I recently stayed at the Travelodge Hotel in Cockermouth on the North – Western edge of the Lake District, just outside the National Park. Getting to Cockermouth was very easy. Leaving the M6 for Penrith at junction 40 I followed the A66 for about 30 miles through some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in England. The Travelodge Hotel was just outside the town of Cockermouth, a small town of about 9000 inhabitants, on the A5086.
Travelodge is a value budget hotel but its excellent website details many of its 5* qualities. I’ve stayed in several 5*/4*/3*/2* hotels and can appreciate the differences they offer but you don’t always have to pay top prices to achieve a high level of comfort and satisfaction! I chose Cockermouth Travelodge because of its location and value for money. It was situated, like most Travelodge Hotels, in the best & most convenient location. My Hotel was also in a quiet location which offered peace & quiet at night.
There was no problem parking at the Hotel as the Travelodge offers free parking on a first come first served basis and there was plenty of space available. I was greeted at reception by a smiling young receptionist and checked in very efficiently. Unlike most hotels I have stayed at recently I was able to check at midday, not 3.00pm, so I was able to get into my room early and relax a little after the long drive north.
I was pleased to note that there was an on-site restaurant and bar with a long outside terrace running along one side of the Hotel. The views from the terrace across to the mountains of the Lake District were stunning. The weather at the time of my visit was glorious so I could sit outside and enjoy my morning `all I could eat` breakfast and a later in the day a tasty evening meal as the sun was setting.
The Unlimited Breakfast provided an excellent choice to start the day. There was a wide choice including the classic ingredients of a full English of Bacon, Cumberland sausages (of course), scrambled eggs, Linda McCartney vegetarian sausages, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Heinz baked beans and self – made` white of Granary toast from a machine. There was also a healthy option available of Fruit salad, Yeo Valley Organic Yoghurts, Croissants, Quaker Oat Granola or a selection of Kellogg`s cereals to keep the kids happy! All of this could be washed down with Unlimited Lavazza coffee or Typhoo tea, Ridgways Infusion teas or Chilled Fruit Juice. What a wonderful way to start the day!
I always think that going out in search of a restaurant and eating out is all part of the fun but the Cockermouth Travelodge like 150 other hotels in the chain have their own café/bars/rstaurant should you wish to eat closer to your room.
I thought that the evening Menu `Time to Dine` was extensive with a selection of seven `Starters` or four `Sharers` ranging from Southern Fried Chicken Goujons, Chicken Wings and Spicy Chipotle Prawns to Pulled Pork Nachos. The Main menu included many of the usual suspects, Cod & Chips, Steak & Stout Pie, Chicken Tikka Masala and lighter options including Warm chicken salad and Tuna Salad. There was also a wide selection of Burger and Pizza toppings which looked and tasted fantastic. There was a choice of eight desserts including Sticky Toffee Pudding, Chocolate Fudge cake and Fruit Salad.
It was a real bonus that I could sit outside and enjoy my meals at the Hotel in such a beautiful setting. There was of course a clean, smart section of the restaurant inside the hotel where visitors collected their buffet breakfast, could enjoy their evening meal or order drinks from the bar, for when the weather is not as warm, as it was for my visit!
“The fleeting hour of life of those who love the hills is quickly spent, but the hills are eternal. Always there will be the lonely ridge, the dancing beck, the silent forest; always there will be the exhilaration of the summits. These are for the seeking, and those who seek and find while there is still time will be blessed both in mind and body.”
Alfred Wainwright, The Western Fells
Over 55% of visitors to Travelodge hotels are now business travellers. Access to WiFi is therefore essential and all Travelodge Hotels have free WiFi for 30 minutes so that I could send a couple of emails home, research the attractions of Cockermouth and book some local visits online direct from my room.
My first – floor room was surprisingly spacious for a budget hotel. The King Size Dreamer™ bed, complete with a snug duvet and four plump pillows ensured a comfortable night’s sleep. Once the curtains were drawn the room was in complete darkness so no early morning sun to wake me up from my slumbers. The Hotel was also very quiet despite being full on the nights I stayed so I was not disturbed at any time by other visitors returning late to their rooms. A polite sign on the corridors and stairwells reminded latecomers to consider that others may be sleeping! Schh!
My room had an ensuite shower fixed inside a bath, a spacious desk, a TV with access up to 17 channels and of course the WiFi. There was also a fixed hair and body wash, soft hand and bath towels plus the much-appreciated coffee and tea making facilities.
The Cockermouth Travelodge Hotel is close to all the sights of Cockermouth, including the traditional Jennings Brewery, where you can go on tours and tastings included plus Wordsworth House, the birthplace of the poet William. The House has been fully restored following extensive damage during the November 2009 floods, and features a working eighteenth century kitchen and children’s bedroom with toys and clothes of the times. Harris Park offers many riverside walks and views down over the historic Town.
The Travelodge Hotel in Cockermouth was an ideal location in which to explore the Lake District and other sights. You don’t have to pay 5* prices to enjoy 5* accommodation, comfort, food, service and location! The price is always right – why pay more! I enjoyed my stay at The Cockermouth Travelodge and would highly recommend it to other visitors to the area.
“in the combinations which they make, towering above each other, or lifting themselves in ridges like the waves of a tumultuous sea, and in the beauty and variety of their surfaces and colours, they are surpassed by none”.
William Wordsworth – Guide to the Lakes
Europe Way, Cockermouth, Cumbria CA13 0DJ, United Kingdom
Sat nav postcode: CA13 0RJ.
Telephone: 08719 846358
Website: Travelodge, Cockermouth
Website: Travelodge
Twitter: @TravelodgeUK
Facebook: @TravelodgeUK
My visit to Travelodge Cockermouth was courtesy of TravelodgePR but as always, any comments and opinions are my own. Much of the detailed factual information has been taken from their official website including some photographs with permission. Please contact me ASAP should credit for any of the photographs need to be given.
Why choose Travelodge?
Travelodge is a value 5* budget hotel
You don’t always have to pay 5* prices to get 5* comfort and location!
You don’t always have to pay top prices to achieve a high level of comfort and satisfaction!
Travelodge hotels are always in the best & most convenient locations.
Travelodge hotels are in quiet locations which offer peace & quiet at night
Travelodge offers price breaks – saver/flexible rates & discounts for booking online or early
Excellent comfortable double beds in clean, safe, non – smoking rooms at a good price.
The price is always right – why pay more!
Private En-suite bathrooms in all rooms
All Travelodge hotels Rooms are a good size – small is better! Size is not everything?
Guests don’t always need a lot of hotel services which you have to pay for at other hotels – how often do you use the hotel restaurant, mini – bar, alarm call, bathrobe, gymnasium, laundry or pool? These things can be nice, if available, but I can survive at hotels without them if the price is right!
Going in search of a restaurant and eating out is all part of the fun, although 150 Travelodge hotels now have their own café/bars available
Wi-fi is available in all Travelodge hotels
Plenty of free parking at almost all locations
Early Check In or Late Check Out!
If you visit any of the places in the Lake District or stay at any other Travelodge Hotel as a result of reading this blog please mention The Travel Locker.
The Travel Locker 