Detailed review by fizzytom
fizzytom
Gateshead, United Kingdom95%
There are several Travelodges in central Edinburgh and St. Mary’s Street one is not the one I originally booked to stay in. Checking the Travelodge website I noticed that a new Travelodge was due to open on Rose Street and while this was not the closest Travelodge to the venue for a concert we were going to, it was over £20 a night cheaper, a saving I thought was worth the extra few minutes walk.
Unfortunately a few weeks before our stay we received an email from Travelodge informing us that the opening of the Rose Street Travelodge had been delayed. We were also told that we could stay in one of the other Edinburgh Travelodges at no extra cost, provided a room was available. As a result we were able to stay at the more conveniently located Travelodge for a not too bad rate of £62 on a Saturday night; the promotional price of £19 a night is advertised heavily throughout the hotel but I think it would be unlikely you’d find that rate for a Saturday night in Edinburgh.
This Travelodge is situated a stones throw (perhaps given the number of stag and hen groups a “stagger would be more appropriate) from the Royal Mile and therefore many of the attractions for which the city is famous. We were going to see a band playing at Cabaret Voltaire which is just two streets away. There are several restaurants on the street, some of them highly regarded.
The building is rather grim and uninspiring from the exterior and unfortunately it’s not set back from the road at all. I don’t think anyone chooses Travelodge for style, though, so this is largely unimportant. We were checked in quickly and the friendly receptionist informed us of the times breakfast is served and told us that room service meals were available until 9.45pm I’m not sure how many people order a room service meal in an Edinburgh Travelodge on a Saturday night!
(Note: we had been intending to go directly from Waverley Station to drop our bags at the hotel as we were too early to check but a note on the hotel's website states that for security reasons they are not able to store bags before or after check in/out.)
First impressions were positive, with an organised reception, friendly staff and an inviting bar area just beside reception. We didn’t use the bar at all but noted that you can buy two bottles of Stella Artois for £5.00 which didn’t strike me as too expensive. However, once you leave reception you start noticing things like grubby walls, worn carpets, in some places right down to the backing threads and battered skirtings.
Superficially our room looked fine but closer inspection revealed bits of damage and neglect. There was a small draft around the not quite perfectly fitting window and areas of black mildew or dampness around the window frame too. The veneer on the dressing table/desk and along the edges of the bedside tables was chipped and rough. The bedding felt clean and crisp but on turning back the covers that night we found a dirty stain that had clearly proved unmovable in the laundry process.
Essentially the room is standard Travelodge - basic and bland. There was tea and coffee making equipment but that's as much of a freebie as you'll get here. The sliver of soap was so measly it would have looked classier had they not bothered.
Our room overlooked St. Mary’s street which is a one way street and although it isn’t overrun with traffic its cobblestones do amplify the sound of the vehicles using it. Until around 4.00 am we were regularly woken by the sounds of singing and shouting from groups of revelers in the street. The glazing is woefully inadequate and I do hope that the new Rose Street Travelodge has better glazing as that area is likely to be pretty noisy at night too.
The mattress was really too soft and sagged slightly towards the middle. The pillows were too thin and there was only one extra one. Although we had been advised we could ask for extra pillows and blankets we just made do with what we had, too tired when we came back to our room to do anything about it.
The bathroom had a shower only; it was in good condition, much better than the sleeping area which had scuff marks on the walls in addition to the previously mentioned flaws. The best thing about the bathroom was the steam free mirror which I think is a brilliant invention; unfortunately there was no full length mirror in either the bedroom or the bathroom.
The television was situated on the desk to one side of the bed and not really a very good position unless you sat on the edge of the bed to watch it. As a result the remote control would refuse to work unless you placed yourself immediately in front of the television. The lights were another source of minor annoyance; it was not possible to switch on only one of the beside lamps, it was both or nothing which didn’t please my partner when I woke up early wanting to read.
Mercifully there wasn’t as much noise inside the hotel during the night as we had anticipated but that is probably luck more than anything. There were lots of single sex groups staying there and on another night, or on a different floor, it could have been much worse.
We didn’t have breakfast at the hotel; the price for the “all you can eat buffet breakfast is £7.50 and you can get a decent breakfast in Edinburgh for less on any day of the week.
While I can’t say I was especially impressed by this hotel it was pretty much as I’d expected. You know what to expect from Travelodge and most vary little from the usual model. I think the problems here stem from the fact that this hotel is now quite old and tired. It’s fine for a short stay and you can’t get much cheaper in the centre of Edinburgh. The facilities are basic but I’d expect most guests to be spending very little time in the rooms. Leave behind high expectations and pack your earplugs!
As we trravelled by train I cannot comment on the parking facilties. However, this information is taken directly from the hotel website
Parking Details
Limited on-site car parking.
NCP Ltd car park within 120 meters walking distance.
Britannia Parking Ltd operate the hotel car park on behalf of Travelodge. Parking is charged as listed below.
Midnight to 15:00hrs
1 hr £2
3 hrs £4
5 hrs £8
24 hrs £10
15:00 - 12 noon next day
£10 Evening & Overnight rate
The car park has 25 spaces
Alternative parking can be found at the NCP at St Johns Hill which is discounted for Travelodge customers.
NCP opening times 7am - 10pm not 24hours as stated, but vehicles can be left overnight.
Travelodge Edinburgh Central5
