Travelodge Maldon

It was a short walk over the roundabout and up the hill into Maldon town. The room itself was okay, and it was a pleasant stay with our dog. We had to move rooms because the first hadn't been cleaned properly: there was lipstick on the towels and the dirty bed looked like it had simply been remade without fresh sheets. The staff were helpful and friendly when swapping us. There was also a strange alarm going off every 15-30 seconds, day and night.

The bed was comfortable, the pillows were great as usual, and the room was fairly quiet. But it wasn't very clean, with clumps of hair on the bathroom floor. At reception, nobody was there when we arrived, so we waited about five minutes and rang the "emergency number". The receptionist had been sitting in a room out the back. My friend had been told the day before to book early check-in manually, but he kept telling her to do it on the app. She stood her ground and he eventually booked her in. He was sullen and rude, like he didn't want to be there. Won't be coming back to this Travelodge.

A horrifying experience. When I was checking in, the receptionist first tried to put me in room two, then gave me a funny look when I said I didn't want that room. He told me, "2nd floor. Don't ask me again." I said okay and thanked him, but what was with the attitude? I went out to get a McDonald's, and when I got back he accused me of smoking in the room. I hadn't, I only vape. The room door wouldn't lock either. Usually the card reader makes a sound and flashes red or blue when you try to get into your room, but this one didn't seem to work properly. I paid £36.99 for the night, booked Monday morning. When I opened my eyes, a woman who worked at reception was recording me while I was asleep. This was one of the worst experiences of my life. I reported her to the police, and I'm grateful they did their job and detained her. Avoid!

Basic but cheerful, with a bed, toilet, shower, kettle and TV, which is all you need. It was clean and convenient, close to the shops and town, though the walk into town is a bit uphill. Cheap and cheerful.