Bikes in hotel rooms

[Ningishzidda]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7095134.stm

[tiermat]

Aw, I thought this thread would have pictures...   

Like this?



Not exactly Riders Wives Bikes, but there you go

[Euan Uzami]

Is that "in" as in "in your room" or "in the building"? Although Travelodges let bikes in rooms without a question (the one exception has been an overzelealous manager at Scotch Corner), I've always found Premier Inn prefer to have them stored behind reception or in a locked room rather than in your room. Not a big problem, but not quite as convenient for last minute faffing.

Ah, yeah. Now i've checked in i've realised what it is - it's not that they prefer not to have them in the room, it's that THEY think YOU would prefer not to have it in the room. She was like, "well, you can take it up with you if you're sure, but we have got a conference room if it's easier?"
Remember most people think bikes are a bag of rusty old pipes that get slung in the garage, not your pride and joy, they think they're giving better customer service by *allowing* you to not have to keep it in your room with you, just because it doesn't occur to them that keen cyclists take a different view.

[mattc]

I think it depends;
If I'm sharing a room with 2 other cyclists, i would really rather have the bikes somewhere else! (provided it's secure, and doesn't add 30 mins to the checkout procedure).

A big room, just me - sure, the bike's more than welcome

[andrewc]

Aw, I thought this thread would have pictures...   

[Euan Uzami]

here you go then
 

[Deano]

How about tents?


motel room in Bulgaria by dean.clementson, on Flickr

[Kim]

That's more like it!

Seems like a good time to repost this:

[TheRedEyeJedi]

Travelodge had no issues with mine across Britain on my Lejog.   If you phone in the morning they will allocate you a ground floor room too.   

[Andrew Br]

Silly (ie pre-audax) o'clock in the Hilton Canary Wharf before the start of Ride London 2013:-

P8040146 by Chocolatebike1, on Flickr

Sadly, it doesn't show Helen's bike which was also in the room.

Several other people were wheeling their bikes along the corridors when we were leaving ...................

[tonyh]

Those bikes-in-the-room pictures....

Ooooh, the Nostalgia!

[Andrew Br]

Nostalgia's not what it used to be.

[marcusjb]

Damnit - I have a few pictures of bikes in hotel rooms, but don't have any of tandems in hotel rooms.  9th floor of a travelodge the night before Ride London would have been an interesting one - even more interesting would have been the photo of tandem in lift......

[contango]

I'm sure I've got a picture somewhere of a rather interesting setup I found myself in a few years ago.

Four of us booked two twin Travelodge rooms, the idea being that we'd have two people and two bikes in each twin room. Sadly one guy couldn't make it and one of the rooms was booked in his name, so the reception desk wouldn't let us have the room. So we ended up with three of us and three bikes in a "family room" on the fourth floor.

We just about managed to get everything in there, and drew straws to see whether we got the double bed, the single bed or the pull-out bed.

[Deano]

Can't-remember-the-name-of-the-hostel-in Belgrade.



They assured me I'd have to myself, but later on two American girls turned up.

[Andrew Br]

You make that sound like it's a bad thing Deano.

[fruitcake]

IIRC some YACFers have used a hotel bathtub as a temporary bike bunker, presumably to save space in the room. What they needed the room space for, they didn't say. 

[stuart.wood.50]

Travelodge in manchester central was fine after I arrived at 11pm last year when an overnight ride was cancelled at last minute. Reason was torrential rain

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[quixoticgeek]

Have taken by bike into hotels in multiple countries. I never ask, I just take it in with me. I have only had one hotel outright refuse, that was the Intercity Hotel in Enschede. Eventually they put the bike in a cleaners store cupboard, which was acceptable. The Best Western in Rastatt weren't happy, and tried to argue with me, pointing me to a wheel bender rack out front. I stood my ground and eventually they let me in. Ibis near Zurich looked at the mud on my bike and tried to say no "That? That's been there for 500km!" and they let me in. The Ibis in central Köln asked me to put it in the secure underground carpark, which given it was accessible only to guests, and had cctv etc... I was ok with, we had a negotiation about it before I agreed to this. Hotel in central Belgrade said "you can't take your bike in your room" "I don't have a lock" "Oh, it's not that you aren't allowed, it's just there's no lift, and you're on the 1st floor" "Not a problem" *shoulders bike and walks up stairs*. Look on her face was rather good.

IMHO, if you ask, they have to think about it. If you just do it, then it's a reaction. Generally the posher the hotel, the more likely they are to not give a damn.

J

[Kim]

Ibis near Zurich looked at the mud on my bike and tried to say no "That? That's been there for 500km!" and they let me in.

I'll have to remember that one.

[Cpt Sisko]

Travelodge in manchester central was fine after I arrived at 11pm last year when an overnight ride was cancelled at last minute. Reason was torrential rain

No photo, but I was at the Blackpool end of that ride waiting for transport when the ride got cancelled. The Premeir Inn (the one by the old airport) didn't bat an eyelid when I asked if I could take my bike into the room beforehand or at 11.00pm when I got back aftet the cancellation and both it and I were very wet.

[stuart.wood.50]

No photo, but I was at the Blackpool end of that ride waiting for transport when the ride got cancelled. The Premeir Inn (the one by the old airport) didn't bat an eyelid when I asked if I could take my bike into the room beforehand or at 11.00pm when I got back aftet the cancellation and both it and I were very wet.

I was of course also dripping wet. The travelodge were more interested which floor I wanted. My answer was a bed, anywhere the bike was allowed...and somewhere to dry clothes.

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[wajcgac]

This is Premier Inns official policy on bikes

https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/why/bike-friendly.html

which is why for the Highland Fling 1000 I've booked a night before and after the event at Darlington Premier Inn and if I'm making good time I've got one booked at Ayr to make use of as well.

Last year I used the Travelodge at Darlington before an event but according to the receptionist they'd had some issues with a recent cycling event where bikes had been allowed in rooms. They were happy to store the bikes in a locked area behind reception though and this was fine but capacity looked to be about 4 bikes at most. Not sure what they would have done had there been more bikes.

[ElyDave]

I've had no trouble so far
- Salzburg - let me leave it in a conference room, hired bike so no issue
- majorca - took it into the room as luggage, built it, stored it there all week, not a word
- Small hotels in Scotland - Islay, lock it up roudn the back, no issues, others were either in the room or a other secure space, and no questions asked.

This summer will be a repeat of the Majorca tactic in Garda, can't remember which hotel we've booked, but one of the two had a dedicated secure bike store with CCTV etc.

[Paul H]

I've never been refused, though my experience is dozens rather than hundreds and nearly all UK.  If the bike is mucky I'll ask for a couple of bin bags to stand it on, I wouldn't stand a dirty bike on the carpet at home, seems rude to do it elsewhere.
I-love-Travelodge by Paul, on Flickr