Hotel Review - Travelodge, Brighton Seafront (Room Video)

Hotel Review - Travelodge, Brighton Seafront (Room Video)

Thursday 30 August 2012

There are loads of fantastic little places to stay in Brighton. Design hotels, boutiquey B&Bs and seafront apartments are dotted all around the city. But in August, things can get pretty pricey. Which is why, when headed there for a midweek break for another wedding, we ended up in the Travelodge.

There's nothing exciting about staying in a Travelodge, it's true. But you can't complain about the price - our room was £39 a night.

Location
When you book into the Travelodge at the Seafront, they tell you upfront that it's located on a very noisy street. As I grew up very near Brighton and know it well, I knew this to be true. It's on West Street, which houses a line of crappy clubs, and outside things get very, very loud. On the second night, I discovered that closing the second set of windows did reduce the noise quite a lot, but it also made for a very stuffy room. We stayed on a Wednesday and Thursday, and the mid week crowd did its best to keep the noise levels nice and high. At a weekend? It would be pretty horrific.

Room
Our room was fairly small, but it did the trick. There was a big wardrobe (complete with non-removable coat hangers, in case you fancied lifting a few) and a well lit desk with a small TV. But the bathroom was atrocious. While the basin for the shower was big, the curtain did nothing to stop the flow of water on to the floor. And the water pressure was the equivalent of a tall man dribbling above you. The taps in the sink were no better. Oh, and oddly, the towels smelt like biscuits.

Breakfast
There's no included breakfast, though there is a bar downstairs where you can get it. If you buy when booking, you get it at a cheaper rate, but with so many fantastic cafes nearby you'd be mad to.

Service
I had next to no interaction with any members of staff. You can even check in via a computer, located right on the reception desk, which seems a little odd as you would complete the process while avoiding eye contact with a human receptionist who is RIGHT THERE. There are hairdryers and irons available at the desk, which you can bring up to the rooms.

Overall, it is what it is. If you're looking for a dirt cheap bolthole in the middle of Brighton, or you're planning on being one of the noisy revellers, you'll be happy. But if not? Spend a little extra and look elsewhere. You'll be glad of that decision at 3am.

In the spirit of room video week, here's a look inside our room...