Travelodge Thurrock Lakeside

Staff were friendly and helpful, and if you book online I'd recommend paying for the option to choose your own room. Our room had a lovely view of the lake, though do expect boy racers messing around in the car park. Apart from that, it was okay. My one suggestion is to put small bedside tables in the rooms, since the little holes there now aren't ideal. We picked this Travelodge in Thurrock for a short break because the location works well for Lakeside and other shopping nearby.

The reason I keep coming back to this hotel is the staff, especially Abbey Tania and Lani. They remember me from earlier visits and are always so warm and welcoming, going out of their way to make my stay pleasant. I can't praise them enough, and the behind-the-scenes team deserves a mention too. They're a credit to Travel Lodge. My room was very clean and had all the facilities I needed, and breakfast had a great range of hot and cold food.

I stayed for one night while attending a wedding. My room on the fourth floor was clean and adequate, with a good view of the lake. The staff were very helpful. There's a huge shopping centre nearby, though I didn't get a chance to visit it.

The staff were the only redeeming part of my stay. They were polite and did their best, but that couldn't make up for the poor cleanliness, uncomfortable beds and awful food. You could feel where the beds had just been pushed together, and there were visible blood stains on the carpet. That was shocking and unhygienic, especially given that I hadn't even paid for the room. I came down for breakfast at the same time every morning and was repeatedly told they were “just putting more food out,” but there was barely anything to eat despite only two or three other guests being there. On checkout morning I waited a long time for food that never arrived. I wouldn't recommend staying here.