CHEAP and SLIGHTLY CHEERFUL!! Travelodge Canterbury Dunkirk (Travelodge Canterbury Dunkirk)

Member Name: nayland

Product:	Travelodge Canterbury Dunkirk
Date:	18/08/09 (53 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap if booked early enough,OK for a room when trying to get somewhere else!

Disadvantages: Could be more updated, WHERE'S THE BISCUITS GONE!

I have stayed at many Travelodges over the last couple of years. We tend to book a couple of nights when there is a special offer on, then go and chill out for a couple of days be it, seeing a show or just general going around some different shopping areas or having a couple of wines in different bars and restaurants.

Well on this occasion last March we had booked tickets for a day trip over to France. We had picked up a great offer with P & O where when you paid £19
you could take a car over to France with up to 8 people and not only that
when on board the ferry you received a voucher for 6 bottles of wine free,
plus half price breakfast for 2. So I got looking, we had stayed at this Travelodge a few years earlier and this seemed the perfect spot to be able
to get to Dover early the next morning.

This Travelodge is situated just outside Canterbury, which is a really lovely town to visit with a fantastic Cathedral and lots of historical buildings everywhere. There is also a great shopping area as well as lots of little eating places.

On entering towards the lodge you will find a large petrol station ( as with most Travelodges) and a Little Chef. It is set back of quite a busy road and
sits in almost it's own little woodland. When walking towards the entrance you are met with the sound of birds singing in the trees. I was hoping to have a room at the front as this overlooks the tiny woodland with it's birds and squirrels (which I saw plenty of last time!), luckily we had. I didn't really
want to be looking out at lorries and petrol pumps (although I am a people
person and do enjoy watching life passing by, especially with a good chilled wine!!)

The room was of the usual standard for a Travelodge, I do think they could try and make them a bit more cheerful. With it's small double bed and bed settee always in the same blue with the strange almost orangey colour on the walls. The wardrobe area which constists of a metal bar with fiddly hangers on which when in a hurry you can end up having a fight with.( They hook onto a metal strip which is attached to the main bar) There is always
plenty of space though for your bits and bobs with shelving down the side.

The desk/dressing table has plenty of space with a mirror above and a couple of sockets for plugging in a hairdyer/straighteners. Also you will find tea/coffee making facilities with a electric kettle, a couple of mugs, teabags, tubes of coffee normal or decaffeinated, sugar and long life milk. I'm sure years ago they used to chuck in a couple of biscuits, but not anymore cut backs I suppose! You will also find a menu for The Little Chef downstairs.

The bathroom is clean I wouldn't say very clean just clean ( I always feel like I want to get down on the floor and scrub all the corners of the floor!). Another cut back I have noticed is that they don't have the heated towel rails connected anymore, which is nice to have if you visit in the winter. Again there is a big mirror to use in here as well. The showers aren't to bad, they do the job ( you can't beat your own shower at home!).

If feeling the munchies coming on they have a vending machine in the entrance selling an assortment of snacks like crisps and different chocolate bars ( I usually go prepared with a bag of goodies!). They are a bit on the pricey side, but you would expect that I suppose. They will also have a large selection of leaflets for different places to visit thats close to that area.

As I said at the start we chose this particluar one as we wanted to get to Dover early the next morning. This is a good stop over as it is only 25 miles from the Dover Ferry Port. We booked two nights so we could spent one day looking around Canterbury, there always seems to be more to discover,
with the Ducking Chair that sits over the river or the little shops that surround the Cathedral it is always a pleasure to visit.

Canterbury is 5 miles from this Travelodge and when leaving you have to go out onto the road driving the opposite way for only a few yards before you go under the road and back the right way. There is also Howletts Wild Animal Park to visit (13 miles ), I haven't been there myself.

You can get offers for rooms in most Travelodges, they do an offer, where if you book:

~~~21 Days Ahead From £19.00~~
~~~ 7 Days Ahead From £29.00~~
~~~On the day depending when from £35-£66 per night~~ at this particular lodge.

I must just say that I have recently visited a brand new lodge and it was
great with a flatscreen TV on the wall, trendy wall lights that dimmed and blinds at the windows all done in a red and white theme. Maybe they will get round to refurbishing and updating the others soon. I Hope So!!

I'm hoping to visit the Newquay one soon!

Summary: OK for Shopping, Theatre Trips or when visiting Places