Travelodge London Ilford

I am sorry to say that this was a terrible three days.

Nothing to add to the negative reviews already posted they are all very accurate.

I will not be returning and cannot recommend it under any circumstances.

Sorry, but this must rate as the worst Travelodge, of the many, I have stayed in throughout the UK.

Stayed for two nights from Sunday 17th Aug - Mon 18th Aug 2008. Arrived at 13.45pm on Sunday. Couldn't check in until 3pm unless we wanted to pay a L10 early check-in fee. We didn't so took our luggage back to car (which is on level 9 of the adjacent car park, the same floor as travelodge reception). Went for lunch and came back to check-in about 4pm. It wasn't a problem, but think this is a new policy as often get to hotels earlier than official check-in time (including Travelodges) and if rooms are ready its not usually a problem. I had booked the short 2-day break for myself and husband on the L19 pre payment per night per room deal knowing this particular Travelodge and its location as stayed there in January 2007 with friends on a similar cheap deal.

I didn't particularly find the male receptionist welcoming on any occasion we attended the reception desk. He did his job but seemed irritated that he was being bothered by us or anyone else at the desk. We had no remote control in our room, its not that we are too lazy to change tv channel manually but we felt the need to report there was no remote incase we got sent a bill if they claimed it was there when we entered our room. We didn't know whether it was a Nokia or Phillips so we had to find that out ourselves. Therefore we didn't get the remote at time of reporting it as we were on our way out, and later on when I mentioned it, he came with me to my room and then took remote from another room. I was a little confused but we got a remote and it stayed in our room throughout our duration. On our return to the hotel having been out on our 2nd day. We couldn't get our card to work. The lady on reception said although we were booked in the room for 2 nights the person issueing the card (male receptionist as previously mentioned) had only given access for one night. Its lucky we returned back in the afternoon as otherwise to access the hotel we would have had to use the dodgy carpark stairs and go up 9 levels to go in through main reception.

I did remember that due to the hotel being in the centre of Ilford and next to the activities of the evening (cinema, bowling, food outlets) that it can be noisy. personally I don't mind traffic noise while I'm trying to sleep, but my husband found it noisier than the time before (he thinks we were staying higher up and therefore further from the noise on the previous visit). I found the bed comfortable but he didn't.

I actually think Travelodges are exceedingly good value when paying the L19 per room per night.....maybe even L29, but I'm not sure they are ever worth L50 - L60.

Also need to remember you have to pay in the attached carpark, but I think that was good value as we arrived at 13.45 on 17th and left at 11.00 on 19th. You have to remember to give your carpark pass to reception to scan so that you don't pay between 5pm - 9am, but it cost L7.70 for almost 2 days. (this compares to L15 a day in Nottingham!). If we could have been bothered we could have paid L6.50, as 'lost' tickets are charged at L6.50 a day. We could probably have lost our ticket and I doubt they would have checked we'd been there nearly two.

Room 116 which we stayed in was clean, big and light. I couldn't see anywhere to adjust room temperature but it was just right for me anyway.