Once booked into a Travelodge in North Yorkshire with our then 2 youngest Teenage Daughters, arrive and could not find the place of any signage displaying the familiar Travelodge logo, so asked in a local Shop.
Shock horror, the place turned out to be a privately owned Backpackers Bunkbarn, nothing like a real Travelodge at all. It was Winter, the place was cold and damp, no heating, and two sets of Bunkbeds with stained mattresses was what we were expected to use. It was a horrible place, we were all cold, tired and hungry, and the weather was very foggy with a heavy sea mist, too dangerous to try and drive the 134miles home in.
We went out and bought Fish and Chips for supper, settled down for the night by covering the mattresses with clean swimming towels we brought with us, and used our coats to cover ourselves up with. We all woke up early the next morning, and left at the crack.of dawn, pulling into a McDonald's on the way home for coffee and breakfast. Thankfully we had used a credit card to pay for this accomodation, and after reporting it to the provider, and investigations taking place with the local Trading standards department regarding the Misleading and use of the business name, poor hygiene state, and prior police involvement regarding drug dealings on the premises, we received a full refund. Later that year, we took up Camping, first with Tents, and later as Caravan owners, at least we don't have to worry about the state of the place we will be staying in anymore, or if our food will be of good quality and well cooked!