Travelodge Waterloo London | Hotel Review

During our recent trip to London to meet up with a friend and attend BST Hyde Park festival, we were able to stay at Travelodge Waterloo London for two nights. I’ve stayed at other Travelodge properties around the UK before, but I was interested to see how this one in the heart of Waterloo would be for wheelchair accessibility.

Location

The hotel is located within walking or rolling distance to London’s main attractions such as Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Tate Modern, London Eye along the South Bank.

Entrance

We decided to walk to Travelodge Waterloo London as it was only 15 minutes from the Park Plaza County Hall hotel where we had been staying for the first two nights of our London trip.

As we approached the Travelodge it was clear to see it was in a pretty nice area with plenty of shops, restaurants, and public transport links. The entrance to the hotel was step-free and lead into the spacious, bright and modern reception area.

Lobby/Reception

Check-in is 2pm, but we were a little early so had to wait for 15 minutes. As the clock struck 2pm the woman checked us in and we were quickly on our way to our home for the next two nights.

There were check-in terminals available in the reception area for self-check-in, which is handy if there is a queue or you simply want to check-in yourself.

Restaurant

On the way to our room, we passed the bar/restaurant area which was also very fresh and open. There was a mixture of sofa chairs, cube stools with low tables as well as high breakfast bar tables and chairs. I don’t think they would have been accessible with my wheelchair as they were either too low or too high.

We didn’t use the hotel’s restaurant during our stay, but it serves breakfast and evening meals. Next door to the hotel is a convenience store where we bought water, drinks, and snacks. There was also several restaurants and takeaways nearby too. Just around the corner from the restaurant was where the lift to the rooms is.

Accessible room

As we opened the door to our accessible room we were pleased to see it was a spacious room giving me plenty of space to move around in the wheelchair. The extra space is also great for people travelling with medical equipment and hoists etc.

The good thing about booking a room with Travelodge is that you pretty much know what to expect in terms of the room décor and facilities. The room was basic but clean and modern. The large window meant the room was bright and there was even a beautiful orange tree just outside our window.

The king size bed was comfortable with a good amount of space on one side for transferring to/from my wheelchair. There was space under the bed, ideal if you need to use a hoist as it will easily roll underneath. I found the bed height was really good for me as it wasn’t too high.

There are no bedside tables, which can be a little tricky if you need to keep your phone or other belongings next to you in bed and within reaching distance. A small box shelf was the only space next to the bed, but I wasn’t able to reach it. There were no power sockets at the bed, which could be a problem for lone travellers needing to charge their wheelchairs overnight. There was a light on each side of the bed, an emergency call button and light switches for the room.

The desk was positioned in the corner of the room between the bed and window. I was able to roll underneath the desk, but the mirror was positioned too high for me to see in. A kettle with tea, coffee and mugs were on the desk which got plenty of use…what can I say we love our mint teas! Next to the desk was the wardrobe with the hangers at a good height for wheelchair users to reach.

Accessible Bathroom

The accessible bathroom was very good and had everything I needed. The roll-in shower featured a built-in shower seat with grab bars, soap dispenser and shower controls within easy reach. Although the shower curtains did not hang all the way to the floor, the water drained away easily due to the slight gradient of the floor.

The toilet also had both fixed and pull down grab bars for support. The sink was accessible, if not a little on the low side to comfortably roll underneath without banging your knees.  I really liked the amount of space in this bathroom. This meant I could easily turn around in my wheelchair without any problems.

Final Thoughts

Travelodge Waterloo London was a great base for our time in London. The hotel was central and our room provided a comfortable stay with good accessibility features. I liked how close it was to the South Bank and some of London’s main attractions. Whenever I next visit London I would definitely consider staying at this Travelodge again.

Want to know how we travelled to London, where we stayed and what we got up to? Check out the following posts.

Is Travelling First Class On Virgin Trains Wheelchair Accessible
Park Plaza County Hall London | Hotel Review
Rocking and a ‘Rolling’ good time at BST Hyde Park 2017

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I was welcomed as a guest of Travelodge Waterloo London for the purpose of this review but as always all opinions are my own.

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