Travelodge Birmingham Sheldon

I manage a hotel, and this was one of the worst Travelodges I’ve stayed in. It needs work, or the staff need retraining. There were bloodstains all over the duvet and pillows, the bathroom hadn’t been cleaned properly, and condensation had left marks across the bedroom walls. We couldn’t get into the building after hours, even with a fog key. There was a number on the door to call someone, but it was disappointing to have that trouble on my first visit. I won’t be back. During our stay, there rarely seemed to be staff around apart from a couple of housekeepers, and sometimes we had to ring for anything. If you want a quiet night, this may not be the place. Traffic came through the windows and kept us from sleeping for several days. We’d hoped to use this hotel often, so it was a real disappointment.

The room was fine, and the newer shower heads are better than the old ones. There’s no bathroom shelf for toiletries, but I managed. Staff were helpful when they were around, and the Toby Inn next door does breakfast. It was fairly noisy with so many dog owners there for Crufts, though I quite liked hearing them.

Room 101, and then room 103, had serious problems. The pub garden looks straight into the room, with no net curtains, so there’s no privacy. I took photos the next morning. We could hear conversations and wedding plans in the garden until after 1am, and even heard threatening abuse and saw a physical fight. The pub had closed, but people stayed outside, played their own music by the window, and the door connecting the Travelodge to the pub clanged shut every few minutes. After all that kept us awake until 2am, the chambermaids were outside the room from 6am, leaving very little chance to sleep.

We stopped here because it was convenient for an airpark where we could leave the car before an early flight. Otherwise, I wouldn’t stay. It was expensive for a Wednesday, the room was cold in November, and the staff seemed uninterested.