayed in the actual place and didn't get upgraded to the main property (one person manages both). Had a 'triple' room on the 1st floor (3 single beds, although only 2 were made up). Located around 5 minutes from the city centre (near enough a straight line for Spoons lol). Quite quiet in terms of outdoor noise however we were in a room around the back of the building rather than in a room overlooking the road. Decent curtains, only downside was the shower was quite weak

Easy Hotel, Newcastle
I presume this was originally another hotel which got purchased by Easy Hotel as the interior is completely different to what I'm used to. Not much orange. Twin room on the 2nd floor which was quite large. Didn't try out the shower as I was late back into the place as the Tyne & Wear Metro fell over. Located around a ~ 10 minute walk from the main station, although it is nearer the Quayside with a steep hill [handy bus stop] Spoons on the Quayside is a short walk away (as well as a dodgy shop where prices are not displayed and chances are the cashier makes it up as he goes along). Curtains not the best, but the bed was comfy. Certainly a place I would consider using again if I need to stay in Newcastle city centre arriving on a late night service from London.

 

[Kite159]

Edinburgh House Hotel, Pilrig Street, Edinburgh

Located on Pilrig Street (one of the side streets off Leith Walk) and I would guess maybe 25 minutes to walk from Waverley station if you wanted to walk. Otherwise, there is a bus stop (route 11) close to the hotel (and a tram stop around 5 minutes walk). A place which seemed to be getting decorated (new paint). I was in a room on the top floor on the side of the building away from the road, and it was very quiet. Room was functional, a bit basic, but was en-suite (although the shower was in a different part than the toilet/sink but I'm guessing space issues) [my friend had another room where both shower + toilet was together].

Quite steep stairs, so not the best if you don't like climbing.

Certainly for the price paid (£37.80) was quite good value for money for Edinburgh on a Saturday night in the current climate. Would I stay again? Yep, if the price was right

 

[Blindtraveler]

really good to have someone check this out, it comes up regularly on all the booking platforms and usually at a not dissimilar price point with the obvious exception of the summer silly season when everything is in three or more figures even multi-bed hospital dormitories, and having now moved out of Edinburgh there are occasions when I need to return

 

[Kite159]

Starlet Property, Redbridge (London)

A room in a shared house (Air BnB style) accommodation, might as well give it a little review. Booked late notice (Monday afternoon, after deciding I didn't fancy gambling with the 23:40 Salisbury train after a concert with the overtime ban) paying £33.60 for a double room (which for London isn't all that bad for a private room). Located less than 5 minutes from Redbridge station on the Central Line. Usual situation with this sort of bookings where you get emailed the access codes (although this time he forgot to send it out as I needed to phone) so you don't see the owner. Shared bathroom between 2 rooms, along with a little kitchen area (with various warnings about not cooking late at night etc) with a handy fridge. The bathroom had a bath, but I didn't try the shower out due to a late arrival.

The bed was comfortable, pillows were a bit on the hard side, the curtain could have done with either being thicker or being a darker colour as it wasn't that effective at blocking out the light (at least it was a curtain and not a blind as me & blinds don't have a good relationship). The room I had overlooked the road (on the attached photo it was top left), which generated a bit of road noise which wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for a loose drain cover on the road making a klanging noise when vehicles drove over it, but I can't really hold that against the accommodation.

There were a handful of takeaways close to the shared house as well as a Londis in a BP garage close (as well as other shops). Would I use it again? Most likely would do if the price is right, good location with the Central line, maybe not during summer if I needed to have the window open all night (but again I suspect if I was in a room which overlooked the garden area road noise wouldn't be there)