Travelodge Arundel Fontwell

The staff were the reason this got three stars. They were consistently there and a real credit to the hotel, even though there wasn't anything they could do about my issues. I paid extra to choose a room, but there weren't many options left. Knowing how loud the road was, I would have picked the car park side, though that might be noisy too. At night, traffic and headlights from cars going around the roundabout were a problem, and the curtains didn't block them. The bed was hard, as hotel beds and pillows often are. The toilet basin was cracked, with glue in it that looked like something you'd find in a toilet.

Ed deserves a mention. He's on the front desk each Sunday night I've stayed, and he's courteous, alert, friendly, engaging and helpful. Staff like him are why I choose this hotel over a nearby competitor. The location is handy too: the main commuter roads are just 200m from the car park, Chichester centre is about 10 minutes away, and there's a 24-hour Waitrose petrol station, KFC and Burger King three minutes across the roundabout. A decent pub with food is right next door. For the price of a three-course meal at most local restaurants, you get a clean, tidy, perfectly comfortable place to spend the night. It isn't the most comfortable five-star hotel around, but that's not why I gave it five stars.

The pub nearby was really nice, and the hotel staff were friendly and helpful. We stayed for two nights while visiting Arundel before continuing to Brighton. It suited us just right.

There's not much right nearby, though there's a pub with nice meals as well as KFC and Burger King. It's also not far from things to do.