Hotel of the week

Travelodge Newcastle Quayside is located in the heart of the city, with great views of its seven bridges. The Central Station is a nine-minute walk away.

Newcastle is often overlooked as a city break but if you’re thinking of a staycation, it could be just the ticket.

Lively, cultured and friendly, it’s also something of a gateway to other gems, such as the Northumberland National Park, the quirky coastal town

of Whitley Bay and the seaside resort of South Shields.

Take a walk along the prom, through the beautiful seafront parks and have fun at Ocean Beach Pleasure Park.

Travelodge has kickstarted its official hotel reopening programme and applied its learnings from operating a handful of hotels to serve key workers during the lockdown.

It’s now launched a safety and social distancing programme called Travelodge Protect+, which means you’re

all set for a safe stay. Extra cleaning is taking place in the rooms and public areas, linen and towels are being thermally disinfected and hand sanitisers are being fitted throughout the hotels. The number of customers in public areas like lifts are also being monitored.

It all made me feel incredibly safe during my stay. In addition, I felt assured by the new measures – like cleaning staff not entering until you have checked out.

The contactless check-in system also worked well, and

the comfy bed and well-thought-out design of the room was just what I expected from Travelodge.

The hotel served a new version of its popular breakfast box for £5.25. It included cornflakes with semi-skimmed milk, a flapjack bar, pain au chocolat and orange juice, as well as tea and coffee in the room.

While it was a shame to miss out on the great hot buffet, the new system works well in the current climate.

Travelodge has released more than million rooms for £29 or less across its 563 UK hotels. travelodge.co.uk