To bloody love budget hotels

[Onesieisthequeensselfie]

Like premier inn, travelodge, ibis etc.

I have to travel lots for work and have a choice of accommodation booked for me or be given the equivalent in cash and book it myself.

Budget hotels are absolutely brilliant!!! Clean room, often conveniently located and, bonus, some extra left over to put towards a nice holiday.

BUT, I do admit to being a bit embarrassed if colleagues ask me where I'm staying and just mumble something about a little boutique hotel locally and quickly change the subject.

AIBU to be embarrassed and should I be out and proud to wave the premier inn flag?!

Premier Inn accessible rooms are fantastic, much better than many wheelchair accessible hotels that cost far more money. Their rooms are all big enough to turn a wheelchair around and their disabled bathrooms are much, much better than any of their budget competitors.

I recently stayed at PI in Milton Keynes South which is part of a converted windmill and sits by a lake that has geese who wander past the bedroom windows. It felt like staying in Centre Parks except it cost about 10% of the price!

I have had good experiences at the Premier Inn in Leamington Spa and more recently at two different Ibis hotels in the Montmartre area of Paris.

Clean and comfortable rooms with good ensuite toilet and shower. TV, free WiFi and lovely breakfast. What's not to like?

But PS, I'd never stay at a Jury's on principle. Booked one in Ireland for 4 of us when going for a wedding. Told them at booking that we'd be arriving about 10 pm, PLUS phoned again on the morning of arrival to remind them that we'd be a bit late.
And they STILL gave our rooms away - my Irish friend who was waiting in the bar to meet us was incandescent and highly embarrassed after we'd come from London. Luckily we found somewhere else nearby, but I'd never book a Jury's again.

I love PI. The ones in Stratford upon Avon & St Albans are so central. The one in Southsea was a bit grotty and we probably should have asked for a refund as it was stupidly hot in the room but it was clean & you knew what you'd get.

Oh and IBIS we stayed at a great one in Prague breakfast was amazingly yummy - I have been looking at them for a Paris break

we just stayed in a best western in frodsham. lovely hotel. allows dogs. cheao. surrounding area - out of this world!

Blimey, I have never stayed in a TL or PI . We are travelling from Gatwick next month so I've booked us into the Bloc Hotel there. I wish I'd booked the Premier Inn now but I couldn't get my head around the airport transfers for our early flight.

Smelly, the Paris Ibis hotel I spent two weekends in was the Ibis Montmartre on Rue Caulaincourt, just off Place de Clichy.

I would recommend it. Well located, 2 or 3 minutes from Place de Clichy Metro station and plenty of nearby reasonably priced bars and restaurants.

I love Premmy Inn, the breakfasts are amazing too. The one at Euston is great, we had a huge room and it was very quiet.
The Holiday Inns can also be good, the one in Salford has the most patient receptionists ever.

I stay in hotels a lot for work and love a PI. As a lone female traveller I'm always conscious about being alone. PI never put you on the ground floor and never announce your room number at check in for safety reasons, I think this is fantastic. Plus, you know you get a comfy bed, decent shower and good sized tv. Travelling in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland I'm delighted when I get 2 out of 3!!! The only downside is the fixed to the wall shower gel, I love a bit of toiletry pilfering

I love a premier Inn. We stayed in a 4* hotel recently and couldn't see out the tiny window (frosted glass ) I reckon pi would have been better!
Incidently our neighbour drives a huge lorry for work. He gets an allowance for hotels if he's out all night. He just sleeps in his cab and keeps the cash

Another premier Inn lover here. Loved the one in Hull near the deep, really lovely restaurant and views over the estuary. Stayed in bricket wood I think it was for harry Potter that was a lovely located one. Will return to both. Off to Scotland in October staying in premier inns again. Can't beat the brekkie dh says.

Hotel stars are about facilities not naiceness. I've stayed in some very tired and not particularly nice 4 star hotels that I was glad to leave.

Premier Inn etc don't have stars, and it seems that they're offering people what they want in terms of clean, comfy bed, decent breakfast etc.

I hated the Travel Lodge we stayed at but we always stay in Premier Inns when we go away and dh does with his work too (although he has no choice as his company has a deal with them). We pick Premier Inn over independent hotels as you know exactly what you are getting before you get there, there's no nasty surprises, and DS gets a free breakfast (and my goodness, does he make the most of it 😂) oh and his favourite colour is purple!

There's one Premier Inn I often stay in for work and they always seem to be doing the midweek £29 room offer!

Love all the purple, the dinky tea set, and yes the beds are very comfy. I pulled up the sheets once and made a note of the mattress, because it was so comfy.

Big fan of holiday inn express, am a member of their priority club, so get points towards free nights, and breakfast included. Travelodge is a bit hit and miss, but if we are going to London we always stay in the Farringdon road one, walkable from the west end and cheaper than Covent garden.

I know to avoid Holiday Inn. Expensive, tv didn't work, crap mattress, noisy.

Would always pick PI over TL. TL IME are not as well appointed, shabbier and really feel budget. The last time I stayed at one I didn't feel particularly safe and kept missing things that you'd normally get at a PI.

Not keen on Travelodge, but love Premier Inn and Holiday Inn Express. Partial to a novotel as well.

Yes shout your PI love! They have always been great especially for the price and yes, very comfy beds.

I will never stay in a TravelLodge again if I can help it tho. I had 2 experiences in a short period of time about 6/7 years ago. One in Edinburgh, the tiniest possible single room, felt like a prison cell, window didn't open even a crack so was roasting, dingy paint, ancient tiny shower "room" with dirty tiles uurgh. Then in Glasgow, arrived knackered with DH and young DS after a long trip to find the housekeeping still cleaning the blood and vomit off the walls from the previous night's guests. Again, very dated and tired decor and extremely thin walls so you hear the sex from several rooms along. And no breakfast. Crap.

Sharing the love ! Happy hour at PI saved my sanity when due to a house move cock up I had to decant there for eight weeks with three kids. Staff were just SO great...washed and dried DDs sports kit on (more than) one occasion, and we're very good at off menu ordering (and sneaking the littlies a muffin for snack). As the period included Christmas I booked into a posh hotel....lasted 2 days before moving back to PI. Can't beat them.

Stayed in them a lot when travelling for courses in the last 2 years. 1st year stayed in b&b's didn't feel especially safe. Then swapped to TL and loved it. Ended up getting to know the staff. They always were willing to help. I gave them chocs on my last stay

Staying in a budget hotel is a bad thing?

Oh... didn't know that, amongst my peers/colleagues, we are always competing to try and get the cheapest rooms in the nearest but cheapest hotels... we think the poor sod who had no choice but to stay in the vastly overpriced hotel is a loser! We commiserate them, plus they tend to have a trek back to their hotel whilst the conference/seminar 'party' rages on in our cheapy one!

Dog trainers - we are a weird lot, turning social doodads on their heads (theres also never any lingering and not-wanting-to-be-first-at-the-buffet-table shizzle with dog trainers. Zoom. Scoff. Gone.)

We like premier Inn but not been keen on Travel Lodge.

We base our judgements of other hotels on PI. If it costs more and isn't as good as a PI room then ...

Link for Premier lnn beds to buy here

www.premierinn.com/gb/en/why/sleep/buy-our-bed.html