Travelodge Rugeley

We'd stay again for the convenience of the location near Cannock chase, but the price didn't feel right for the level of cleaning. As an ex-housekeeper, I wasn't impressed. There were dead flies and bugs on our son's bed by the window, so the sheets clearly hadn't been fresh. The sheets on our bed were the wrong way round, and there was pee and cleaning product around the toilet base. The bins were dirty under the bags and around the outside. That matters when you have a toddler who touches everything. The bathroom also looked shabby and didn't feel fresh. The room was generously sized and had the facilities we expected.

The car park had quite deep potholes, and the hotel itself felt dated. There was such a strong damp, musty smell throughout that we had to sleep with the window open and the heating on. Two of us have asthma, so it was hard to deal with. We booked a room for four, but only three beds had been made up when we arrived.

The room was clean and tidy, and the staff member who greeted us at reception was polite. The bed wasn't very comfortable, though, and we could hear people outside during the night. With a petrol station and burger place right outside, it might not be ideal for a quiet stay. Getting to the motorway wasn't great, and weekday morning traffic was fairly heavy. It did the job for what we needed for our one night with my girlfriend.

The hotel was clean, but a bit dated, and had a strange smell that was stronger in the room. It was okay as a base where we could just put our heads down for a couple of nights, but I'm not sure we'd return. The USB ports in the room didn't work, nor did one of the sockets.