Advantages: location
Disadvantages: basic

...Staying at the Travel Lodge in Slough is a good option if you have to stay overnight after a long flight and don’t want to pay through the nose for hotels in the Heathrow airport area. Slough is also close to Legoland and Chessington World of Adventures. We stayed at the Travel Lodge in June, 2002. The double room we had was basic, but we didn’t expect anything else for 50 pounds a night. Our room wasn’t facing a busy road so that was a bonus. What we had was a double bed (with a duvet), a desk and chair, telephone, hairdryer, tea/coffee-making facilities, TV without a remote control for some reason. The bathroom with shower was fairly clean. Breakfast was OK, full English or continental. There’s a bar with a TV next to the dining-room, so we could enjoy our breakfast and watch the recent football match at the same time. We... Read review

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Advantages: Ideal base in Windhoek, very easy access to the centre of town, lovely chalets and friendly service. Campsites can be dusty, but plenty of shade.
Disadvantages: Busy road outside the gates, but you can't have everything!

...South of the city, but within easy distance to the centre of Windhoek, this charming travel lodge is an ideal base for both families and independent travellers. We much preferred here to anywhere in the centre of town, mainly due to being able to come through the manned gates and shut ourselves away in our lovely chalet. These are clean, spacious and quiet, the kitchens are moderate, but the showers are a godsend. And a double bed goes down a treat after weeks of camping! The staff are friendly and professional in reception and the restaurant . Be patient with Namibian time however - it's far slower than anywhere back in the UK and anyway, why rush in a country of such awesome landscapes - things will get done and happen....eventually! I have also camped here and found the sites lovely, as anywhere in Namibia they can get... Read review

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Advantages: Proximity to the park
Disadvantages: In need of a makeover

...and once at the desk we collected our room key and park passes. Our request for a room near to the swimming pool was noted without fuss and we were allocated room 545 in the first lodge called Big Sur. We were directed across the spacious room to the Concierge Desk where we ordered a kettle for the room and tea bags, sugar, milk and paper mugs. This cost 5.5 euros and had enough tea bags for one days use. Further supplies were collected at breakfast. Next time I would definitely pack my travel kettle and some supplies for my early morning cuppa. We were asked where we would like to eat breakfast either in the Lodge restaurant or in the Park at Pinocchio’s and at what time. It isn’t easy to make decisions on breakfast matters when you have just arrived and are tired but we plumbed for one in each venue at an early time. In another part... Read review

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Advantages: the story proper
Disadvantages: the afterword

...already travelled abroad before, not alone, but it had helped me to become more self-confident. Then I can't help thinking of the young people of today, the cool interrailers who travel to faraway places nobody has ever heard of, alone or with friends, to chill out - oh yeah, the times, they are a-changing! Have they changed for the better or worse? The most interesting part of the novel is for me Out of the Shelter. Lodge was lucky that his aunt was stationed in Heidelberg and not, say, in an industrial town of the Ruhr valley, he uses Heidelberg extensively as the background for Timothy's adventures. It has always been a beautiful town and it wasn't bombed as the Americans decided already during the war to have their HQ there after the war. It's not a prerequisite for the enjoyment of the novel to have lived in Heidelberg as I have... Read review

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Advantages: Great setting and good facilities
Disadvantages: Dark and dreary rooms

...The Sequoia Lodge The Sequoia Lodge Hotel is a large hotel that has rooms in a main lodge (attached to the hotel reception) as well as rooms located in outside lodges. The hotel is based on America's natural parks and is the most natural and outdoorsy type hotel you will find at Disney! In the Disneyland Paris hotel pecking order it is classed as a mid range hotel alongside the Newport Bay Club (although it is slightly cheaper than this hotel). I stayed here a few years ago and overall I found it to be a clean, functional hotel. The rooms were of a good size and the hotel offers a good range of facilities and has a great pool! The rooms: The rooms are quite large for European hotel rooms, although not huge. The style of the rooms is reminiscent of a mountain retreat and the most of the furniture is dark brown... Read review

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Advantages: superb setting, great food, easy access, private (max. 18 people)
Disadvantages: I haven't found any yet, but read the guide I have written below for some possible problem areas.

...with the meals and for the day excursions, and, to allow yourself to travel light a free laundry service 7 days a week, same day return. Last year the Chef was German and the food was superb. Requirements such as Vegetarian and so on can all be coped with. The staff are magic. They have staff who are experts on trees and flowers, birds, small and large wildlife, as well as an extensive knowledge of the fishing. You can laze around the lodge - take a look at the pictures, they do not exaggerate - or indulge in one of many excursions. These include a guided walk on the island taking in over 25 different species of trees and the famous 2000 year old Baobob tree (which you can climb if you are adventurous, it was a look out post for the South African Army when they were on the Island, and the view is over 50 km in each direction!!), and a "shooting... Read review

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Advantages: Theres too many to mention to fit here - Read the Review!
Disadvantages: Had to share a bathroom with other men - Never any toilet roll left!

...When planning our Big Aussie Trip my partner and I decided to use the website www.flightcentre.com.au to book last minute accommodation (12 hours to be precise) in Sydney. We wanted something that was going to be cheap for our backpacker budget and in a great travelling location to Sydney. (If you use www.flightcentre.com.au you will find good, quality accommodation reduced and the equivalent of backpacker rates compared to its normal charge per night if you book last minute). Balmain Lodge was the cheapest accommodation and was directly next to Sydney and could be easily reached by bus, walking, a boat or cab. We could book as many nights as we liked and paid $55.00 a night for a double room, with kitchen facilities (sink microwave, cooker, cupboards) our own TV, DVD player, desk, telephone and lamp. We thought this was brilliant... Read review

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Advantages: Clean, comfortable, unfussy, economical
Disadvantages: Under the Heathrow flight path so can be a little noisy at times

...I have stayed at this particular lodge on several occasions on both business and pleasure trips (yes pleasure - I have friends and family in Slough) Having stayed at places like the premier inns, and travel lodges, I have to say that the Innkeepers Lodge would be my preference. My main reason for this is that the rooms at the Innkeepers Lodge are comfortably furnished and tastefully decorated whilst retaining a bright and airy atmosphere. I find that the rooms in the premier inns and travel lodges are too basic and lack character perhaps bordering on the clinical at times. Considering that the Inkeepers Lodge is attached to and part of the Toby Carvery I think that the accommodation they offer is of a very high standard. Booking in is usually quick and easy - I book online so I have a confirmation e-mail to take with me... Read review

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Advantages: Good food, Comfortable pleasnat accommodation
Disadvantages: local amenities can be a bit noisy

...The Weathervane Value Lodge Stoke-on-Trent. This reasonably priced lodge is on the very edge of Stoke-on-Trent, Situated on the Meir Park Estate, just of the A50 Stoke - Derby road, or the A520 Stoke - Stafford, About a mile out of Meir take the first major roundabout, turning onto a retail park, Tesco's, Aldi, and B & Q are on your right, but immediately in front of you on the left, is The Weathervane Lodge. Ideally situated if your taking the family to the Famous Alton Towers, which is only a few miles down the road, The very friendly reception and lodge staff, will happily advise best route. Or if you just need a night time stop of while travelling from North to South of England or Vice Versa this lodge is perfect. A relatively modern building, but done in a very nice Brick and wood traditional lodge looking style... Read review

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Advantages: Wherever you go in the country you should expect the same standard of accomodation and facilities.
Disadvantages: The quality of these can vary wildly!

...Once upon a time, these hotels were Premier Lodges and Travel Inns. Premier Lodges used to be owned by Scottish&Newcastle (brewers by trade) and Travel Inns by Whitbread (previously a brewer by trade, now more of a leisure provider). Premier Lodge and Travel Inn used to be the hottest competitors for the top spot in budget hotel chains, and Premier Lodge previously always won. Since Scottish&Newcastle has ceased to exist, all of its bars and pubs have been successfull in remaining pretty much whatever they were before, with the sale of each having little effect, while Premier Lodge, as the Company's only venture into the accomodation side of hospitality, was thrown into the lurch, which had a major effect on staffing, support system reliability (such as Head Office/food suppliers/staff payroll) producing a negative effect... Read review

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