‘I tried to book a hotel stay without paying for hidden extras – the results’ | Travel News | Travel

Travelodge

The initial price I got for a three-night stay at the Liverpool Central Travelodge from July 19 was £620.97. The budget hotel chain is currently offering certain rooms for £38 per night or less, though you tend to have to book these far in advance. 

Travelodge’s website was fairly transparent about extras as the booking page guided me to ‘Proceed to Extras’.

WIFI cost £3 for 24 hour access which would add up to £9 on my three night stay. I could get breakfast to go for £5.50 per day.

Late and early check-in each cost £10 and it’s fairly standard for a hotel to charge extra for this service.

I was a little shocked by the WIFI charges which would definitely start to add up over a short mini break although breakfast seemed reasonable.

Premier Inn

The initial price for a room at the Premier Inn hotel at Liverpool’s Albert Dock was £683 for a refundable booking or £642.50 for a non-refundable booking for three nights from July 19.

WIFI was included in the price of the room while a full unlimited breakfast was £9.99 per day per person. There was also a cheaper continental breakfast on offer for £7.99.

Premier Inn’s room initially seemed more expensive than the Travelodge but after paying for WIFI at Travelodge, the prices were much more comparable.

Ibis

A three night stay at the Ibis at Liverpool’s Albert Dock from 19 July was £707 for travellers who signed up for the free ‘Member’ scheme or £785 otherwise.

A buffet breakfast could be added on after the booking for £12 per day while a pet could stay in the room for £30. Wifi was included in the price of the stay.

The results

I found that the initial price customers see at booking could go up if you want WIFI and breakfast included at a budget hotel. It’s definitely a good idea to check out all the extras before deciding on a booking.

Travellers might also want to look at the local breakfast options before committing to the hotel offering as it may be cheaper to eat elsewhere.