Days Inn Abington M74

For £45 we got a room for three with WiFi, and parking was free when booked through the website. That’s hard to beat for value. It’s a basic place, but the room was spacious and tidy, the bed comfortable, and the staff friendly and efficient. It’s dog friendly too, and handy for a stop while driving up the M74.

The lake view from some rooms is lovely, so try for one of those if you can. It worked well for a quick stopover: the rooms are clean and roomy, with tea and coffee, a TV, and a bath as well as a shower. The bathroom looked a little worn. Staff were very friendly.

The service station has a Burger king, wh smiths, a noodle type bar and a Starbucks for refreshments. I personally prefer the one just south of Carlisle because it has an M&S, but this place is perfectly fine. I’m not sure what time the shops close. I’d read the earlier reviews and wasn’t sure what to expect, but our night here on the way to the western Isles was absolutely fine. The room had a double bed and a single, and both the room and the bed were clean, comfortable and warm. There’s an electric wall heater you can adjust. The lady at the desk was friendly, and reception has a small selection of snacks and fizzy drinks. In the room there was a kettle, a few tea bags and coffee sachets, plus UHT milk. It’s a handy place to stop and sleep for a night, and good for a 2 star hotel. I booked on their website, so parking was included. I entered my car reg at check-in and wasn’t charged anything extra.

The staff were helpful and friendly at check-in and check-out, and road noise didn’t bother me. The bed was comfortable, and the water pressure was great, though the fixed shower head is annoying. A hose would be better. It’s a motel, so it won’t be spectacular. The room was a bit tatty, but clean, neat, warm in winter, and everything worked. The heater did its job. I’ve taken off a star for the room’s damage and worn look, and another for the £5 parking charge. Charging that at a motorway motel feels like a rip-off since there aren’t many pedestrians around. In my opinion it’s a con charge. Hopefully that money goes toward staff wages and not CEO bonuses, ha!