Travelodge Ashford

Travelodge Ashford sits on the Eureka Leisure Park just off the M20 on the north side of Ashford, which makes it an obvious overnight stop for anyone driving a dog to or from the Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone, about twenty minutes down the road. It is a budget hotel and reads like one: plain, quiet, functional rooms, a car park at the door, and a cluster of takeaways and chain restaurants within a two-minute walk.

The pet terms are unusually clear for a hotel at this price. Dogs are specifically allowed, up to two per booking, at a flat £25 per pet for the whole stay rather than per night, and assistance dogs are welcomed separately. The charge has not always been visible at the point of booking, so budget for it rather than expecting it on the room rate.

The one real friction is food. Dogs are allowed in the bedrooms but not in the breakfast or dining area, and the hotel also asks that pets are not left unattended in rooms. Those two rules together mean eating on the premises with a dog in tow does not really work. Most people here solve it the same way: the takeaways and fast-food outlets on the leisure park are a short walk away, and the room is a reasonable place to eat. Anyone counting on a sit-down cooked breakfast should plan around it.

Beyond the dog arrangements, expectations should match the price. The building is dated in places and housekeeping is inconsistent - most guests report clean, comfortable rooms, a minority have found the opposite - but reception staff draw consistent praise and the site is quiet enough for a decent night's sleep despite the main road. As a one-night stop on a long drive with a dog, it does the job well. It is not somewhere to base a holiday.