To think Travelodge are terrible

[Newusername73]

My children (aged 22 & 16) have just arrived at a Travelodge after a really long drive. Car park was full. They've had to park in overflow car park 5 mins walk away. Of course it's pissing it down. My dd has slipped whilst walking to hotel carrying lots of stuff. She's banged her head on the ground and has a big lump. She's in pain and crying bless her. Gets in hotel and asks for a first aid kit or ice pack. Man on reception barely speaks English and says they have none. Couldn't find her booking. I sent through a screenshot of confirmation number and they were given a key card. To someone else's obviously used room. Thankfully they weren't in it. They are now in a clean room but terrified someone will come into there's. No extra lock, no chair to put in front of door and her head is still hurting like fuck. They are 4 hours drive away so feel very helpless here. Dd is neurodiverse btw and has worked herself up into a state. Any advice appreciated!

That all sounds awful. Make sure you complain about the room to the hotel and the head office, and never book it again!
I hope DD is feeling better now and a bit more settled. They could roll a towel and put it on the floor behind the door which would stop anyone opening the door.
Hope their stay improves.

I have personally never had an issue with Travelodge but I would definitely put in a complaint about being given an occupied room!!

I wouldn't ever have let them book Travelodge after the massive safeguarding failings they've had and been in the media recently. Head wise, does she need checking over? If so the eldest will have to drive her to minor injuries or something such, otherwise paracetamol and sleep will be the best bet. As for the door, again they should have a door wedge at the least, but towel in the door is a good idea along with suitcases placed Infront so they will make a noise if someone does come in.

I always think of travelodge as being the Ryanair of hotels.

sounds awful hope your DD is ok xx

Travelodge are absolutely grim but practically speaking, if it’s the youngest who has hurt herself then the eldest needs to get back in the car and take her for some painkillers etc.

travelodge have been all over the news and in court for giving room keys to already occupied rooms where in at least one instance someone was raped so I would report report report - tag them on social media for doing it. They are an utter disgrace and they have not changed their process one bit or learnt any lessons which your experience is further evidence of. I would never ever book them for myself or anyone else again and I really wish people would realise how dangerous their practices are.

She is the eldest so unfortunately they're stuck. I will tell her about the towel idea. It's near Thorpe Park and it's all they could afford. They've had loads of holidays/treats this year so I said they could go but they would have to use their own money. Hence why staying there. I honestly thought TL would up their game. Clearly not. Who do I complain to?

As far as I'm concerned, Travelodge can get fucked ever since they gave a stranger a key to a woman's room and then offered her £30 compensation after she was raped.

Disgusting company.

I hope your DD feels better soon

You don't complain to anyone.

Your daughter is 22 years old. A fully grown woman. Quite possibly the same or a similar age to some of the mums on here you are asking for advice.

Plus she is there, you are not.

She can find a member of staff or a manager to complain to in the morning.

Surely you don't need to micromanage a woman of that age. Give her some space.

I hope she gets a good rest tonight and feels better tomorrow.

I fully agree and I'm actually saddened by the number of adults who don't run their own lives. At 22 I was buying a house and sorting my wedding. I was working and travelling all over the UK and abroad for fun.

Here we have a full grown adult who hasn't had the common sense to take the booking details with her. A booking her mummy clearly made for her.

Also we have mummy and daughter who don't realise that some bloke on a reception desk isn't there to had out drugs. What if your daughter was allergic?

You say she nd but you're ok with her driving 4 hrs and being responsible for a minor...

Should have dropped off at the premises, hope your daughter feels better soon

Travelodge are known to not be particularly safe/high security.

Why did you not send your kids with a door wedge or security device? The towel under the door is the same concept.

Plenty of hotels do not have on site parking or very limited parking. This was their job to research. It’s unfortunate, but you cannot blame anyone for your daughter falling. If it was due to the amount of luggage, was it all needed tonight and in one trip?

I agree with PP though. You’ve deemed them old and capable to manage this trip. Leave them to it. Travelodge is a budget hotel with a bed for the night. It’s not a minor injuries unit with a doctor on reception.

Travel lodge are not known for their security. The past 2 companies I have worked warm against booking them if away on business. I would not let young adults stay there by themselves. Can you book them onto a different hotel nearby?

I have to use them a lot.
£38 a night for 4 people. I am not complaining.

This is huge for travelodge giving them a key to someone else’s room. They should demand to see the manager now

if no chair put their bags etc behind the door for the room they are sharing. I would never use a door stop just something that would slow the down getting in

parking at travelodge is very hit and miss due to the rates they charge

I have recently stayed at a few Travelodges, and they were all fine - I suspect it's very dependent on the particular Travelodge and staff.

The place I had the wrong room was in a youth hostel (which is no longer a youth hostel), where I was put in a men's dorm, though didn't realise till the morning.

As previous poster, Travelodge is the equivalent of Ryanair. Its the basics but thats it, and any staff you may find are generally unhelpful. Its the kind of place where I wouldn't guarantee clean towels, so a first aid kit would be out of the question.
I was once given a room that looked like a contractor was using, slept in/ unmade bed, tool bags, unflushed toilet ...

When I tracked down someone to complain he said he would come and flush the toilet if needed, as if that was the only problem.
When I complained direct to Travelodge with pictures they denied a problem and offered 25% off future booking as good will gesture.

Its nothing to do with Travelodge that their carpark was full and DD slipped over! Any travelodge I've been to had no carpark at all. Couldn't they/she have walked/driven to a tesco express/supermarket for a plaster and paracetamol? No first aid supplies in her car or handbag? Put cold water on a towel for the head and if bleeding, use a pantyliner if nothing else to stem any bleeding.

My old company used to put us in travelodges for work conferences. Awful! The beds were comfy and breakfast ok but that was all. In summer they are very hot with a tiny desk fan to 'cool' the whole room, no lug socket near the bed and very much no frills.

It’s not their fault your daughter was overloaded with luggage or fell over! I’m also not sure it’s a good idea for them to be arranging first aid.

That said, the already occupied room situation is absolutely unacceptable, and your DD should complain to management in the morning.

I regularly use a Travelodge though, and really like it! 😬

There will be a customer service number on the website if you dig deep enough.
Customers can also write directly to Ray Reidy the current interim CEO.
Look him up.

Travel lodge are the basics range of hotels. Thing is premier inn and ibis much better for same money.

The car park shenanigans are your dds fault. She fell over. What do you expect a hotel desk operator to do? You may as well have wandered into a petrol station or tesco extra and might actually have had more luck getting first aid supplies than asking the hotel. It'd probably too much to expect a bit of humanity or raiding of first aid kit. I expect they cost cut to a ridiculous extent and obviously haven't trained the staff or recruited someone with initiative.

As for being given the wrong room they sorted it. Complain if you like. A 16yo and 22yo should be able to cope but if ND don't send them or go with them. It's not up to the hotel to care.

Travelodge’s are cheapo places, I’ve stayed in a few in the past and not liked any of them so haven’t stayed in any since. If I want to stay somewhere and not pay out tonnes I’ll go on booking.com or Airbnb last minute and check for reduced deals. I’ve been able to stay in some great places doing this. I know that’s not advice that will help now but definitely complain about being a used room.

I stayed in Travelodge, because it was cheaper than anything on booking.com. I've had some great places through booking.com, but also some terrible ones - at least I know what I'm getting with Travelodge.

Exactly! 22 and her mother is saying things like "They've had loads of holidays/treats this year so I said they could go but they would have to use their own money." She's TWENTY TWO! 🤣

I was well into adulthood, already on the career ladder, living independently from my parents and not that local to them, and had travelled to a few other countries independently.

I'd have been mortified if my mother was asking how to complain to a Travelodge for me because I'd been given the wrong room and fallen over.

Not saying it's not worth complaining about, but a 22yo can make her own decisions and her own complaints. Time to cut those apron strings.

My god I'd missed that. But mummy will be back claiming she's nd and so mummy runs things because she can't work.

But mummy let's her drive 4hrs with a storm forecast and be in charge of a 16 year old

Mn never ceases to surprise me

The first few reviews for that Travelodge mention the limited parking, so maybe she should have been prepared