A weekend in Blackpool with Travelodge Southshore

I adore Blackpool, it is definitely the flashiest, glitiziest place in the UK, and the sight of that iconic tower always makes my heart skip a beat. I do think finding really good accommodation at an affordable price and in walking distance of the attractions is difficult though – there are lots of guest house around but you really do hear some horror stories. So why not opt for a stay in one of the UK’s most trusted, affordable hotel chains – Travelodge? We did, and we were certainly very impressed by all aspects of our stay.

Location

Travelodge Blackpool Southshore is situated on Bloomfield Rd, opposite the Blackpool FC ground – cue lots of posing by the Jimmy Arnfield statue by this football mad family. It is within a few minutes walk of the sea front, where you can then head to the Blackpool Tower in one direction, and the Pleasure beach in the other. There are trams that can take you in either direction too. There is an on-site car park charged at £5 per 24 hours for residents.

Public Areas and Check in

We arrived on Friday evening, and check in was quick and easy. You can either pay online in advance, or can pay when you arrive. The staff on the front desk were friendly and efficient and check in just took a couple of minutes. The reception area is spotlessly clean and glossy, with sofas, hot and cold drinks machines, and computers where you can purchase Interact access very cheaply (I think it was £1 for 20 minutes.) Travelodge also provides 20 minutes free WiFi.

Security

Rooms are all opened with key-cards. These are also used to gain access to the hotel late at night, and also to get into the lift areas and corridors to the rooms. This is a great security measure that just adds to your piece of mind – not infallible, but still a great step in heightening security.

Rooms

The rooms are bright and, it has to be said, pretty big. We had a family room that could easily have slept 2 adults and 2 children, with a double bed and two singles pushed together to make another double. Despite the two double beds, the room still felt big, with plenty of space for baggage and the copious amounts of shopping we got. The full length mirror was great (for selfies!) and there was also a dressing table/desk area for working or preening (delete as appropriate).

The Travelodge beds are rightly famous and commented on, and I have to say they were super comfortable. I love the fact that they provide two plump pillows rather than one, and I can honestly say that the beds are totally conducive to a good nights sleep.

Each room also has coffee-making facilities with a range of tea and coffee, great after a long day in the town.

The rooms have an en suite bathroom containing both a bath and shower. This is a good feature of a family room – Joe is not that keen on showers, so having the bath option is really useful for avoiding tears at cleaning time. Hair and Body wash is also provided, and there are a plentiful supply of towels. As with all the other areas of the hotel – the bathrooms are clean and shiny.

The one thing that is a slight problem is that the rooms are very warm. This isn’t helped by the fact that the windows only open slightly as a security measure (totally understandable in a family room on the third floor.) The desk staff had warned that rooms were warm and had offered a room fan, which we accepted,  and this did help the situation somewhat. It did have to be left on all through the night to keep the room bearable though, and was slightly noisy, but the room was very warm without it. A minor quibble though, and the fact that staff were acknowledging the issue and trying to rectify it was impressive.

Food

We didn’t sample the daytime menu during our stay, but we did enjoy the buffet style breakfast each morning. I love buffet style breakfasts as I think they offer something for everyone. I love continental style breakfasts, so enjoyed Mandarins and yoghurt, white toast and butter, and croissants with honey and Nutella. I also loved the Blueberry muffins which were really soft and moist. Joe liked the huge range of cereals, and also the fresh juices – apple and orange. There was also a full English option, and plenty of things for those wanting to eat healthily – scrambled eggs, tomatoes, brown toast, unsweetened yoghurt and lots of fruit. The food was kept topped up, the dining area was bright and airy, and breakfast was generally a good experience.

Overall, the stay at the Travelodge was great, I really enjoyed all aspects and would definitely return – we are already looking to book again for the illuminations in September.

What we did in Blackpool

With thanks to Travelodge for the hospitality during our stay.

*We had a free stay at the Travelodge in return for a honest review.

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