Did 2016 just happen already?
Following suit with previous year-end posts, here's one for 2016.
First, a quick mention for Llanelli - yes, it still exists and that's probably a good thing.
Better the devil you know.
Now, I would like to elaborate on last December's speculative post about the Gateway Resort theme park.
I really would.
Unfortunately, no substantive announcements have come to the fore and so speculation will remain.
As reported before, the holiday park changed its name to 'Gateway Resort' this year.
The layout of the resort remains very much suited for caravan-parking rather than theme-parking, but the full expansion of the site is expected to take at least two years.
One notable development this year has been the installation of a biomass heating system.
This not only reduces the region's dependence on fossil fuels but is also expected to save the resort £18k running costs every year.
More updates to follow.
Maybe.
Who knows?
Have a great 2017.
TD
Monday 26 December 2016
Thursday 31 December 2015
Gateway Resort
Just before Christmas, it was announced that a theme park resort is to be developed on the flood plains between the A484 and the Millennium Coastal Path.
Detailed plans have yet to be unveiled but here is what is known.
The Gateway Holiday Park is to change its brand to 'Gateway Resort' as of Easter 2016 and the theme park development is expected to take two years to complete. The park's theme has yet to be decided.
A preliminary design showcases 26 rides to be built by Vekoma Ride Manufacturing, including 7 roller-coasters.
The sketched roller-coasters resemble known Vekoma and Gerstlauer designs.
Other attractions will include indoor rides and a '4D' virtual reality simulator housed in the large barn that is currently under construction.
Planning permission applications will be filed early in the new year. At first, this will focus on developing a 20-acre site.
Gateway owner, Ken Strelley, has stated that applications will be for a mix of full-scale development and general outline as the resort unfolds.
An interesting quotation from Mr Strelley in the Llanelli Star reads:
"Though we wouldn't be trying to compete with them, the site would be twice the size of Oakwood."
Although this claim has already made headlines, it is unclear how true it is.
Taking rough measurements from Google's satellite imagery, Oakwood's overall park area is 79 acres (32 hectares). From satellite imagery, we can estimate area of land devoted to Oakwood's rides to be around 47.57 acres (19.25 hectares).
The overall area of Gateway park (including caravan site, parking, etc) is around 100 acres (40.5 hectares). The announcement development site of 20 acres would constitute only a fifth of this.
So, to make Gateway twice the size of Oakwood, we must compare the total area of Gateway resort (~100 acres) with the area of rides only in Oakwood (~47.6 acres).
Until details of the full extent of Gateway's resort plans are made available, I estimate that the eventual area occupied by theme park attractions to be in the range of 30-60 acres only - very similar to Oakwood and certainly not twice as large.
And in concluding this (my sole blog post in two years), it's time to say Goodbye to 2015!
Wishing you a peaceful 2016.
TD
Detailed plans have yet to be unveiled but here is what is known.
The Gateway Holiday Park is to change its brand to 'Gateway Resort' as of Easter 2016 and the theme park development is expected to take two years to complete. The park's theme has yet to be decided.
A preliminary design showcases 26 rides to be built by Vekoma Ride Manufacturing, including 7 roller-coasters.
The sketched roller-coasters resemble known Vekoma and Gerstlauer designs.
Vekoma:
Gerstlauer
Other attractions will include indoor rides and a '4D' virtual reality simulator housed in the large barn that is currently under construction.
Planning permission applications will be filed early in the new year. At first, this will focus on developing a 20-acre site.
Gateway owner, Ken Strelley, has stated that applications will be for a mix of full-scale development and general outline as the resort unfolds.
An interesting quotation from Mr Strelley in the Llanelli Star reads:
"Though we wouldn't be trying to compete with them, the site would be twice the size of Oakwood."
Although this claim has already made headlines, it is unclear how true it is.
Taking rough measurements from Google's satellite imagery, Oakwood's overall park area is 79 acres (32 hectares). From satellite imagery, we can estimate area of land devoted to Oakwood's rides to be around 47.57 acres (19.25 hectares).
The overall area of Gateway park (including caravan site, parking, etc) is around 100 acres (40.5 hectares). The announcement development site of 20 acres would constitute only a fifth of this.
So, to make Gateway twice the size of Oakwood, we must compare the total area of Gateway resort (~100 acres) with the area of rides only in Oakwood (~47.6 acres).
Until details of the full extent of Gateway's resort plans are made available, I estimate that the eventual area occupied by theme park attractions to be in the range of 30-60 acres only - very similar to Oakwood and certainly not twice as large.
And in concluding this (my sole blog post in two years), it's time to say Goodbye to 2015!
Wishing you a peaceful 2016.
TD
Tuesday 31 December 2013
Parking Charge Increases for 2014
It's been a while since I last made time to do all the research and drafting necessary for a lengthy piece of analytical waffle and commentary that meets the standard of earlier posts on this blog. While I always intend to resume blogging passionately about local places and events with an eye for as much detail as possible, you'll probably be pleased that this final post for 2013 will be a shorter one.
A discussion on parking issues in Llanelli is always a great way to dampen any festive cheer. So here goes.
Council-owned car parks in Llanelli (I believe we have 11 of them in and around the town centre) are a central component in facilitating footfall in the town, with the parking charges often considered a key factor in visitors' decisions to shop here. The often expressed fear that higher charges are largely responsible for driving people away from the shops is, however, an exaggeration. In reality, Carmarthenshire has consistently offered much cheaper parking than in neighbouring Counties, and visitors have proven to be happy to pay if they are on a serious shopping trip.
Over the past ten years, various schemes specifically aimed to promote footfall at the most effective times have been introduced in Llanelli – e.g. free evening parking, free parking for up to 4 hours on Saturdays, reduced tariffs for under an hour's parking in town centres, etc.
And although charge increases in line with inflation have been provided for on various occasions, anticipated increases have at times been postponed, as was the case between 2000 and 2004, and following the onset of recession in 2008 when the planned increases were delayed for 1 year.
Since 2010, each New Year's Day has seen most rates rise 10p in the Council's car parks, keeping in line with projections made in October 2010. These projections apply only as far as January 2014, and future increases are currently under consideration. Although the charges remain lower than privately run parking lots and within reasonable distance of inflation, what does seem to have changed is the rationale for these increases. In contrast with the earlier goal of keeping charges low but raising them slightly to cover the costs of developing the parking infrastructure and improving car park security across Carmarthenshire, now the focus is on generating greater revenue from parking charges and meeting budgetary reduction targets.
This year, the Council announced that around £30million of savings must be made over the next three years. A public consultation on the budget cuts was launched in November with 51 proposals on how to achieve these savings. Among the proposed savings to the 'Technical services' annual budget of £35 million, is a potential revenue increase of £475,000 from parking-related changes. These include:
You can express your views on these proposals through the Council's online public consultation survey, which ends January 3rd.
Currently, visitors can benefit from free evening/overnight parking in Council-owned car parks from 6pm until 8am. This has important implications for the evening trade at Eastgate, and especially for the Travelodge hotel. The proposal to extend the Pay & Display hours to 9pm is still under consideration and may face stiff opposition in the coming months.
Here's how the tariffs for parking at Eastgate (formerly Island Place car park) have increased over the past 13 years. Note that long term parking, originally defined as 'up to 10 hours' and later as 'all day' parking, is no longer possible given the maximum limit of a 4-hour stay.
Parking charges for 2014,
Monday – Saturday (08:00 - 18:00):
And that's just about all the cheerless closure to 2013 that Tin Dragon will bring. Llanelli seems to be the only place in the UK experiencing stormy weather tonight, and the first two months of the new year are set to be rather cold, so there's little more I can say.
But where there's a will there's a way, even when it rains in Wales once again. For sure, many people will be out celebrating to ring in 2014.
Thank you to everyone who visited my blog during its first year of existence, it has been a highly demanding and rewarding experience to keep it up-to-date. I look forward to bringing you further posts in the weeks ahead.
Happy New Year to everybody, and may 2014 bring you much satisfaction, peace and good health.
And for those of you who will enjoy free overnight parking in Carmarthenshire tonight, please take care on the roads and DO NOT drive if you have been drinking.
A discussion on parking issues in Llanelli is always a great way to dampen any festive cheer. So here goes.
Council-owned car parks in Llanelli (I believe we have 11 of them in and around the town centre) are a central component in facilitating footfall in the town, with the parking charges often considered a key factor in visitors' decisions to shop here. The often expressed fear that higher charges are largely responsible for driving people away from the shops is, however, an exaggeration. In reality, Carmarthenshire has consistently offered much cheaper parking than in neighbouring Counties, and visitors have proven to be happy to pay if they are on a serious shopping trip.
Over the past ten years, various schemes specifically aimed to promote footfall at the most effective times have been introduced in Llanelli – e.g. free evening parking, free parking for up to 4 hours on Saturdays, reduced tariffs for under an hour's parking in town centres, etc.
And although charge increases in line with inflation have been provided for on various occasions, anticipated increases have at times been postponed, as was the case between 2000 and 2004, and following the onset of recession in 2008 when the planned increases were delayed for 1 year.
Since 2010, each New Year's Day has seen most rates rise 10p in the Council's car parks, keeping in line with projections made in October 2010. These projections apply only as far as January 2014, and future increases are currently under consideration. Although the charges remain lower than privately run parking lots and within reasonable distance of inflation, what does seem to have changed is the rationale for these increases. In contrast with the earlier goal of keeping charges low but raising them slightly to cover the costs of developing the parking infrastructure and improving car park security across Carmarthenshire, now the focus is on generating greater revenue from parking charges and meeting budgetary reduction targets.
This year, the Council announced that around £30million of savings must be made over the next three years. A public consultation on the budget cuts was launched in November with 51 proposals on how to achieve these savings. Among the proposed savings to the 'Technical services' annual budget of £35 million, is a potential revenue increase of £475,000 from parking-related changes. These include:
- the introduction of charges for ‘blue badge’ holders, affecting over 18,000 disabled drivers in the County and expected to raise £109,000 over 3 years;
- imposing workplace parking charges for County Council staff and councillors, set at a fixed £10/month fee;
- extended parking charges into evening hours from 6pm until 9pm;
- and overall increases to the parking tariffs, doubling the recent trend with 20 pence rises proposed for 2015-16 and 2016-17.
You can express your views on these proposals through the Council's online public consultation survey, which ends January 3rd.
Currently, visitors can benefit from free evening/overnight parking in Council-owned car parks from 6pm until 8am. This has important implications for the evening trade at Eastgate, and especially for the Travelodge hotel. The proposal to extend the Pay & Display hours to 9pm is still under consideration and may face stiff opposition in the coming months.
Here's how the tariffs for parking at Eastgate (formerly Island Place car park) have increased over the past 13 years. Note that long term parking, originally defined as 'up to 10 hours' and later as 'all day' parking, is no longer possible given the maximum limit of a 4-hour stay.
Parking charges for 2014,
Monday – Saturday (08:00 - 18:00):
1 hour £1.20
2 hours £1.60
3 hours £1.80
4 hours £2.00
And that's just about all the cheerless closure to 2013 that Tin Dragon will bring. Llanelli seems to be the only place in the UK experiencing stormy weather tonight, and the first two months of the new year are set to be rather cold, so there's little more I can say.
But where there's a will there's a way, even when it rains in Wales once again. For sure, many people will be out celebrating to ring in 2014.
Thank you to everyone who visited my blog during its first year of existence, it has been a highly demanding and rewarding experience to keep it up-to-date. I look forward to bringing you further posts in the weeks ahead.
Happy New Year to everybody, and may 2014 bring you much satisfaction, peace and good health.
And for those of you who will enjoy free overnight parking in Carmarthenshire tonight, please take care on the roads and DO NOT drive if you have been drinking.
Saturday 23 November 2013
Cadwaladers comes to town!
Eastgate has now entered its second year and continues to draw widely recognised brands to Llanelli for the first time. On October 30th, a planning application for Unit 8 was filed by Cadwaladers, a prestigious name in the restaurant sector, whose specialized ice cream café will become the third Welsh retailer to open shop at Eastgate.
Cadwaladers was established in 1927 (just six years after the Jenkins family went into business) as a convenience store in Gwynedd and began to specialize in ice cream from 1945 onwards. The original outlet in Criccieth evolved into an ice cream shop and later grew into the modern café-ice cream parlour hybrid. Through the 1980s and up to the present day, a further three Cadwaladers cafés have opened in the Gwynedd county (Porthmadog, Portmeirion, Pwllheli), two in Conwy (Betws-y-Coed, Llandudno), three in Cardiff (one in St David's 2 and two outlets at Cardiff Bay), one in Barry, and two shops over the border at the Trafford Centre in Manchester and Trentham Gardens, Staffordshire.
The opening of a branch in Carmarthenshire will entrench the Cadwaladers name among major Welsh brands and add momentum to the wider expansion of the company as it aims to open up to 5 new stores annually until 2016.
Interestingly, recent expansion efforts have been something of a marketing experiment where the focus was on variety, broadening the customer base, and adapting to local needs. The arrival of Cadwaladers Ice Cream Cafe in South Wales coincided with the creation of two "sub brands".
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| Before |
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| Post-Yuddle upgrade |
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| Phase 3: The Coffee House at Cadwaladers |
It has not yet been announced which kind of Cadwaladers café will fill the newly leased unit at Eastgate, although blueprints in the planning applications clearly depict a shopfront with the CHAC name that also features the traditional Ice Cream Shop signage and colour schemes. From this information, I have created this 3D mock up of the new shop:
Cardiff-based architects HLN have been hired for the Eastgate Cadwaladers. Interestingly, in their November 6th announcement via Twitter, they describe the project as 'the first of the new concept @CoffeeHousesuk', making specific mention of CHAC.
Could the rebranding eventually do away with duplication and return to the original name? If the new website address and main Twitter account are anything to go by, then it is also significant that the Facebook page contains no mention of the CHAC brand.
Two interrelated factors seem to drive this whole 'identity crisis'. First, the Cadwaladers name is primarily associated with ice cream. Second, people don't want ice cream all year round. Just as the CHAC formula highlights the sale of cakes and hot drinks, the Eastgate Cadwaladers may need to do this under the 'Ice Cream Café' banner. A smart move, then, to open shop during the winter and build a reputation for serving soups and hot drinks.
Whatever the outcome of the rebranding, Cadwaladers is coming to Carmarthenshire for the long haul. With its production facilities now being relocated from Llanystumdwy to a larger site in South Wales, the company will also create jobs in the region. At Eastgate, recruitment for store supervisors and baristas has already begun.
Enjoy your affogato.
Friday 8 November 2013
Eastgate: Nando's
[Unit 6. Eastgate]
It was announced that the new restaurant would create 30 jobs in Llanelli. In order of proximity to Llanelli, other Nando's establishments in Wales include those in Swansea, Merthyr Tydfil, Nantgarw, three restaurants in Cardiff, and another in Wrexham.
The chain is renowned for its rapid expansion across the UK. By securing the implied celebrity endorsements of prominent figures in their hometowns, Nando's has successfully forged a reputation of being a cut above other casual dining establishments. This strategy, which entails providing free food to VIPs (sometimes by granting a lifetime of free dining with the 'black card'), helped garner attention on opening day at Eastgate, when members from the Scarlets were invited as the first official customers. Support for Nando's has also been expressed by Felinfoel-born athlete Dai Greene around the time of its launch.
Located on the ground floor of the Harmonica building, the restaurant shopfront is only one third the width of the Scarlets' Red Room situated opposite, but the Nando's brand carries sufficient weight to ensure a strong commercial presence in the area. The restaurant can cater for up to 120 customers and, like Hungry Horse, spans the full length of the the building. Facing the Eastgate car park at the front of the building is an unwelcoming rear fire exit/staff entrance squeezed alongside the boarded-up fronts of two unoccupied units (at least there is some kind of signage on this more exposed side of the eatery). A small area for outdoor seating is available around the main entrance which is also wheelchair accessible. As well as easy access from the car park, Nando's is just a few paces away from the bus interchange and taxi drop-off zone.
According to TripAdvisor reviewers, Nando's staff are always helpful, but beyond the provision of menus there is no table service: using a 'help yourself' service, customers must place orders at the till. Service is commended as being quick and polite and the restaurant and kitchen as a whole are considered clean with a pleasant traditional Portuguese-Mozambican atmosphere.
In March 2013, the Eastgate Nando's received a FSA Food Hygiene Rating of '5 (Very Good)'.
The choice and quality of food, notably its famed peri-peri chicken, in the Eastgate branch lives up to its global reputation. But despite catering for families, and regardless of any athletes' endorsements, Nando's isn't the healthiest place to take children to eat (in 2006, an average Nando's meal was found to contain eight teaspoons of added sugar while deficent in calcium, iron, zinc and folate). And although the chain boasts a Red Tractor assurance accreditation, that scheme - which ensures compliance with minimum legislative requirements - does not prevent inadequate welfare for Nando's chickens.
Since its arrival at Eastgate, Nando's has led a sustained local marketing campaign, much of which is exhibited on the Facebook page. And as if the chain needed any help in its promotions, an independent website dedicated to indexing every Nando's in the world encourages people to share their views on the Eastgate Nando's (hats off to Ryan for travelling down to Llanelli in May 2013 as part of his marinated chicken marathon!)
Nando's current opening hours are:
(Monday - Thursday) 10:00 - 22:00
(Friday & Saturday) 10:00 - 22:30
(Sunday) 11:00 - 22:00
A take-away service is also available on 01554 751 818
and bookings can be made via the restaurant's official Facebook page.
Official Nando's website: www.nandos.co.uk/restaurant/llanelli
Nando's Llanelli on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nandosllanelli
TripAdvisor page: tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-...Nando_s-Llanelli....html
Been to Nando's lately? Let me know by posting a comment below, or send me your thoughts on:
Monday 7 October 2013
Eastgate: Travelodge
What's more, the publication of annual reports and accounts on Travelodge's own website ceased in 2008. At that time, the budget hotel company was overloaded with around £1 billion of debt, and had rented lodging space when property prices were at their peak. When the crash came and the customers vanished, Travelodge found itself unable to keep up with repayments – including £100 million annually on rent interest alone.
In any case, the company successfully pulled itself back from the precipice and secured a lifeline through a debt-for-equity deal that saw hedge funds, Golden Tree Asset Management and Avenue Capital, and investment bank, Goldman Sachs, become its main shareholders. In addition, Travelodge negotiated an extension to 2017 for repaying £329m of bank debt, at a lower interest rate until the end of 2014. For further deliverance from debt, the company released 49 hotels into new ownership.
By August 2012, business was back on track, jobs had been protected and Travelodge continued to expand, opening 41 new hotels by the end of that year. Naturally, media attention was absorbed by the four new hotels opened in London in time for the Olympics. Unlike the chain's installations in many other towns, however, there would be no "re-badging" or "traded refurbishment" at Eastgate where Travelodge would be the first occupant of a brand new building.
Having signed a lease in spring 2009, the hotel undoubtedly influenced the architecture of the Harmonica ('Landmark building'). Early proposals for developments reveal that the Llanelli area had been a target of Travelodge's expansion program since at least June 2007, specifically for a hotel with a minimum capacity of 45 beds and a maximum of 53 – the eventual development agreed to accommodate the latter figure.
After three years' drumming up support for the project, the company's transition from financial crisis to stability, and a promise that the new hotel would create fifteen jobs and add over £800,000 to the local economy each year, the arrival of Travelodge in Llanelli ought to have been warmly received.
Upon arrival, guests will find sufficient space in the large car park immediately outside the hotel (more on parking charges below) with the added convenience of a bus station and taxi rank within 60 metres of the front door. Other visible advantages of the hotel's location include the adjoining eateries and pubs, such as Hungry Horse and Nando's.
On the web, some different, but no less crucial, aspects of the hotel come to light. A quick look at customer reviews reveals that the Travelodge staff at Eastgate have provided outstanding service to their guests since day one.
For clarification on this, I contacted the Travelodge Customer Services team, who were kind enough to provide the following explanation:
Thank you for your email.
I am sorry to learn of your disappointment regarding the removal of our TripAdvisor reviews.
I can confirm Travelodge have released a 55 million refurbishment programme across the estate in which 80% of our hotel rooms will receive a complete new room design and layout. New pocket sprung
king-sized beds have been placed in our Llanelli hotel. This hotel has also been repainted and have received new bedding, curtains and bed runners.
Travelodge informed TripAdvisor of the refurbishment programme and as a result, TripAdvisor have removed all reviews made before a certain date for the hotels have been refurbished. Reviews
have been removed regardless of their negative or positive sentiment.
I understand there are no plans to have the reviews reinstated.
Thank you again for contacting us.
Travelodge Customer Services
With earlier customers' criticisms (e.g. of the previous generation of beds) supposedly rendered irrelevant by the refurbishment and modernisation programme, 32 reviews of the Llanelli Central hotel vanished, of which, eighteen very satisfied customers had left a 5-star rating and nine gave it 4 stars. Since the mass deletion in August and up to October 2013, the TripAdvisor page accumulated only 6 new reviews and, while the TravelodgeUK Customer Care Team now takes an active approach in responding directly to criticism, one of these is its lowest ever rating, a 2-star review titled "terrible", and only three are 5-star ratings.
Hope is not lost, however. Despite the dismissal of former guests' compliments, the hotel looks set to continue receiving praise in its second year. What's more, I have retrieved copies of the original 32 reviews through Google's cache links. Here are a few samples:
And some of the less favourable reviews:
In sum, basic but adequate, clean and generally comfortable.
Positive aspects include:
Outstanding customer service by all the staff;
Clean rooms and shower/bath facilities;
Generally quiet but central location with good transport links;
Decent wifi;
Close parking;
Cheap when booked in advance, online (from £19/night)
Criticisms.
1) Awkward parking arrangements.
Upon arrival, many guests may be put off by the pay-and-display notices in the Council-owned Eastgate car park. Signs clearly state that Mon-Sat from 8am to 6pm, parking charges and a limit of 4 hours' stay apply. Thankfully, the hotel staff are keen to inform guests that, in addition to the free overnight parking from 18:00 to 08:00, it is possible to buy a ticket during this time which will become valid from 8am. In other words, pay for an hour's parking after 6pm, and don't rush outside to move the car until 9am the following day. All that said, it's probably too late to figure out those arrangements if you arrive at the hotel earlier in the day and took a wild guess at how best to park your car before going to reception. Daytime parking charges/limits are also a problem for guests staying longer than one night – it's a ten-minute walk for long-term parking at Church Street car park.
[Update]: County Council has proposed to increase parking fees and to introduce evening charges after 6pm. (Blog post coming soon)
2) Distance from train station.
Another problem relating to distance. Not that the town is very large. A taxi ride from Eastgate to the train station takes about 5 minutes. But isn't the whole point of booking into a Travelodge to avoid costly means of travel?
3) Unbearably hot rooms in the summer.
The Eastgate building is undoubtedly well-insulated. Which poses the most urgent problem in the warmer months, especially given the hotel's lack of decent air-conditioning. According to the reviews, staff did their utmost this summer to resolve this well-reported issue (yet, only 12 electric fans were available for visitors).
4) Budget beds and disadvantaged vantage points?
The comfort ratings of things like beds is always subjective. Although some guests complained about them, most appeared satisfied, acknowledging that budget hotels won't suit everybody. The refurbishment programme saw the Llanelli Central Hotel fitted with new pocket-sprung king-sized 'Dreamer beds' by Sleepeeze, along with new bedding and bed runners. These have been described as a "a huge and improvement over the old ones" by one guest. In twin occupancy rooms/family rooms, however, some guests are provided with bedding for a pull out sofa bed.
Tastes also vary when it comes to appreciating the views from a Travelodge window. All 53 rooms occupy the top floor of Eastgate Harmonica building, most of which are wrapped around the building's exterior whereas others are tucked within its internal structure. Those outward-looking rooms have wide windows that peak out from above the eaves of the middle floor, offering views over the cinema and other parts of the town. The other, inward-facing rooms have a more limited view over the rooftop – which is presumably the source of fan noises and the seagull dawn chorus that one customer complained about. Guests occasionally comment on noise from the nightlife at Eastgate, but others describe quiet stays at the hotel, in spite of the pubs and restaurants and the traffic circulating around the complex.
Room specifications (as of October 2013. Always check with Travelodge to verify these details when booking).
Family Room (up to 3 adults / 2 adults, 2 children):
King-size Travelodge 'Dreamer Bed';
one or two pull-out sofa beds;
showers in all rooms, baths in most;
Twin Occupancy room: same as above, with sofa bed for one person.
Double Room (up to 2 adults):
King-size Travelodge 'Dreamer Bed';
showers in all rooms, baths in most.
Double Twin Accessible Room (up to 2 guests)
Zip & Link bed (detachable to make twin single or double bed)
Choice of bathroom facilities (wet room or bathroom);
All rooms are equipped with:
good heaters;
18-channel Freeview TV;
tea and coffee facilities;
large lit desk area;
plastic chair;
rail with hangers for clothes;
2 large mirrors;
electric sockets next to bed (one for kettle);
curtains (rather than blinds);
Reception is open 24 hours, where the following are available on request:
WiFi (a week's package cost £20 in early 2013);
hair dryers and irons;
cots;
electric fans;
extra tea/coffee/milk supplies';
extra pillows.
Why is the success of Travelodge so significant?
Because those people who stay there are unlikely to live five minutes away. It is this part of Eastgate that draws in people on business trips, families and other sorts of visitors from other parts of the UK and from across the world. It has been claimed that rugby fans alone account for some 15,000 hotel bookings made annually in Swansea and Carmarthenshire. By successfully accommodating such visitors, the Travelodge at Eastgate plays a crucial role in encouraging tourism in South West Wales.
I end this long post with an anecdote about the older Travelodge in Cross Hands, something of an example in how to attract visitors from all over the world to local events such as stamp exhibitions. It was during one such event that the hotel hosted a collector from the US whose stamp album was valued at a quarter of a million pounds. After the event, this particular guest checked out of the hotel having left the personal stamp collection in the budget hotel room. One frantic phone call from the airport later, the fortunate visitor returned to Cross Hands and, thanks to the attentiveness of the hotel's cleaners, was able to reclaim the stamps.
Official Travelodge website:
TripAdvisor page:
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