Travelodge |
Vs |
Premier Inn |
600 |
Number of hotels |
830 |
2000+ Super Rooms |
Premium comfort rooms |
2000+ Premier Plus rooms |
currently at 200 hotels |
On-site restaurant |
every hotel |
200 hotels with Bar Café (otherwise breakfast box) |
Full breakfast service |
every hotel |
yes (most hotels) |
Accessible rooms |
yes (in all hotels) |
free for 30 mins |
Basic WiFi |
free 24/7 |
£3 per 24 hr |
Upgraded WiFi |
£5 per 24 hr |
yes, up to 2 per room (additional charge applies) |
Pets allowed |
no (unless assistance dogs) |
yes, arrive 10 am, depart 4 pm (additional charge applies) |
Flexible check-in/out |
no (except some airport hotels) |
rooms from £32 |
Price |
rooms from £35 |
some - chargeable |
Parking city centre hotels |
some - chargeable |
yes - free |
Parking out of town hotels |
yes - free |
63% |
Which? Hotel Rating 2022 |
78% |
Yes, every hotel |
Bike friendly? |
Yes, except Hub hotels |
No Policy |
Good Night Guarantee |
Yes (except the Hub Hotels) |
Yes |
King-size bed guaranteed |
Most, but not all including Premier Plus Rooms |
No |
Adult-only hotels |
Yes, in Hub hotels (only in London + Edinburgh) |
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Before you book a Premier Inn did you know you could stay in a 4-Star Leonardo Hotel which on average is the same price or cheaper for the same location - plus free breakfast for up to 2 children under 12!
Leonardo Hotels
Jurys Inn are now Leonardo Hotels click to find out more |
Don't forget that Travelodge now has over 600 hotels in the UK offering a very similar standard of accommodation to Premier Inn including the new SuperRooms™ hotels. On average Travelodge offer a discount of up to 50% compared to a like for like room at Premier Inn. It is worth looking into the Travelodge rooms for £38 or less deal.
Use the following link to search any Travelodge room throughout the UK guaranteed at the lowest room rate 
Travelodge SuperRoom
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What are the main differences between Travelodge and Premier Inn?
Premier Inn and Travelodge are both household names as the two main budget hotel brands in the UK with a total of over 130,000 bed spaces combined. Premier Inn is the larger of the two with over 830 hotels offering 85000 bed spaces compared to Travelodge nearly 600, generally slightly smaller hotels offering 45000 beds. |
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Both hotel chains were founded in the late 1980's so have nearly 40 years of experience under their belts when it comes to understanding what the customer is looking for in a budget hotel. They both offer a very much generic package so that you know exactly what you will be getting, from the comfort of the bed right down to the sausage they serve you for breakfast. So no matter where or which hotel you are staying in you will know what to expect.
Customers like that consistently and reliability and this has enabled both chains to grow rapidly throughout the UK. This growth is set to continue as both Premier Inn and Travelodge have ambitious expansion plans for the future as they each continue to fight for a greater share of the UK budget hotel market.
Which? the consumer magazine conducts a large survey of nearly 5000 members each year and rates both Premier Inn and Travelodge against each other for cleanliness, bed comfort, customer service, food quality and value for money.
Premier Inn has topped the league table in 2023 with an overall score of 77% for the Hub hotels and just a smidge lower at 75% for the standard Premier Inn hotels, doing especially well for cleanliness, bed comfort and consistency of hotel experience no matter which hotel you stay in. They did however lose their coveted Which? Recommended provider status though due to a significant hike in the room prices scoring just 2 stars for value for money.
Travelodge only managed to achieve an overall score of 56% with guests being disappointed with dated and tatty decor, and a very poor one star rating for food and drink mainly due to the lack of a restaurant on every site and 'breakfast boxes' being a poor substitute for a full breakfast service. Cleanliness was also lacking with the chain only achieving 3 stars out of a possible 5. We should note that Travelodge are currently undergoing a major refurbishment of their hotels and updated ones score considerably better.
Customers like that consistently and reliability and this has enabled both chains to grow rapidly throughout the UK. This growth is set to continue as both Premier Inn and Travelodge have ambitious expansion plans for the future as they each continue to fight for a greater share of the UK budget hotel market.
Which? the consumer magazine conducts a large survey of nearly 5000 members each year and rates both Premier Inn and Travelodge against each other for cleanliness, bed comfort, customer service, food quality and value for money.
Premier Inn has topped the league table in 2023 with an overall score of 77% for the Hub hotels and just a smidge lower at 75% for the standard Premier Inn hotels, doing especially well for cleanliness, bed comfort and consistency of hotel experience no matter which hotel you stay in. They did however lose their coveted Which? Recommended provider status though due to a significant hike in the room prices scoring just 2 stars for value for money.
Travelodge only managed to achieve an overall score of 56% with guests being disappointed with dated and tatty decor, and a very poor one star rating for food and drink mainly due to the lack of a restaurant on every site and 'breakfast boxes' being a poor substitute for a full breakfast service. Cleanliness was also lacking with the chain only achieving 3 stars out of a possible 5. We should note that Travelodge are currently undergoing a major refurbishment of their hotels and updated ones score considerably better.
Both brands have a broad target customer base which includes day trippers, families, contractors and business clients and they are constantly fine tuning their product to cater for as many guest types as possible, whilst at the same time trying to keep some unique features so that customers differentiate between them in the hope of winning guest loyalty to their brand.
Both chains offer a no-frills hotel experience for the budget conscious traveller, however this does not mean guests cannot expect high levels of comfort and great locations.
Although traditionally budget hotels are associated with being located on ring-roads and out of town industrial parks both Premier Inn and Travelodge in fact offer many fantastic central city and holiday hot-spot locations rivalling even the most premium hotel brands.
Premier Inn wins the battle for the widest location choice, you can find one in virtually every large town in the UK, several options in the cities and they also have a hotel at nearly every UK airport and many of the popular tourist hot spots. Travelodge offers a similar broad spread throughout the UK, including all the cities, most large towns, several airports and tourist hot-spots but they can't quite match Premier Inn's reach on location.
Both hotel chains offer a 24 hr manned reception with vending machines serving drinks and snacks, but don't expect any leisure facilities or room service and some features that you might be expecting like in-room fridges are only found in the top spec rooms which in turn are only available in some hotels, mainly in the city centres.
Both chains offer a no-frills hotel experience for the budget conscious traveller, however this does not mean guests cannot expect high levels of comfort and great locations.
Although traditionally budget hotels are associated with being located on ring-roads and out of town industrial parks both Premier Inn and Travelodge in fact offer many fantastic central city and holiday hot-spot locations rivalling even the most premium hotel brands.
Premier Inn wins the battle for the widest location choice, you can find one in virtually every large town in the UK, several options in the cities and they also have a hotel at nearly every UK airport and many of the popular tourist hot spots. Travelodge offers a similar broad spread throughout the UK, including all the cities, most large towns, several airports and tourist hot-spots but they can't quite match Premier Inn's reach on location.
Both hotel chains offer a 24 hr manned reception with vending machines serving drinks and snacks, but don't expect any leisure facilities or room service and some features that you might be expecting like in-room fridges are only found in the top spec rooms which in turn are only available in some hotels, mainly in the city centres.
Parking facilities are similar at both brands. City centre hotels tend to either have little or no parking at the hotel and if they do then it will be chargeable. Commonly both Premier Inn and Travelodge partner up with a nearby commercial car park provider and will offer a discounted rate in a car park a short walk away from the hotel. The offering in out of town hotels is much better with both brands generally offering plenty of free on-site parking, Premier Inn offer free parking at 500 of thier current 830 hotels.
Both brands welcome cyclists allowing you to bring in your bike and store in your own hotel room for free which is great for cycling holidays and event cyclists. This offer is not available in the Premier Inn Hub hotels due to the smaller room sizes.
Comfort levels between the brands can nowadays only be split a hair. This was not the case 10 years ago when guests staying at Travelodge would often complain of poor quality, uncomfortable beds and paper thin curtains. This prompted a large investment resulting in a comprehensive refurbishment programme for all Travelodge hotels. Both brands now offer a choice of room types aimed at both families and business travellers and both now include a premium room option branded as Premier Plus at Premier Inn and Super Room at Travelodge. These rooms feature larger beds, USB charging sockets, upgraded bathrooms with better showers, more desk working space and complimentary coffee machines, toiletries and high speed unlimited WiFi, all a nod to the business traveller.
Essential for comfort and a good night's sleep is having great beds and both brands have invested heavily in quality mattresses and bedding with these being made exclusively for the hotel brands and also available for the public to buy if they so wish. The Premier Inn Mattress which used to be made by Hypnos up until the end of 2022 is now supplied by Silentnight. Not to be outdone Travelodge have developed thier own 'Travelodge Dreamer Mattress®' which is manufactured by Sleepeezee. One significant point in Travelodge's favour in the comfort stakes is that they provide a King-size bed in every room whilst this is not the case with Premier Inn. Generally you do get King-sized beds in most Premier Inn rooms but there are exceptions and sometimes where you would least expect them - see our Premier Plus room review.
One difference between the two brands is that Premier Inn do offer thier 'Good Night Guarantee' which offers a refund on your room rate if you do not sleep well (many exclusions apply). Travelodge do not currently offer anything similar.
In terms of innovation Premier Inn is evolving its city centre offering by branching out into a cheaper more compact hotel model, all in very good central locations, which while still providing a decent bedroom for a comfortable night's sleep cuts back on space and the hotel restaurant service. This concept is called its adult-only Hub Hotels and it is proving popular. They are adding more London Hubs so currently there are now 15 operational in Central London and 3 in Edinburgh. Premier Inn have been also trialling an even more compact hotel version called ZIP hotels, but currently there is only one example and this is in Cardiff so expansion of this particular variant seems to of stalled. Travelodge have so far stuck to the standard hotel model.
One area of considerable difference between the brands is in the catering options on offer. With Premier Inn being owned by Whitbread which was originally a brewing company it comes with the benefit of a huge portfolio of its own pubs and restaurants. This means it can offer either an on-site restaurant or a restaurant available immediately next door in every single Premier Inn.
Travelodge on the other hand struggles to match up, it currently only offers their on-site restaurant, branded as Bar Café and available at about one third of thier hotels ie. 200 out of 600. This can make a big difference for the guests experience. At Premier Inn you can expect the full dining experience from the 'all you can eat' Premier Inn breakfast to the full menu evening meals. Travelodge can only offer a reduced service to guests staying at the hotels lacking the Bar Café which will be a pre-packaged light breakfast box option in the morning and limited snack/light bite dining options.
How much of a practical difference this will make to your stay will likely depend on your own circumstances, for adults who are happy to venture outside the hotel to third party eateries it may not be problematic, but for families with young children it may pose more of a problem not to be fully catered on-site.
The full breakfast option offered is similar at both hotel chains and is priced at around £9 per person and both chains offer the deal of two children (under 16) being able to eat breakfast for free (this does not apply to the breakfast box option in Travelodge) when accompanied by one paying adult.
Basic WiFi now considered as an essential rather than an extra when staying away from home and is offered for free for 30 minutes in Travelodge and free 24/7 in Premier Inn. However, speeds are woefully slow for anything but opening emails and browsing social media meaning you will need to upgrade to the paid options at both chains. Prices for full WiFi are currently £3 at Travelodge and £5 for the Premier Inn Ultimate WiFi per 24 hrs but you will need to pay if you need to do any serious online work or you want to watch a streamed movie unless you have a decent mobile 4G connection and generous data allowance in which case you can use your mobile as a WiFi hotspot.
Guests with poor mobility are catered for equally well between the two brands. Both offer accessible rooms featuring widened doorways, wheelchair space around the beds and adapted bathrooms with walk in showers and accessories to allow safe transfer.
Both brands score equally for allowing active guests to bring thier bikes (clean) into the hotel for overnight storage in their hotel rooms, a real plus for cycle tourists up and down the UK.
Travelodge does pick up points for being dog friendly with its more flexible approach to guests wishing to travel with pets. It allows you to bring up to two well behaved pets (dogs or cats) into your hotel room for an additional charge. Similarly, Travelodge offers a more flexible check-in/check-out policy, again for an additional charge, but very welcome if you are arriving either early or departing late.
Premier Inn's dog policy only allows assistance dogs to stay in their hotels and similarly Premier Inn's check-in/check-out policy with the exception of a few airport based hotels is not flexible.
On price Travelodge again pips Premier Inn with rooms starting from £32 compared to Premier Inn's baseline price of £35. Travelodge also runs lots of discount code promotions when room prices can drop as low as £19. Premier Inn steer away from discount codes choosing instead to push direct bookings on their website.
So which brand offers the best value and experience, Premier Inn or Travelodge?
Well if your chosen location has a Travelodge with a Bar Café restaurant then we would opt for Travelodge based on value for money. Likewise if you wish to bring the family pet on your travels, then only Travelodge will do. But if it is one of the near 400 Travelodge without the on-site restaurant then we would pay the little bit extra and go for a Premier Inn, mainly on the basis that most people want the option to have a proper breakfast to start the day, especially when away from home and we don't think the Travelodge 'breakfast-to-go' box cuts it. You can book at Travelodge using this button for the lowest priced deal.
Both brands welcome cyclists allowing you to bring in your bike and store in your own hotel room for free which is great for cycling holidays and event cyclists. This offer is not available in the Premier Inn Hub hotels due to the smaller room sizes.
Comfort levels between the brands can nowadays only be split a hair. This was not the case 10 years ago when guests staying at Travelodge would often complain of poor quality, uncomfortable beds and paper thin curtains. This prompted a large investment resulting in a comprehensive refurbishment programme for all Travelodge hotels. Both brands now offer a choice of room types aimed at both families and business travellers and both now include a premium room option branded as Premier Plus at Premier Inn and Super Room at Travelodge. These rooms feature larger beds, USB charging sockets, upgraded bathrooms with better showers, more desk working space and complimentary coffee machines, toiletries and high speed unlimited WiFi, all a nod to the business traveller.
Essential for comfort and a good night's sleep is having great beds and both brands have invested heavily in quality mattresses and bedding with these being made exclusively for the hotel brands and also available for the public to buy if they so wish. The Premier Inn Mattress which used to be made by Hypnos up until the end of 2022 is now supplied by Silentnight. Not to be outdone Travelodge have developed thier own 'Travelodge Dreamer Mattress®' which is manufactured by Sleepeezee. One significant point in Travelodge's favour in the comfort stakes is that they provide a King-size bed in every room whilst this is not the case with Premier Inn. Generally you do get King-sized beds in most Premier Inn rooms but there are exceptions and sometimes where you would least expect them - see our Premier Plus room review.
One difference between the two brands is that Premier Inn do offer thier 'Good Night Guarantee' which offers a refund on your room rate if you do not sleep well (many exclusions apply). Travelodge do not currently offer anything similar.
In terms of innovation Premier Inn is evolving its city centre offering by branching out into a cheaper more compact hotel model, all in very good central locations, which while still providing a decent bedroom for a comfortable night's sleep cuts back on space and the hotel restaurant service. This concept is called its adult-only Hub Hotels and it is proving popular. They are adding more London Hubs so currently there are now 15 operational in Central London and 3 in Edinburgh. Premier Inn have been also trialling an even more compact hotel version called ZIP hotels, but currently there is only one example and this is in Cardiff so expansion of this particular variant seems to of stalled. Travelodge have so far stuck to the standard hotel model.
One area of considerable difference between the brands is in the catering options on offer. With Premier Inn being owned by Whitbread which was originally a brewing company it comes with the benefit of a huge portfolio of its own pubs and restaurants. This means it can offer either an on-site restaurant or a restaurant available immediately next door in every single Premier Inn.
Travelodge on the other hand struggles to match up, it currently only offers their on-site restaurant, branded as Bar Café and available at about one third of thier hotels ie. 200 out of 600. This can make a big difference for the guests experience. At Premier Inn you can expect the full dining experience from the 'all you can eat' Premier Inn breakfast to the full menu evening meals. Travelodge can only offer a reduced service to guests staying at the hotels lacking the Bar Café which will be a pre-packaged light breakfast box option in the morning and limited snack/light bite dining options.
How much of a practical difference this will make to your stay will likely depend on your own circumstances, for adults who are happy to venture outside the hotel to third party eateries it may not be problematic, but for families with young children it may pose more of a problem not to be fully catered on-site.
The full breakfast option offered is similar at both hotel chains and is priced at around £9 per person and both chains offer the deal of two children (under 16) being able to eat breakfast for free (this does not apply to the breakfast box option in Travelodge) when accompanied by one paying adult.
Basic WiFi now considered as an essential rather than an extra when staying away from home and is offered for free for 30 minutes in Travelodge and free 24/7 in Premier Inn. However, speeds are woefully slow for anything but opening emails and browsing social media meaning you will need to upgrade to the paid options at both chains. Prices for full WiFi are currently £3 at Travelodge and £5 for the Premier Inn Ultimate WiFi per 24 hrs but you will need to pay if you need to do any serious online work or you want to watch a streamed movie unless you have a decent mobile 4G connection and generous data allowance in which case you can use your mobile as a WiFi hotspot.
Guests with poor mobility are catered for equally well between the two brands. Both offer accessible rooms featuring widened doorways, wheelchair space around the beds and adapted bathrooms with walk in showers and accessories to allow safe transfer.
Both brands score equally for allowing active guests to bring thier bikes (clean) into the hotel for overnight storage in their hotel rooms, a real plus for cycle tourists up and down the UK.
Travelodge does pick up points for being dog friendly with its more flexible approach to guests wishing to travel with pets. It allows you to bring up to two well behaved pets (dogs or cats) into your hotel room for an additional charge. Similarly, Travelodge offers a more flexible check-in/check-out policy, again for an additional charge, but very welcome if you are arriving either early or departing late.
Premier Inn's dog policy only allows assistance dogs to stay in their hotels and similarly Premier Inn's check-in/check-out policy with the exception of a few airport based hotels is not flexible.
On price Travelodge again pips Premier Inn with rooms starting from £32 compared to Premier Inn's baseline price of £35. Travelodge also runs lots of discount code promotions when room prices can drop as low as £19. Premier Inn steer away from discount codes choosing instead to push direct bookings on their website.
So which brand offers the best value and experience, Premier Inn or Travelodge?
Well if your chosen location has a Travelodge with a Bar Café restaurant then we would opt for Travelodge based on value for money. Likewise if you wish to bring the family pet on your travels, then only Travelodge will do. But if it is one of the near 400 Travelodge without the on-site restaurant then we would pay the little bit extra and go for a Premier Inn, mainly on the basis that most people want the option to have a proper breakfast to start the day, especially when away from home and we don't think the Travelodge 'breakfast-to-go' box cuts it. You can book at Travelodge using this button for the lowest priced deal.
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