We Stay in a SuperRoom in Edinburgh Travelodge Central
Travelodge is the second largest provider of budget hotel accommodation in the UK after Premier Inn. The two brands compete for guests in pretty much the same commercial space although for many years Premier Inn have enjoyed a better reputation overall and Travelodge have been regarded as the poorer cousin despite their room rates being considerably cheaper.
Over the last 5 years this dynamic has started to change as Travelodge have invested heavily into their hotel stock having taken on board guest feedback and decided that a serious upgrade in guest experience was required if they were to maintain and then increase thier market share.
If you have not stayed in a Travelodge for some years you will be pleasantly surprised by just how much the brand has improved and it now provides comfortable rooms all guaranteed with king-size beds (unlike Premier Inn who still have double beds in many rooms) and a much improved catering service for guests in it's hotels featuring the Bar Café's, especially with its Travelodge unlimited breakfast which now easily matches Premier Inn's breakfast offering.
Both brands operate a highly competitive hotel room rate pricing system which relies on them achieving very high levels of room occupancy every single day to remain profitable. With this in mind one way to squeeze more money out of guests in such a competitive market is to offer an 'upgraded room' in return for a premium price, effectively increasing their return per square foot of the hotel space. This has led Premier Inn to develop its Premier Plus rooms and in reply Travelodge launched it's SuperRooms®.
We headed up into Scotland to test drive the SuperRoom® at one of Travelodges most popular hotels, its Edinburgh Central Travelodge at the lower end of the Royal Mile right in the city centre.
Travelodge is the second largest provider of budget hotel accommodation in the UK after Premier Inn. The two brands compete for guests in pretty much the same commercial space although for many years Premier Inn have enjoyed a better reputation overall and Travelodge have been regarded as the poorer cousin despite their room rates being considerably cheaper.
Over the last 5 years this dynamic has started to change as Travelodge have invested heavily into their hotel stock having taken on board guest feedback and decided that a serious upgrade in guest experience was required if they were to maintain and then increase thier market share.
If you have not stayed in a Travelodge for some years you will be pleasantly surprised by just how much the brand has improved and it now provides comfortable rooms all guaranteed with king-size beds (unlike Premier Inn who still have double beds in many rooms) and a much improved catering service for guests in it's hotels featuring the Bar Café's, especially with its Travelodge unlimited breakfast which now easily matches Premier Inn's breakfast offering.
Both brands operate a highly competitive hotel room rate pricing system which relies on them achieving very high levels of room occupancy every single day to remain profitable. With this in mind one way to squeeze more money out of guests in such a competitive market is to offer an 'upgraded room' in return for a premium price, effectively increasing their return per square foot of the hotel space. This has led Premier Inn to develop its Premier Plus rooms and in reply Travelodge launched it's SuperRooms®.
We headed up into Scotland to test drive the SuperRoom® at one of Travelodges most popular hotels, its Edinburgh Central Travelodge at the lower end of the Royal Mile right in the city centre.
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On average you will pay between 10 and 15% more for a Super Room above the standard room grade which is going to equate to about £10 - £20 more per night. Travelodge are building these premium rooms into thier new build hotel stock and retrofitting them into existing stock in prime locations such as city centres.
The Edinburgh Central Travelodge falls into the latter category, it is a fairly old hotel in a superb location which makes up for its slightly tired common areas and stairwells/corridors. The lobby area has been refreshed and this hotel features a full Bar Café service serving evening meals along with the Travelodge meal deal and the unlimited Travelodge full breakfast service. |
Travelodge SuperRoom® in Edinburgh - king-size bed with dreamer mattress
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Travelodge Edinburgh Central
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The Edinburgh Central Travelodge is in a perfect location for visitors arriving via Waverley Train Station being situated just a short ten minute walk away. You will find Edinburgh Castle at the top end of the Royal Mile - a 10 minute walk from this hotel and a wide variety of tourist attractions right on your doorstep. Importantly despite being in the city centre this hotel is set just off the Royal Mile on St Mary's Street which is quiet and therefore avoids most of any late night city noise.
We booked in for a one night stay in early September and because we were in the city early we took advantage of the Travelodge early check-in from 12:00noon (instead of 3pm) for an additional £10. First impressions were good, the staff on the reception desk were friendly and efficient. Our room was on the third floor and looked modern and bright with the updated decor. The room did not have any air-conditioning and a desk fan had been left suggesting that in hot weather the room could get overheated. On the plus side the room had opening windows so you could benefit from some fresh air. |
The room size looked the equivalent to a standard Travelodge room. It was equipped with a king-size bed which had the very comfortable Dreamer mattress fitted along with a lightweight quilt and a choice of either soft or firm pillows (two each).
Additional extras in the SuperRooms include:
Upgraded bathroom:
Additional extras in the SuperRooms include:
- 32" wall mounted LED TV - much better for watching while lying on the bed
- Comfy armchair
- Ironing board and Iron
- Blackout curtains
- USB charging points next to your bed
- Upgraded, more powerful hairdryer next to a full length mirror
- Lavazza® coffee machine with choice of two coffee pods (x2 of each - espresso and lungo dolce)
- A couple of KitKat® chocolate bars, and galaxy hot chocolate in addition to the usual tea selection
Upgraded bathroom:
- More modern decor
- Impressive 3 spray quality shower-head (non fixed). These usually disappoint but this unit really does give you a proper power shower experience providing you over-ride the eco setting button
- There was no bath option in our room and the shower uses a curtain rather than screen but we had no issues with this.
- Complimentary shower/soap gels
- Proper toilet roll (not a single sheet dispenser)
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WiFi
Travelodge does not include any additional WiFi in the SuperRoom package unlike Premier Inn who bundle their Ultimate WiFi into the Premier Plus room price. In practice does this make much of a difference?...I am not convinced, the Premier Inn Ultimate WiFi is still hopelessly slow and since 99% of all these 'premium rooms' from both Travelodge and Premier Inn are in city centres then you find you have excellent 5G signal strength and assuming like most of the general population you now have an unlimited or very generous mobile data contract you are unlikely to even bother logging in to the hotel WiFi and instead simply 'hotspot' your phone to your laptop. You can read our full guide to the Travelodge WiFi service here. A note about the wardrobe, this is the same size as in the standard rooms. They have clothes hangers pre-fitted but it is not big enough to hang long dresses in because of the space the drawer takes up on the bottom. I am surprised neither Premier Inn nor Travelodge manage to provide at least some full sized hanging space in their premium rooms.
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So how well did this SuperRoom work for us and is it worth the premium?
The SuperRooms certainly give you some important little extras, for me the power shower and better pillows are worthwhile premiums. I can think if I was travelling on business and needed to prepare for interviews or presentations then the use of an iron and decent desk space would all be very welcome additions.
The SuperRooms certainly give you some important little extras, for me the power shower and better pillows are worthwhile premiums. I can think if I was travelling on business and needed to prepare for interviews or presentations then the use of an iron and decent desk space would all be very welcome additions.
Summary and verdict...
Some genuinely useful extras above the standard Travelodge rooms, if you are traveling for business or an event and staying for a few nights then definitely worth the small extra charge.
The Travelodge trump card against staying in a Premier Inn is simply value, they remain significantly cheaper than an equivalent Premier Inn in the same location offering a saving of between 30-40% yet they still offer you a very comfortable nights sleep in a king-size bed with a decent ensuite...enough said.
Some genuinely useful extras above the standard Travelodge rooms, if you are traveling for business or an event and staying for a few nights then definitely worth the small extra charge.
The Travelodge trump card against staying in a Premier Inn is simply value, they remain significantly cheaper than an equivalent Premier Inn in the same location offering a saving of between 30-40% yet they still offer you a very comfortable nights sleep in a king-size bed with a decent ensuite...enough said.
Top tips
If you are thinking of booking a stay in a Travelodge SuperRoom® then we would recommend checking the following before you book:
Finally:
If you are thinking of booking a stay in a Travelodge SuperRoom® then we would recommend checking the following before you book:
- If you are staying during the warmer months consider the potential issues with room temperature. Ask if the windows do open so that you can benefit from cooler night-time air or if your room is fitted with air-con since not all Travelodge rooms do.
- Travelodge prices their rooms dynamically which means that unsold rooms may become cheaper as you near your stay date. In general the standard rooms sell first.
- The Travelodge breakfast is excellent and well worth the cost assuming your hotel has the Bar Cafe service, however you do not need to book this in advance so simply pay in the morning.
- Most Travelodges offer a luggage storage service if your onward travel is later than your check-out time and this is a very useful free extra to save you lugging heavy bags around all day.
Finally:
- Don't forget to ask to have your upgraded room service tray replenished for each day of your stay.
- If you want to know what we think of Premier Inn's competing room then you can read our full review of a Premier Plus room here.
