Well worth £55 (Travelodge Durham)

Member Name: rrrrachel

Product:	Travelodge Durham
Date:	13/02/09 (109 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Power shower, comfy bed

Disadvantages: A little out of town

I've stayed in Travelodges all over the UK and if nothing else, at least you know what you're getting. My boyfriend and I booked a room recently for one night as we were visiting old uni friends up in Durham, and needed somewhere cheap (after spending loads on our train tickets from London!) so the Travelodge seemed as good as anywhere.
I booked a room through Expedia as I'm signed up to a website that offers cashback on Expedia transactions, but in the past I've booked directly through the Travelodge website and found it extremely user-friendly and easy to navigate. At times recently they've offered a limited number of rooms at prices as low as £19 and £29 which is a real bargain! However in this case, probably with it being a Saturday night and also a 'prime' tourist city spot, we paid the standard rate of £55 for the room. I was happy with this and doubt we could have found anywhere cheaper in the city.
The hotel is situated on the outskirts of the city near the Gilesgate roundabout, so it's about a 15 min walk from the centre; however Durham is such a compact city that it doen't take long to walk anywhere. Taxis are also very cheap so the £5 it cost us to get back at the end of the night still meant our total spend of £60 was much less than staying anywhere nearer.
The hotel is split into two buildings, including a newer annexe, which is where our room was. It was an extra few minutes' walk from Reception but nothing to complain about. The receptionist was very friendly and quickly found our booking and directed us to our room.
On entering, we had the kind of deja-vu experience that anyone who's stayed in a Travelodge will know! The room was quite simple, verging on sparse, but there was a large double bed and plenty of floor space for all our stuff. The room was pristine, very clean and tidy, and the bathroom was immaculately clean too. We had a bath with a shower over, which was the most lovely powerful shower I've ever had, even in a hotel!
The room also had a small TV, tea and coffee things, and not much else! I took my own hairdryer which was just as well as one was not provided. I should also remind readers that they do not provide toiletries, apart from a small bar of soap. Take your own shower gel and shampoo!
The bed itself was very comfy, and was at least a large double, possibly a king size. There were spare pillows in the wardrobe too.
All in all, I was very impressed. Even among Travelodges, this one stood out. It was generally very well-maintained, clean and pleasant. The shower was a highlight!

Summary: Recommended for all visitors to Durham