Travelodge hotels woes

Im going to derailing this thread about Travel Lodge and give a shout out to The Abbey hotel in Malvern. I asked if they had a gluten free biscuit to go with the tea making facility in our room and they sent up 3 packets!!

Hotels are run by humans and we make errors, it's always going to be the same.

I guess it was a slip up by an individual member of staff, who was, no doubt, sacked.

I went to travel lodge last week and left my card in my room. They asked for no evidence of who I was. Ok I’m an oldie but could have been a thief or worse. I think I’m going to write to travelodge to tell them. Also initially she gave me the wrong card and said the number. Obviously I corrected her but again I could have taken the card.

Can I just say, in addition to my post above, we stayed in a Travelodge after my teenaged son had an operation on his spine. He was unable to travel home and needed to be close to the hospital in case of emergencies. The hotel was brilliant. When they heard his story, they ensured he had NEW sheets on his bed every day to avoid the risk of infection; not old sheets which had been washed but brand new ones, straight out of their packaging. They offered to bring food to our room and couldn't have done more to ensure he the perfect rehabilitation.
Yes, there are incidents where things go wrong but there are many, many more times when they go right.

Janlara don't be frightened staying on your own . I go on holiday by myself and always feel safe in Premier Inn and Travelodge . I travel by train with travel assistance. I am disabled and never have to worry about getting on and off trains or making my connections .

At the hotels they know I'm case of an emergency I will need help getting out . Plus I have to have my dinner cut up for me in the kitchen and have plenty of napkins as I eat with a spoon and fork and because of my disability I can miss my mouth or drop food down me . But no one bats an eyelid.

Before I moved here I visited my children and stayed in Primier inns from 2006 . My husband died in 2004.

I am going to Lancaster , Sleaford and Dundee this year for holiday . I go on a Monday until Friday . I don't want to be in a hotel over the weekend due to more people being there especially if it's places people go for hen and stag do's.

I have had to change rooms once this was many years ago because I smelt smoke.

Thousands of people use Premier Inn and Travelodge everyday don't let a few horror stories put you off.

If I took notice of horror stories I would never leave my home but I don't . Whatever happened to people using their common sense.

Reading this thread has made we want to never stay in a hotel on my own again

It isn't just the Travelodge who have problems with room keys. I have been given the keys to the wrong room at check in twice in two different hotel chains. I have also had problems with the key cards and had them reprogrammed or exchanged without needing to show ID.
The Mercure chain gave me a key to a room where when I walked in, there was a couple in bed really enjoying themselves. I am not sure who was the most mortified. The hotel gave me complimentary food for my shock!
The second chain, the name I can't quite remember at the moment, gave me a key to a room and when I accessed it, there were clothes hung up in the wardrobe. As it was at a conference I assumed they wanted me to share but when I went to the last storage space, I realised the clothes were male. At that point I returned to reception and refused to stay in that space. It turned out they weren't with the conference and the room I had been given wasn't actually mine. They'd left all their technology behind, I could have make a killing!
Both times I was travelling on my own so it didn't make me feel as safe as I would have liked.

I like travelLodge and Premier inn only ever had one problem we were put in a room that stank of dog they moved us very quickly when we complained.
I ve always had very comfortable beds and never thought beyond knowing the door was shut and locked, it never enters my head to carry extra locks, wedges or anything else.

I always stay at Premier Inn or Travelodge there is a deadlock on the inside that can not be opened from the outside with the key card. I stay at them because they have accessible rooms for walking and wheelchair disabled. Travelodge bedrooms are the same size of Primier inns but shower room smaller. The shower room in Premier Inns is nearly the size of a double bedroom. The double bed is hooked together so can be made into a twin if required. I always have it as a double so I don't fall out of bed . I am walking disabled.

Apparently Mumsnet was going mad over this topic a friend told me on Friday who goes on Mumsnet rather than Gransnet . I stick to GN.

I’ve stayed in five different Premier Inns since Christmas, and in three of them a different staff member has just accessed the room and walked in on me.
None had a door chain or additional securing mechanism.
I’ve now reluctantly added a door wedge to my packing list.

If it helps anyone, with Travelodge I’ve just encountered a completely new problem - I made a booking, then it took me to a new page - “book your room number” - for an additional fee between £3 and £14.
The issue here is that my booking had automatically randomly defaulted to a room number that I had not chosen, in an area that I would not want to be (noisy entrance next to car park) (I had not touched the screen) but with no working option to change or cancel or go back.
I would advise anyone NOT TO go on the Travelodge “book your room” page.
For me, it’s another reason not to use Travelodge again.

David49

Here is Premier Inns policy, it's what I have seen.

When you check in, we'll hand you your room details discreetly and we won't say your room number out loud, so no details about you can be overheard at reception
• Where possible, we won’t check vulnerable or solo female travellers into rooms that are on the ground floor or at the end of a corridor
• Every Premier Inn has a door entry system and only Premier Inn guests can enter after 11pm at night
• Every bedroom door is fitted with a deadlock or chain for the most secure protection

I am surprised to see this as I have stayed several times in the same Premier Inn as a solo female traveller and always been given a room on the ground floor at the end of a corridor. Their disabled rooms are also situated there.

The problem with using door wedges is should emergency access be required i.e. to rescue in event of fire or medical emergency then the wedges would prevent access for any assistance. (I was a full time fireman .)

I never travel in any country without the means to jam the door from the inside. In the olden days I used a simple rubber wedge. Now you can buy tricky little gadgets on Amazon to lock the door from the inside. Even someone with an electronic key card can't get in.

One of the drawbacks of having travelled solo around the middle east is that most of the room cleaners are young men. Some of them got the idea - even without encouragement- that European solo women "are up for it". Especially when they bring room service. I would just tell them to leave whatever it was outside.

In Iran they would try to see me with my hair uncovered because back in those days it was waist length and auburn. If they asked me to sign I opened the door 6 inches and put my hand out for the notepad. When I watch the news nowadays it seems sad that I travelled around Iran solo and no harm ever came to me. That was back in the 90s.

You are not daft! As some maybe. My other half thinks that I am too cautious.

True! Let’s not give them ideas!

I call you irresponsible if you gave out a key to someone else. Stupid man!

Chains, flip-locks etc would only be of use if you were in the room.
There would be nothing to stop someone entering whilst you were out, and waiting for you.

I totally agree with you. I will never use a Travelodge. Rather sleep in my car!
Disgraceful behaviour of CEO not turning up to a meeting about this.
Is the CEO a man! I bet it is.
Should be sacked. Not second chances.
I hope the young lady who was attacked is doing as well as she can after such an awful experience. 💐

I am so sorry to just read what happened to this young woman at a Travelodge.
Must never happy again! Anywhere!

I used to work at Travelodge we were not aloud at any cost to give keys out to people other than guests ! This time obviously a lapse in security. I bet the bosses are seething at this negative publicity.

Visgir1

They are all fitted with this bar/lever thing you flip over as a lock.
Don't ever recall not seeing this in hotel rooms? My last hotel stay was in December and they had one.
Premier Inn definitely has these as standard.

You learn something every day. I didn't know because I've never looked.

We often use Premier Inn who also don't have chains, mainly, but we always double lock the door at all times.

Apparently the attacker had the woman's name, gave it to reception who issued a duplicate key, Im pretty sure I've done that a couple of times. Many hotels you do need a key card to get to rooms and lift, receptions do need to phone the room to make sure another person is expected AND occupiers should use the deadlock on the door, thats what it's for!

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