What have you done to us Travel Lodge ?

[Frederick]

Stayed in a Travel Lodge last week...I now find when you book on line cash goes straight out of your account ...no more accepting the card details just to confirm a booking ...You then get 7 pages of a cancellation  insurance policy from AIG  emailed to you as Travel Lodge have taken a pound from you for this ... You  find that the only reason your room cost will be returned to on cancellation is if you make a claim ..It will be met if you are dead...have the vicar by your bedside and are more likely to perminently check out of this world than into their hotel or a family member is in a similar situation... If you arrive half an hour earlier than the designated check in time they have laid down then a member of staff quoting " Company Policy "  at you  will ask you for another £10 to let you in the room ....I also found 2 remotes failed to work the telly and my grandaughter gives more cerial to her rabbit than I got in  their packaged breakfast  it contained a smoothie which to drink has to be sucked out of a carton .....What are they doing to us ...you cant ask them on  their phone system ....the menu is designed to get rid of you .. had I paid the late turn up charge one night would have cost me  £69 ....  I used to be a fan of theirs !  

[Frederick]

"Early "  turn up charge applies   seems that people who arrive early now have to pay to use the room even if its available for you  which is irriating

[Cendrillon]

I suppose this is the other side of the coin as they seem to be offering some extremely cheap room prices if you can book well in advance.

[Belle]

I booked with travel lodge about 2 months ago, and the cost hasn't been taken out of our bank yet, I was under the impression, that nothing is taken until you actually book in, also I havn't been given a book in by time. All I have got is a booking ref no.

[Frederick]

Belle ...Thats how it always was  !....I suspect you will find a  new system  is up and running if you book now !

[BJSLIV]

You still have the choice, unless yuou have one of their super special offers.

Its all set out in their T&Cs.

1. For Saver rates (including "Sale" rates), you must: make the booking on our website; and pay in advance and in full at the time of your booking.

2. For Flexible rates, you must: pay in advance and in full at the time of your booking for "pay online"; or pay when you check-in to the hotel for "pay-on-arrival".

[Nell]

Come on! - Where else can you get a room for 29 pounds a night when you book in advance. I have just used this facility I had 2 nights in one travelodge and another 3 nights in another one - all 5 nights working out at 29 a night. A real good saving I would say.

If things do not work I am sure a word with the staff would have sorted things out.

Our 2nd stay was in the Travelodge near the Albert Dock in Liverpool. They  could not have been more helpful. We bought chilled produce and they froze it in their freezer so that we could bring it back to France in a freezer box.

[Frederick]

Well done Nell...you got a good deal ....Not all rooms in all  their hotels are available at that rate ...Try finding  room  near Church Stretton Shropshire for 29 quid on the day you want it !   As for sorting things out with the staff ...book in time was half an hour after  I arrived and it was the staff who asked me for another £10 as I  was early .... I dont blame the staff the system no doubt would  have flagged up I had booked in early and the staff would have had to explain why they have NOT charged me the extra £10  if they had let me into the room ..  Computers  and   " Company Policy " as I was told ... As I said   I have always been a fan but these changes I  can do without ...........

[Ron Avery]

If you had a problem with the room at Travelodge why not take it up with them?  Others have told you your other gripes are part of a cheap room package at least £20 a night cheaper than their normal rooms and if you had read the T&Cs which are quite clear, you would have not had anything to moan about as its all there in black and white.

After all, if you want 5 star Hotel you would have to pay a 5 star price and Travelodge will never get above 2 star at best.  I think you should also avoid  flying  EasyJet or Ryanair, you will not like their T&Cs either, but they are cheap[:D],

[Frederick]

Ron ... I have tried to take it up with them ...email  customer services ...you get a reply thanking you for the email and you  may hear from them within 10 days .. I am not talking cheap room rate here the rate was £50 per night plus £1  charged for cancellation insurance which is new to me. I  have not had to pay that before... and... have  7 pages of insurance policy sent to me  to read from AIG UK Ltd explaining how to get my money back  should I not want to book in ....  Then being asked for £10 extra  for access to the room if you arrive before the time they  designate in the afternoon .... I have tried to phone them spent over 10 minutes  going through the menu on their phone system and never got to a position where I could talk to anybody .. One night was £59 pounds ... that was what I was expecting to pay and paid ...no problem ...but why the insurance policy when you book now and the need to claim if you want to cancel. ? ...I have never had to do that in the past and dont fancy having to  through the process of  making a claim to get the cost of one night back ! I have  always liked and used the hotels ..things have changed now !  dont like it ..can do without it .. will find a hotel who does not want  me to insure to cancel my booking . 

[BJSLIV]

The £1 insurance is optional .

I was however amused to note that the benefits include that you can get your prepaid monies back .....

 for room only expenses and pre-paid breakfast costs which you have paid to Travelodge and which you cannot get back, if it is necessary and unavoidable for you to cancel your trip for specified reasons, including:

• you dying

   Handy![:)]

 

[PaulT]

Frederick

I wonder how you went about trying to get in to your hotel room when you arrived early having accepted the terms that check in was not before a certain time. Where you 'I'm here so what if it is before checkin time why can't I check in after all the room is empty' (might not have been cleaned though) in a terse manner or was it in a very pleasant way 'I know I have arrived before check in time but is there any chance I can get in to the room now'.

SWMBO works in a hotel and you would have a chance with her using the second method. Try the first and you would have no luck at all.

And they have taken your money - part of the deal. Book the regular traveller with Eurotunnel and you pay up front, not each time you wish to travel.

Plus as has been said your insurance was an optional extra - look at the screens when you are ordering on line.

Paul

[Frederick]

Went into hotel ..handed printout to receptionist who looked at her watch and said "You are early ..if you want to go to your room then its another £10 ...Company Policy "  I left  and went back later.....I dont think the staff have any discretion the computor no doubt times your arrival and flags up the demand for the extra payment ....I did not as it happened have to sit in the car for half an hour  to save £10 as some might have to if they wanted to change before attending a wedding for example ....The staff were fine ..its the "Company Policy "  they have intoduced now and the changes  I am not happy with ....

[Nell]

Have you tried the Premier Inn chain. They are pretty good and are normally attached to a Whitbread pub which can help the UK break along no end  - Just a thought!!

[Frederick]

Now that you have mentioned them Nell  I think thats where I shall be going from now on ....I have found they answer their phones in less than half a minute and you get to TALK  to sombody and they dont ask you to insure your booking  againt cancellation .... Anyway gripe over !......

..This .."Grumpy Old Man " is on his way to Hong Kong tonight for a few days and then Australia for a while so will get to check out a few of their " Lodges  " 

I wish everyone  a warm springtime and enjoyable days to come be it  in France or the UK ...I may  even get the chance to check out what you are all up to on the forum while  " down under "   Byeeeee  

[Kitty]

[quote user="Frederick"] my grandaughter gives more cereal to her rabbit than I got in  their packaged breakfast   [/quote]

Does her rabbit eat Crunchie Nut Cornflakes?  Cool...

[Boiling a frog]

[quote user="Frederick"]Went into hotel ..handed printout to receptionist who looked at her watch and said "You are early ..if you want to go to your room then its another £10 ...Company Policy "  I left  and went back later.....I dont think the staff have any discretion the computor no doubt times your arrival and flags up the demand for the extra payment ....I did not as it happened have to sit in the car for half an hour  to save £10 as some might have to if they wanted to change before attending a wedding for example ....The staff were fine ..its the "Company Policy "  they have intoduced now and the changes  I am not happy with ....[/quote]

 

You obviously arrived before 3pm and the terms and conditions are quite clear,depart by noon arrive between 3pm and 4 am or book an early arrival and pay extra.

Running a gite has the same problem ,one specifies depart by 10am arrive after 4pm,this allows time for cleaning.

The number of people who hang about until 11am or midday is about 30% of customers and early arrivals,some at midday or 1pm is also about 30%

If the two sets clash there is no time to clean and then complains are made.

One needs clear ground rules,you just did not bother to read the terms and conditions so have no one to blame but yourself.

[Frederick]

I think sombody is missing the  point here .....I knew what the arrival time was ....I have used these hotels for years I have been given access to rooms for years ...I  committed the "crime " it appears  to some of entering the building  half an hour early ...the room was clean... it was ready for me to go  into ....I  was offered the opportunity to go into it ..half an hour early ...for an extra £10 .....So Boiling a Frog .....if your guests turn up at your gite having driven hundreds of miles half an hour early  and its ready for them.........do you let them in ?...if so then you are missing out here you could get an extra £10 out of them for early arrival ! you can say its  "New  Company Policy "

[BJSLIV]

I think we can all see what is happening at Travelodge.

Their new Private Equity owners have moved to a fluid pricing model, a la Ryanair.

Instead of the old simple but high priced model, they are offering a range of flexible prices aimed at maximising occupation, but are also adding the little charges around the edges to enhance profitability.

As with Ryanair if you can stick to the rules of the model you can save money. If you don't like the rules go elsewhere.

I imagine in the near future it will be additional charges per person, per suitcase, and per pillow.

 

[Boiling a frog]

[quote user="Frederick"]I think sombody is missing the  point here .....I knew what the arrival time was ....I have used these hotels for years I have been given access to rooms for years ...I  committed the "crime " it appears  to some of entering the building  half an hour early ...the room was clean... it was ready for me to go  into ....I  was offered the opportunity to go into it ..half an hour early ...for an extra £10 .....So Boiling a Frog .....if your guests turn up at your gite having driven hundreds of miles half an hour early  and its ready for them.........do you let them in ?...if so then you are missing out here you could get an extra £10 out of them for early arrival ! you can say its  "New  Company Policy "[/quote].

I think you are missing the point.

By chance a room was available.

If, for instance the hotel was fully booked up until 12oclock and you had arrived before 3pm,without making a special arrangement it is possible that no rooms would have been available.

It is common for hotels to have check in and check out times otherwise you could arrive at any time it suited you and leave at any time it suited you.You could arrive say at 8am in the morning stay the night and not leave until say 11pm the following night and then insist that you only stayed one night .

That is why there are terms and conditions You failed to read them I suspect because as you say you have used these hotels for years,but terms and conditions change and you were caught out

 

 

[Iceni]

[quote user="BJSLIV"]

The £1 insurance is optional .

I was however amused to note that the benefits include that you can get your prepaid monies back .....

 for room only expenses and pre-paid breakfast costs which you have paid to Travelodge and which you cannot get back, if it is necessary and unavoidable for you to cancel your trip for specified reasons, including:

• you dying

   Handy![:)]

[/quote]

How so ? There are no pockets in shrouds.

John

[briwy]

   

I used a Travelodge for the first time in ages last night.

Had to find somewhere to stay quickly due a change in work plans and Travelodge was the only place available.

I paid the extra £1 mistakenly thinking that if I had to cancel at the last minute the I would be covered.

As it happened I tried to cancel about 1.30pm and was told in no uncertain terms that 12.00 was the latest.  I mentioned this cancellation insurance and was told that it made no difference. So what it is actually for I still dont know.

To add insult to injury when I asked for a receipt (to claim my work expenses) this morning on leaving the receptionist said I have to go through the internet to get it. They cant issue it at the hotel.

No doubt all this is in the small print somewhere but if youre in a rush who the hell reads all this stuff.

All seems a bit of a performance compared with last time I used them.

Ill stick to PremierInn and Holiday Inn Expresses in future.