When it comes to Mother’s Day, chocolates, flowers and perfume are a kind gesture, but we could all do with some me time away from the family just to recharge, rest and do whatever (or nothing) we want to do.
While going away for a spa break may not be feasible for everyone this weekend, when you need a night away, something simple, clean and relaxing I tried last weekend was a stay at the Travelodge in Convent Garden in one of their newly refurbished rooms.
Covent Garden is bustling with the young and the not so young, Londoners and tourists. But is has the calm that Soho and Oxford Street doesn’t. The shopping is great, and there are many well-known and independent places to eat. Anything that’s missing is just a taxi, bus or train ride away, so it’s a great location for a mum who just wants to relax and venture out when ready.
So, when Travelodge offered a stay in one of their newly refurbished hotel rooms, Covent Garden came tops.
On arrival, staff were as friendly as one would expect, and with room cards handed out, it was a short walk to the room.
The room
The rooms are basic, but very neat. I’ve stayed in a few hotels in my time, from the overly expensive to the budget business style and the latter is very much how I would classify the Travelodge.
Clean and fresh, very practical and well lit the room had everything one needs for a good night’s sleep: clean sheets, a solid, firm bed and a TV.
The bathroom
The bathroom is the only area that could have a nicer touch; but for what Travelodge is for, this is only a minor gripe. It would be great to have a bath, rather than just a shower…
There’s also a point I want to make about the bath soap and handwash dispensers. If you’re one of those people who like to collect the bottles of shampoo and body wash from the hotels you stay in (yes, we know who you are), you won’t be able to do this at Travelodge. All the bath soaps and handwashes are dispensed from a machine (see the picture below).
but this is a basic room for those who just want somewhere to stop over with a brand that is a name they recognise.
Breakfast
It certainly makes a change having breakfast (and lots of it!) made for you when you finally roll out of bed in the morning. Travelodge has a generous spread – the full English (minus the mushrooms), a choice of cereals, apple and range juice, and hot beverages that are dispensed from a machine.
It’s not Michelin star, but the quality of food is better than I expected.
Some extras
There is also a bar and restaurant at the Covent Garden Travelodge. While I didn’t get to venture to those places (we went to an Indian restaurant around the corner from the hotel), looking at the menu in the hotel room, fish and chips came in at around £8.99, which is about right. I wish I’d eaten just that – my husband and I thought we would make a night of it at the aforementioned Indian restaurant around the corner, and the portion sizes did not correlate to the final bill of £68! Lesson learnt the hard way!
The verdict
Would I use Travelodge again? Yes. Would I go with the whole family? Yes, definitely. It’s safe, neat and clean. Those are my prerequisites when looking for somewhere to stay away from home and from that perspective all my boxes were ticked.
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