This is on the Industrial site on the western edge of Pohmadog. It is not the most attractive of sites but Aldi, Lidl and Tesco are close by.
We were given a warm welcome by the receptionist and declined the continental breakfast box at £4.50 which we felt was expensive for cereal, croissant and fruit juice. For those wanting a breakfast, a board on the road opposite the Travelodge advertises breakfasts at Breaktimes Cafe just 1min walk away…
We were given a room at the back of the lodge which had the advantage of being away from the road but overlooked the timber yard with a huge pile of scrap timber. Fortunately timber lorries didn’t start work too early in the morning.
It is a long time since we stopped at a Travelodge and we hadn’t realised just how minimalist the rooms are now. There wasn’t even a copy of the Gideon Bible (possibly as there was nowhere to put it). It was almost cell like. There were no bedside tables, just a small alcove in the bed head which was just big enough for the alarm clock but not much else. There was a small table with one plastic chair (probably high tech and ergonomically designed) which meant one of us had to sit on the bed. The TV is now wall mounted saving more space. Hanging space was restricted to a small bar with 5 coat hangers and a small shelf above. This isn’t a problem if only stopping a single night. We were booked in for three nights which meant we lived out of the suitcase.
There was a small kettle with two beakers with cheap metal spoons and a basic supply of tea and coffee. (Make sure you bring extra of you want more than one cup each.)
The bed was comfortable with one pillow each and the duvet was warm. There was only one spare pillow in the room but a second was quickly supplied when we asked reception.
The Travelodge has been open five years and just has a shower but no bath. At least there was plenty of space in the shower. A rather meagre bar of soap is supplied. The bathroom floor has a special non-slip covering which was beginning to come away from the wall in places. Towels were good and absorbent and replaced daily if left on the floor. The bed linen wasn’t changed during our stay.
The bathroom light was flickering badly when we arrived. We reported it next morning and full marks to them, the fault was rectified by that evening.
At £158 for the three nights this isn’t particularly cheap for the facilities provided. We chose it for the convenient location and also the ability to cancel up to 1pm on the day of arrival.
