Travelodge London Balham Hotel

This particular Travelodge is recently opened– the woman at the counter said that we were some of the first guests and they had only been open a couple of weeks. We booked here because of an engagement in Balham the night we arrived and were pleased to find that it was directly off the Tube exit (it was new enough it didn’t have a map point) which was extremely convenient for the luggage we were dragging for a week abroad! The staff was very friendly, and I appreciated the early check in option, as well as the breakfast box (since there isn’t an in house restaurant or buffet) that’s available for about 5 pounds each.
The rooms are spartan, but about as inexpensive as you’ll get for a private room in London (from what I’ve seen) and the bed and TV will do the trick! Wireless is paid, there are only a few plugs for charging/​plugging in, but there’s a decent shower and a desk as well as an electric kettle with an assortment of Nescafe and teas. Plus, this one is walking distance to a lot of shops and restaurants and we enjoyed walking around to see what Balham had to offer!
Since the hotel is so new, it has some downsides for those of us with delicate sinuses– the dust is still settling, the drywall still in its extended curing process, and the carpet recently glued so my husband and I both had some weird headachey type feelings while we were there. The Tube is right next to the hotel, but we live in an area with a train so we didn’t notice it as much as I thought we would!
All in all, I would probably try this place out again in another year or so after everything’s settled in and dissipated. The only thing I wish is that, since they offer early check in for a rate, they could also offer early check out for a discount… but we could probably say that for most hotels ;)