HotelTravelodge London Covent Garden

65 out of 100 (8 Sources)

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trevorbrock (59)
Belfast, United Kingdom

95%

very good

[trevorbrock, 20.09.2007] Convenience to central London's attractions is normally highly expensive when it comes to accommodation. The standard rate whle I was there, was advertised in the lobby as £89. I had spent the grand total of £26 on Travelodge's Saver system. I was hugely proud of my achievement, and still am, as the chain rarely seems to include Covent Garden in this kind of saver rate. I would reckon that anything up to £50 per room here would represent brilliant value in this location. I would not be comfortable paying more, but that may well be just a reflection of all those years I spent in Scotland and Ballymena!

86/100

Room [more][less]
90/100

Size
90/100

Cleanliness

At one time, this Travelodge belonged to a different hotel chain - the Moat House group, and was known as the Drury Lane Moat House, and I am led to believe that before that, belonged to the Grand Met as the Drury Lane Hotel. So the exterior of the hotel has a much grander appearance than the average Travelodge, and some parts of the interior, likewise. It is a vast building for this brand, and seems to be in the process of being changed over to the more traditional Travelodge identity. If the media is correct, all the London lodges will undergo further makeovers prior to the London Olympics. So while there was nothing to criticize in terms of room size, condition, features and cleanliness, the design lacked something for someone who feels a wierd kind of security about going into the utterly predictable Travelodge norm.! The view over other local buildings was not attractive, and there is no pretence that it should be. This is a city centre hotel of the motel or lodge type, which is designed to provide adequate and acceptable accommodation, without the frills and associated costs of upmarket hotels. The nearest you get to room service, therefore, is a small continental breakfast box, left outside your door in the morning, if you opt to pay for one.
82/100

General hotel amenities [more][less]
90/100

Appearance/Architecture
90/100

Lobby Atmosphere

It is nothing like the average Travelodge building, and looks much grander. There are tell-tale signs that parts of the building are still undergoing their transformation into regulation Travelodge style, but that did not really affect my stay.
The front desk is fine and has an electronic system close by for self-check in - quite like the no-frills airlines approach in some airports. Sadly, after spending a while trying to get myself done automatically, I received a message from the machine to say that my name was not recognized. Having booked and paid online some time previously, I became slightly stressed as I moved over to the desk clutching my printouts aggressively. The staff put me at ease, assured me that the system was not perfect, and that my booking and payment were on their computer.!
Whereas smaller Travelodges that I have used seemed to recognise guests and smile over after a short while, the scale of this establishment seems to render that impossible. That scale was presumably a reason for a much greater level of security around the building - you could not get to the lifts without a room card to swipe - a good idea.
There are supposed to be some leisure facilities in the hotel, but I had no time to experiment or report.
73/100

Food & Beverages [more][less]
70/100

Food Variety
70/100

Food Quality

There is a bistro which supplies a buffet breakfast and some other food and drink during the day. It is not fabulous quality, but it is helpful to have something onsite. Many lodge type hotels have nothing, and the only alternative may involve high expense or a lengthy walk.
92/100

Location and surroundings [more][less]
100/100

Location (City)
100/100

Transportation Connection

If anyone chooses this hotel with an expectation of it being a quiet location, they are clearly ignorant of London. This is Drury Lane, Covent Garden, and central London. Lots of guests were clearly heading out in the evening in their finery to walk to the theatre or cinema. Poor souls were probably already worn out after a day shopping on Oxford Street, but that's the kind of lifestyle offered to London tourists. This Travelodge is superbly situated to facilitate them.