We love weekends away both as a family and very occasionally without the kids. Weekends away with the family needn’t be expensive. In the summer we love camping but the rest of the year budget-friendly hotels are the next best thing. So when I was asked to review one of the new Travelodge Plus hotels and see how they meet the needs of a family I was thrilled. We chose the Travelodge plus York Micklegate, as after our recent weekend away in York without the kids, we realised just how many things to do in York with kids there are.
Travelodge plus
There are currently 6 Travelodge Plus hotels. Three in London and 1 in York, Edinburgh and Brighton. These Travelodge’s offer all the value we expect from the chain with added style and comfort. The offer standard rooms and SuperRooms™ with added comforts. There are also stylish new cafe bars in each one.
Travelodge plus York Central Micklegate
This Travelodge is very well located for exploring York. It is on one of the main roads into the city centre “Micklegate”. Just two minutes from Ouse bridge which takes you from Micklegate into the city centre and right into the heart of the city. There is a Sainsburys local just across the road too which made use of to buy the toothpaste we forgot and bits of food and drink. In the other direction, you are just a few minutes walk from Micklegate where there are a variety of cafes and restaurants. I can really recommend Partisan if you have children older than ours (it’s not pushchair friendly).
We arrived at the Travelodge late Friday afternoon, just after a large group but we didn’t need to wait long for the friendly staff to book us in, give us our key card and tell us all the information we needed (breakfast time and where it is served, what time the front doors are locked and when to check out). We then took the lift to our family room.
Family room Travelodge York Micklegate
We stayed in a standard family room but as it’s in a Travelodge plus it is the new look standard room. It was tastefully decorated in shade of grey with blackout curtains and triple glazed windows which did a very good job of blocking out the noise of one of the main roads into York City Centre. There is a very comfy King sized bed for us, a travel cot for our toddler and a pull out bed for our 5-year-old. The pull out bed was a little narrower than a single bed but fine for a child and it seemed very comfy. There was another mattress tucked away under the main bed so that you could use the room with two children in beds. The room is pretty similar to the holiday parks in Cornwall that we hope to visit soon. So practical for families.
There was a small desk with tea and coffee making facilities and some Kitkats (a nice touch as these are made in York). A feature the kids particularly enjoyed was the 32inch flat screen TV on the wall opposite the king size bed. This is a Freeview tv so great for letting the kids watch Peppa Pig at 6 am. Thank goodness it was a king size bed, plenty of room for the 4 of us.
There is a small hanging area and a couple of hooks for coats near the entrance to the room. We appreciated that this area of the room was reasonable wide so we could leave our pushchair there and not feel like we were tripping over it.
Travelodge have thought of all the little things like USB charger sockets at each side of the bed, small reading lights built into the headboard and even the main light can be switched off from the bed.
The bathroom was simple but functional and clean. There is a built-in sink and toilet so there are plenty of places to store your wash bags, toiletries and toothbrushes. There is a large shower but no bath. I did miss a bath for my toddler, I don’t find showering a 2-year-old easy but this was not a problem for the rest of us and for short breaks, it’s not the end of the world. There is a soap dispenser next to the sink and a hair and body wash dispenser in the shower too. Travel hair dryers can be borrowed from reception (for the duration of your stay) and very thoughtfully there is a plug socket below the large mirror.
Breakfast at York Central Micklegate Travelodge
Breakfast is served between 8 and 11 am on a weekend, in the first floor dining room (7 and 10 am in the week). We had complimentary breakfasts included in our stay. You can either book breakfast in advance with your room or pay in the dining room on the day. Breakfast is £8.95 for unlimited food and drinks and up to 2 children can eat free with every paying adult.
There is a really good selection of hot and cold food available and it was delicious. Toast, yoghurt, fruit salad, cereal, croissants and a full English selection. It’s buffet style which means you can select the bits you like and not have the bits you don’t like. We all enjoyed our breakfasts and they set us up well for a busy day of sightseeing.
Travelodge Micklegate parking
Since this is a city centre hotel, there is no free parking. The nearest car park is NCP Tanner row which is up to £26 for 24 hours but you can save 33% if you validate your ticket at the Travelodge reception. We chose to park at the discount commuter car park that is about a 10 minute walk away, near the train station. Not ideal with young children but with a couple of rucksacks and a holdall with wheels we managed. Discounted parking costs £10 per day in the week and £4.50 at weekends. We paid £19 for our whole stay (Friday morning until Sunday afternoon).
Travelodge York Micklegate our verdict
Overall we were very pleased with this hotel. The location was fantastic for getting to all the attractions we wanted to take the kids to. Our room was modern, clean and very practical for families. The breakfast was delicious and also good value for money. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this hotel to anyone looking to take their family to York. Find out more and book your stay here. Don’t just take my word for it, read more reviews on TripAdvisor. Pin for later:
Disclosure – Travelodge provided us with 2 nights bed and breakfast in exchange for this review. All thought, photos and opinions are my own.
It looks like a really fantastic room! I am a big fan of Travelodges, they are always so clean and have everything you could need!
It is a great room. We’ve stayed in Travelodges a few times and always find them very practical.
Looks great! It’s fab that there are travel lodges everywhere
I’ve never heard of Travelodge Plus before, looks great.
It’s fairly new but if they’re all like this one they’ll do well.
I would love to visit York! This looks like a great hotel to stay in when I do, the location looks excellent and breakfast looks yummy!
You should. I love York
It looks lovely I had no idea that Travelodge Plus existed!
They’re fairly new, only a few in the country so far
I’m planning a trip to York – I’ll definitely check this out!
I’m sure you’ll love it. I’m writing a post which I hope will be out next week on things to do in York with kids.
I’ve not heard of Travelodge Plus before, it looks great. Will have to look into it!
We loved this particular one
I have never heard of Travelodge Plus, it looks like a lovely hotel.
There are only a few of them but they are really modernising and improving them