UK's 1st budget hotel chain, Travelodge, receives some of the bizarre requests asked this year

WITH a network of 582 hotels within the UK, stretching the full length and breadth of Great Britain, Travelodge welcomes millions of customer each year staying for a variety of reasons. This includes from the company's 8 hotels in Liverpool. In the company's Liverpool based Travelodge hotels, the team has received hundreds of customer requests throughout the year. This week the hotel chain revealed the most interesting and bizarre requests asked by customers over the last 12 months. The top 10 most bizarre requests from customers staying in Liverpool include:-

► Liverpool Aigburth Travelodge - Where can I buy a Liverpool Tart for my husband?

► Liverpool John Lennon Airport Travelodge - Can you record a voice message on my phone as I love the Scouse accent?

► Liverpool Central Exchange Street Travelodge - Can you arrange for Jürgen Klopp to pop over for breakfast as a surprise for my husband?

► Liverpool Docks Travelodge - Do I need my passport to go through the Mersey Tunnel?

► Liverpool Central Exchange Street Travelodge - When is the best time to see the Liver Birds?

► Liverpool Stoneycroft Travelodge - Do I need to wear rollers in my hair when shopping at Liverpool One?

► Liverpool Central Travelodge - Can you arrange for a ferry to take us to Manchester for the day?

► Liverpool Edge Lane Travelodge - What super powers does the Super Lamb Banana have?

► Liverpool Central The Strand Travelodge - At what time can I see the fairies cross the Mersey?

► Liverpool Central Exchange Street Travelodge - Can you tell the seagulls to be quiet?

Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge Spokeswoman said:- "Following the lifting of all Covid19 restrictions earlier this year, we have experienced a significant increase in bookings across our 582 UK Travelodge hotels including our 8hotels in Liverpool. With more Britons holidaying on British shores than ever before our hotel teams have also received a high volume of interesting requests and questions especially around place names, local dishes, customs and traditions across the British Regions. Where possible, our hotel teams will go above and beyond to help customers as they relish a good challenge. However, there are some requests beyond their control such as the Liverpool Central The Strand Travelodge hotel team being asked to 'tell the seagulls to be quiet."

Following the lifting of all Covid19 restrictions earlier this year, Travelodge experienced a stampede of customers checking into its hotels across all corners of the UK this summer, including Liverpool.

With so many people enjoying a Great British Staycation in 2021, a high volume of Travelodge hotel teams received interesting requests and questions; especially around place names, local dishes, customs and traditions across the Regions.

1 customer asked where Welsh Rarebits live, and when might be the best time to see them, while another wanted to know what time the snake comes out on Snake Pass in Derbyshire. Another customer staying at Manchester Trafford Travelodge asked whether Manchester Caviar 'is imported from Russia,' and a couple staying at Liverpool Exchange Street Travelodge were keen to know where they could find a tasty Liverpool tart.

With weddings and receptions back after an extended hiatus, a groom's mother staying at Solihull Travelodge asked the hotel team to help make 6necklaces out of ₤50 and ₤20 for her son's wedding. Whilst a bride staying at Birmingham Moor Street Travelodge asked the reception team to arrange 12 gondolas to take their wedding party to their wedding venue.

Travelodge hotel staff also received a host of interesting room requests. This included a guest staying at York Central Travelodge asking the receptionist to come and sing in the room next door to his allocated room in order to check that he had received a:- 'quiet room.' The hotel team at Newcastle Quayside Travelodge were surprised when a customer asked for a children's paddling pool so that their pet fish could have a spacious bed for the night. Further down South, a guest checking into St Austell Travelodge requested a room with a large South facing window so that they could be flooded with light at dawn to recharge their aura.

Interestingly this year's audit also revealed a growing trend of customers asking hotel teams especially in the Northern Regions such as:- Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Liverpool and Cardiff to record voice messages on their phone because they love their Regional accent. Parents away from home also asked hotel teams if they could call home pretending they were Father Christmas to ensure their children did their homework.

Listed below are the top 24 most bizarre customer requests Travelodge hotel teams across the UK have received during the last 12 months:-

► Aberdeen Central Justice Mill Lane Travelodge - Where is the best place to dig for oil in Aberdeen?

► Edinburgh Central Travelodge Plus - Can you arrange for us to have afternoon tea with the Pandas at Edinburgh Zoo?

► Leeds Central Travelodge - Can you get me a part on Emmerdale when we come to Leeds?

► York Central Travelodge - Can you sing in the next room so that I can check that I have a quiet room?

► Glossop Travelodge - What time does the snake come out on the Snake Pass?

► St Austell Travelodge - Can I have a room with a South facing window as I need sunlight to charge my aura 1st thing in the morning?

► Rhyl Travelodge - Where does the Welsh Rarebit live? And when's the best time to see it?

► Chester Travelodge - Can you arrange for a Roman soldier to pick us up from the Station in his chariot?

► Newcastle Quayside Travelodge - Can you set up a children's paddling pool in my room so that my pet fish can have a spacious bed for the night?

► Manchester Central Travelodge - Is Manchester Caviar imported from Russia?

► Blackpool Southshore Travelodge - Can you arrange for a shooting star to pass over the beach at 10pm when I take my wife for a romantic walk at the beach?

► Solihull Travelodge - Can you make 6 necklaces made out of ₤50 and ₤20 notes? I need them for my son's wedding.

► London Central Marylebone Travelodge - Can you arrange for my wife to meet Paddington Bear when we get our train home tonight at Paddington Station? She has loved Paddington since she was a child.

► Brighton Seafront Travelodge - Can you ask the seagulls to sing instead of squawk?

► Birmingham Central Moor Street Travelodge - Can you arrange for 12 gondolas to take my wedding party to the venue?

► Bristol Filton Travelodge - Can you get me some blue grass turf to take back home?

► Preston Central Travelodge - Can you please help me find my long lost Nan who was born in Preston?

► London City Travelodge - Can you add a helipad to the roof of the hotel to make it easier for my boss to arrive at the hotel?

► Bradford Travelodge - Is ½ of Leeds Bradford Airport in Leeds and the other in Bradford?

► Nottingham Wollaton Park Travelodge - Can you call my daughter and pretend to be the tooth fairy and let her know that ₤10 will be under her pillow tonight?

► Liverpool John Lennon Airport Travelodge - Can you record a voice message on my phone as I love the Scouse accent?

► Bristol Avonmouth Travelodge - Can you dress up as Father Christmas as I want to surprise my children?

► Edinburgh Cameron Toll Travelodge - Could you record my voice message in a Sean Connery style?

► Cardiff Central Travelodge - Can you record my voice message in a Tom Jones style?
 

Stereotypes broken as Squid Game and Tiger King drive a new generation of silver streamers

THE popularity of Netflix dramas such as Squid Game, Bridgerton and Tiger King is driving a significant increase in internet usage among pensioners, according to new broadband usage data released by connectivity provider TalkTalk.

The data, part of TalkTalk's latest Internet Insights Report, shows that internet usage among over 65's from July to November 2021, up by 69% compared to the same period in 2019. The increase suggests that the Pandemic has significantly changed the way older generations now use the internet in their day to day lives.

The use of online streaming services, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, are on the rise among over 65's according to new research; from TalkTalk. 41% said they now stream more content than they did before the Pandemic, while 54% said streaming is now among their favourite hobbies.

While the BBC's Police smash hit Line of Duty and period dramas including The Crown and Bridgerton are perhaps expectedly among the most streamed series for the over 65's, South Korean dystopian thriller Squid Game and true crime documentary Tiger King are also among the top 10...

Top 10 most streamed TV programmes by over 65's:-

1. Line of Duty (54%)

2. The Crown (47%)

3. Peaky Blinders (41%)

4. Bridgerton (40%)

5. Squid Game (33%)

6. The Queen's Gambit (21%)

7. Handmaid's Tale (20%)

8. Tiger King (9%)

9. Below Deck (7%)

10. Normal People (7%)

Online gaming is also growing in popularity among pensioners, with 1 in 10 (12%) taking it up during the Pandemic. Like streaming, it is a data heavy activity; downloading games and uploading data while playing both use significant bandwidth, which has contributed to this large increase of usage among the over 65s.

Minecraft, Fortnite and Call of Duty are the among the most popular games, showing that online gaming is no longer just for the young.

Top 5 most played online video games by over 65's:-

1. Minecraft (82%)

2. Fortnite (78%)

3. FIFA (76%)

4. Player Unknown's Battle Ground (67%)

5. Call of Duty (64%)

While streaming and gaming have undoubtedly had a major impact on broadband usage among older demographics, other aspects of their lives are also becoming more online 1st. 32% are now using online services for personal admin such as banking and utilities while 61% are shopping online. 37% say they now lead a more digitally savvy lifestyle than they did pre-Pandemic.

Its perhaps not a surprise to learn 67% say that fast, reliable and affordable broadband is crucial to their day to day lives while 20% plan to upgrade their internet to a faster package in 2022.

David Lawrence, a 79 year old retired Export Manager from Derbyshire, said:- "Streaming TV series has become 1 of my favourite ways to stay entertained in recent years. Being retired I have more time on my hands, so the convenience of being able to watch my favourite shows any time of the day is a big plus. The Queen's Gambit and The Crown are particular favourites of mine and they became a real talking point with my friends and family over the Pandemic. There's nothing better than sitting down with a nice cup of tea and getting lost in the stories."

Jonathan Kini, Managing Director of TalkTalk Direct Business and Consumer, said:- "Fast broadband is for everyone, not the few. Nothing shows that more by the fact that the over 65's are the fastest rising users over the Pandemic. They're streaming, gaming and doing more than ever since the Pandemic. The genie is out of the bottle and it isn't going back. By 2025 we estimate that peak broadband usage will more than double, which is why we're continually optimising our network and rolling out affordable full fibre."