Travelodge Birmingham Central

The room was filthy and smelled like sweaty feet. There was hair on the windowsill, two stains on the duvet, dirty skirting boards, peeling paint, a dirty window, and black mould on all the rubber seals. The bathroom had mouldy grout and was dirty too, with brown marks on the floor and a white stain on the chair. There were no plugs beside either side of the bed. Even with the window shut, it was awfully noisy. I booked expecting the usual basic but clean Travelodge stay, and this was awful. I spoke with two staff members. They said they'd emailed head office, but couldn't move me to another nearby Travelodge, even though I offered to pay for any upgrade. They said I couldn't move because I'd already checked in. Of course I'd checked in, how else could I have seen the room? They weren't helpful and said I could only speak to a manager the next morning, which didn't work since I had to leave at 8am for an exam. I paid £90 out of pocket plus a taxi to Travelodge in Birmingham Aston, which was great, book there instead. I'll be pursuing this further. Don't stay here.

For £29 on a Friday night in Birmingham city centre, I got a proper hotel room for hostel prices. The basics were covered: it was clean and tidy, surprisingly cosy, the bed was comfortable, and the bathroom had reliably hot water. The rooms are basic, and the corridors look like they haven't had a paint job since around the London 2012 Olympics. Staff were friendly and professional, doing their best even when guests expect Buckingham Palace on a bargain budget. Noise was totally fine, given the busy area full of bars, restaurants, and clubs. If you expect silence there, it's like sitting front row at a rock concert and complaining about the speakers. I stayed last night and honestly don't get what many of the one star reviews are upset about. It's obviously not the Ritz, but for that price, the place delivers what it promises, maybe a little more than anyone could reasonably expect.

The town centre location was great, but I wouldn't sleep here again. Outside noise kept me awake: constant lorries, car horns, and even shouting in the street. We were one floor below the top, yet I couldn't believe how clearly we heard people below. The curtains didn't block enough light either, so I was glad to leave early the next morning. Front desk service was hit and miss, and we often had to wait for someone to show up.

The room was roomy and clean, and check-in was quick and straightforward. I slept really well on the comfortable bed. I did need a little time to work out the shower, though. Since the hotel’s right in the centre, the bin lorries were pretty loud in the morning with my window open.