Bike security at Travelodge/Premier Inn?

[pasmith73]

I’m thinking about doing a bit of touring around England and staying in Travelodge & Premier Inn type hotels. But bit nervous about my bike overnight. I have a disc lock but more paranoid about people messing about with the bike. Do you just park with the cars? Am I being overly paranoid or is it better to stay in different accommodation with better facilities for bikes?

[Turn7]

Some Prems have underground car parks, but its subject to location if that helps any.

Otherwise, you'll be out in the open.

[CAPP0]

To an extent it's going to depend where you stay. Some Travelodge-ish places are rural and quiet and there's nobody there, and/or you can put the bike out of sight or outside the reception window, but conversely if you leave it in a city centre then there's a greater likelihood of something happening. Some are in the middle of industrial estates. And don't even think about London!

[Super Slo Mo]

Travelodges mostly just have ordinary car parks. Most premier inns do too.
Not much you can do really unless you want to try looking for places with more secure parking.
Doesn’t stop people messing with the bike though.

[bogie]

I stayed last year in a travelodge overnight on the bike (Harley) and it was just a regular car park. Quite empty so managed to park under a light outside the main entrance, they did have CCTV. Just locked it up as usual, all fine.

I think it really depends on location and if its in plain view of scrotes scouting for bikes to be nicked...a bit like anywhere in the UK really. Anywhere in the SE or a busy city location Id be wary. At the side of a motorway or industrial business area, maybe ok.

Leave a bike outside in plain view long enough and eventually it will go im sure

[anonymous-user]

I done a tour of the south west with my uncle and a mate a couple of years back. We stayed in travelodges (mainly because they were cheap & we could get 3 of us in a room) they all just had normal car parks. We locked them all together in the first hotel because there was nothing there. The second and third nights there was bike racks outside the doors of reception so we locked them to that used a beefy chain and an alarm disc lock.

As someone else said, it's all very location dependant. I'd have properly had less sleep had we been in a city somewhere.

[Dibble]

Have a look at AirBnB. Usually much nicer options than Premier Inn etc and often cheaper, with the added advantage that you can filter results for places with parking.

I’ve also used Hotels.com and Booking.com, which usually show the Premier Inn type places but loads of other options too. Again, you can search for places with parking. Just make sure you check what you get wherever you book, as sometimes there isn’t a breakfast included. Not a massive issue, but something to think of.

[Wombat3]

! wouldn't - especially in urban areas.

Echo the Airbnb idea - the key to bike security is to get it out of sight, If they find it and they want it they will have it. Chains & locks won't stop them (and neither will anybody passing by).

By way of example, I'm aware of two bikes (an RT and a GS) being stolen in separate incidents off the front of the Marriot hotel in Swansea last Summer. 25 yards from the front door, security lights, CCTV. Locks cut off & gone. Televised theft basically....Standard, open hotel car park (nice hotel too). But no real security, much like most PI's & Travellodges & Holidat Inn Express


If they can't find it then they can't nick it, get it out of site.

Besides, if you look a little there are much nicer/more interesting places to stay for the same kind of money but a bit more off the beaten track.

[Biker 1]

Defo do plenty of research. I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express a while back, with no parking whatsoever: you had to park in the pay & display down the road! Look at B & Bs that are privately run & maybe ask the owners nicely if you could use their garage

[Slushbox]

Some of the Ibis hotels have 'secure parking' as do some of the Holiday Inn Express and HI main chains.

If you sign up at their web sites you can trawl for hotels with attached parking.

Try Accor Hotels, for instance. Also some hotels let you park bikes near the foyer or in staff car park areas if you ask.

https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/united-kingdom/inde...

[pasmith73]

Thanks for your replies.

[Bungleaio]

I'm going to Cardiff in a couple of months to visit a mate, I've booked a room at a Travelodge that has a bike rack so I'll be chaining my bike to that and hoping for the best.

It's so frustrating that being concerned about some thieving scrote taking the bike is one of the first thoughts when looking for somewhere to stay, I wish people would just behave themselves!

[pasmith73]

I’ve had an idea. What about a private room in a rural youth hostel? Areas with great biking roads like Wales, Yorkshire, Scotland etc will have plenty of these. And often in a very rural location for the walkers, so less chance of bike getting nicked. Don’t think there would be idiots around to mess with the bike. Room will be very cheap and probably no worse than Travelodge anyway.

[MotorsportTom]

pasmith73 said:

I’ve had an idea. What about a private room in a rural youth hostel? Areas with great biking roads like Wales, Yorkshire, Scotland etc will have plenty of these. And often in a very rural location for the walkers, so less chance of bike getting nicked. Don’t think there would be idiots around to mess with the bike. Room will be very cheap and probably no worse than Travelodge anyway.

Stayed in a few BnB's/bunkhouses etc with the bike and never had an issue.

Pick them wisely though if you have the option.

Try to choose away from a main road or some have garages. 1 place we used let us park the bikes in an old barn and locked the gate so nobody could see the bikes.

Another place I stayed at, in Wales recently, was down a long gravel track off a main road meaning the bikes wouldn't b visible anyway.

[podman]

If its that much of a concern, you can always choose a biker friendly place, we've been able to get such accommodation for decades via the likes of MCN and the magazines but its even easier nowadays online.

http://www.thebikerguide.co.uk/bikerfriendlyenglan...