Travelodge Newcastle-under-Lyme

We had such an awful stay, with so many problems, that we wouldn’t use the lodge again. We were grateful to get half our charges refunded, and hope the staffing issues are sorted so no one else has the same experience. I felt sorry for the staff who were there, as they were run ragged. When we complained, we made sure to praise the people who’d tried their best to help us.

Good sized room in a convenient location, close to the bus stop and city centre, with Lidl just downstairs. I didn’t have breakfast, so can’t comment on the food. The staff helped when my room key wasn’t working properly. I could stay here again.

I only needed somewhere basic, clean and comfortable, and didn’t get the clean part. On arrival, the bathroom floor was literally covered in pubes. I thought maybe someone had just missed the floor in a budget hotel, but then I had to change the pillows because the linen was stained. I usually check the mattress, but didn’t think to until I was leaving this morning. The mattress protector had urine stains and other stains, and the pillows had no protectors and huge brown marks all over them. The setup is odd, with reception on the first floor and public access to the stairs and lifts. You need a key card for the corridors, but I often found those doors wedged open. I’d tell people to avoid this hotel like the plague, and wipe their feet on the way out. I’m pretty sure someone had pissed in the lift too.

I’m here for a few days. It’s cheap and cheerful, and what it is. The food is why I’m leaving negative comments. Last night I ordered chicken satay and garlic flatbread. The chicken was like a brick, and the flatbread was disgusting, smelled really bad and wasn’t cooked. I took it back and asked the waiter to smell it, but he flatly refused and walked off with it to the kitchen. No refund was offered.