Travelodge Levin

The man at reception was pleasant, but the dated, filthy reception gave us a bad feeling, so I asked to see the room before paying. He showed me a detached cabin where a cockroach ran across the rusty old bar fridge. It smelled of damp and cat pee, and the whole place felt filthy and badly in need of work. We were tired, but not tired enough to stay. I wouldn't use it as a dog kennel. It's a great location in Levin, which makes it a shame someone has let the property get into this state. Nobody seemed to want to answer the phone for a booking. I'd move back to NZ to be the property manager.

The bed was surprisingly comfortable, but I wouldn't stay again. At check-in, reception smelled strongly of what I'd call chemicals mixed with cat pee. The rooms were very outdated and not especially clean. In the morning, I found a couple of roaches on the bedside tables.

The service was very good, and the room had what I needed for a night's sleep. It's an average bed and a roof over your head, basically. The shower needs an upgrade: the hot water ran out after five minutes, and it leaked onto the carpet, where the mould was quite noticeable.

It's very cheap, and that seems to show in the run-down, smelly rooms and the lack of pride in the place. Cockroaches were running around the bathroom. The basic necessities are there, but they're no use without some cleaning and care. If I get caught out again, I'd rather sleep in the car.