The Travelodge is on Micklegate, just over the river from the main shopping area in York. It is an excellent location and all the attractions of the historic centre are within a short walking distance. It is also much quieter, as the Friday and Saturday revellers don’t usually venture this way.
The Travelodge has been refurbished in the new colour scheme and has a very modern feel. Gone are the jaded furnishings and soggy beds which had seen better days.
There is a large welcoming reception area with a small bar off which stays open until 5am. Corridors are wide and there is a spacious feel to the building.
I was allocated a room on the third floor at the back of the hotel which the receptionist explained would be quiet. It was, almost too quiet and possibly a bit spooky at night. The window had a view to the Minster.
There is a lift. This takes 6 people at a squeeze, so there can be a wait in the mornings if it is busy.
My room had the minimalist appearance now favoured by Travelodge. The hanging space was a series of hangers on two wooden pegs on the wall. The only shelf space was under the desk. This was fine for me a a single person stopping two nights but could have been inconvenient if there were two or three people, as the room had a double and single bed. There was the usual small shelf on either side of the bed.
Lighting was ‘average’, but I always find the rooms a bit dark for me. There was a table lamp but this couldn’t be used by the bed as there were no plugs there. You also had to unplug either the table lamp or TV to boil the kettle.
The Travelodge are very proud of their new “Dreamer Beds” designed exclusively for them by Sleepeezee. There was even a leaflet in the room with details how you could order your own bed. I found it very comfortable, although it might be considered a bit too firm for some. The pillows however, were too firm and unforgiving for me.
The choice of channels on the TV was limited to BBC1, BBC2, ITV3 and one rather obscure channel I didn’t recognise. All the others proclaimed ‘No service’. Fortunately I’d taken a book with me.
The bathroom had a modern look with a walk in shower and stainless steel basin set in a glass surround. There was plenty of space for sponge bags. The soap from the dispensers by the sink and shower didn’t produce much lather. I’d grade towels as OK rather than excellent. They dried well but soon got wet. As usually there was no bath mat, an omission as water from the shower did get onto the bathroom floor.
The Travelodge has a restaurant on the first floor for breakfast and evening meals. I didn’t use this, relying on the Sainsbury Local across the road for food.
This is one of the better Travelodges I’ve stayed in. It was a good location and I would be happy to stop there again.
“Website.”:https://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/422/York-Central-Micklegate-hotel
