I presume that I can review a single Southend-on-Sea hotel in this catagory as very few people will have stayed at more than one or two hotels in any given town! My review is about the Travelodge in the town centre.


We stayed in the Travelodge at Southend-on-Sea not very long ago. We booked online and paid just £29 for two of us to stay in a family room which I don't think is beatable on price. The Travelodge was quite easy to find as it is right in the very centre of the town and though we drove, you could get there from one of two nearby railway stations that are just a few minutes away too.


Checking in was a bit weird because the reception is on the first floor for some reason. You go in through the main doors and have to go straight to the lift to access the reception. I found that a bit perplexing until I noticed the signs on the wall! Arriving after tea time, we didn't have to queue and it only took about two minutes to check us in and give us our room card.


Inside the room we were exceptionally pleased - especially for £29! We'd have been happy if we had paid £60 to be honest. There was a good sized double bed all made up, a TV with remote control (about 17" to 20" I think, not a tiny 14" like you usually get), a big sofa bed with pull-out bed underneath, a storage area, dressing table and draws and tea and coffee making facilities. There were free teas, coffees and sugars included as well as some little UHT milk things.


In the ensuite bathroom we had a small bath, over head shower, sink area and toilet. All were relatively clean though you could see signs of wear I have to admit. The Mrs was particularly pleased with the bathroom mirror because it was illuminated and really big which meant she could do her make-up easily!


The only thing I didn't like was the windows as you couldn't open them more than about one inch. They say it is for safety but I think it's to stop people smoking out the windows to be honest! I mean who could fall out of a more acceptable four inch gap? Even our grandson as a baby had about a five inch head (not that a baby could get up to a window a foot of the floor anyway).


For the price we paid we were really thrilled with our stay here. We were a ten minute walk from the pier and only two minutes from all the great Southend shops. The staff were as helpful as was necessary and checking in and out was really easy. A brilliant bargain place to stay if you're on a trip or a short holiday to Southend.