Travelodge reveals most bizarre customer requests

October 10, 2012, 10:21

Budget hotel chain Travelodge has revealed the most peculiar requests that hotel staff have received over the last 12 months.

Oddities include everything from a request for accommodation for seven penguins to asking whether it’s possible to stop church bells ringing.

Also included in the list are questions such as “does the water come from the tap?” and “how can I cross the M25?”

The list seems to highlight a trend for guests wanting to travel with their pets – however unusual. One guest at Ayr Travelodge asked the hotel team if her Shetland Pony could stay in the room with her, while a traveller from Montana rang the Stafford M6 hotel to ask if his pet jaguar could spend the night in his room.

Other strange requests include a man in Birmingham who wondered where the Wi-Fi was in his room because he couldn’t “see” it, while a weary guest in Newcastle asked the night receptionist for a bedtime story to help her nod off.

Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge spokeswoman said: “Annually our hotel teams receive around 200,000 bizarre requests. Our teams try their utmost to accommodate all customer requests but there are just some requests that we just can’t help with, such as stopping the windy weather or telling guests when Loch Ness has his dinner!”

Some of the more unusual requests that Travelodge has received include:

Travelodge	Request
Heathrow Central	“How can I cross over the M25?”
Hilsea, Portsmouth	“How many pets can you bring in on the pet policy? I have three dogs, nine cats, two budgies and a tortoise, oh and four children!”
London City Road	“Is it possible for the changing of the guard to change days?”
Stafford, M6	“Can my cat stay?” (actually a pet Jaguar)
Middlesbrough	“Can you do anything about the wind? It messed my hair on the way to a meeting.”
Brighton Seafront	A practicing Voodoo priest insisted that his room face the sunset so that he could pray naked to it.
Birmingham Frankley	“Can we land a helicopter on the roof of the hotel?”
Ayr	“Can my Shetland Pony stay in my room with me?”
Hayle, Cornwall	To the hotel manager: “Could I borrow your shirt; I’ve got a wedding to go to?”
Halkyn, Wales	“Can we bring our goldfish with us?”
CardiffAtlanticWharf	“Would it be ok to have a Boa Constrictor snake in the room – without its tank?”
Teddington, London	“Can you stop the 12pm church bells from ringing?”
Liverpool Docks	A customer once called because she thought the Travelodge logo had been painted onto her roof because she had seen it on Google Maps – we explained that it was an online map marker.
Thurrock M25	“My baby alligator is coming, how much will it cost?”
Manchester Ancoats	“Do you have outside power supply for a refrigerated van?” In the van was seven penguins that were being transported to a zoo.
Ashford, Kent	“Could you make the frogs in the pond behind the hotel be quiet?”
LondonCovent Garden	“Why can’t I see the Olympic flame from here?”
Fulham, London	An elderly guest requested a bikini shaving kit
Saltash, Plymouth	“How much is it for my pet parrot to come and stay with me?”
London Excel	“Can I see the Olympic rowing event from my window?”
Dumbarton, Glasgow	A customer had a cage full of mice and wondered if they needed to pay per mouse.
London Liverpool Street	“Can I use my Oyster Card to book a limousine?”
London City Road	“Can I pay for my pet monkey to stay with me?”
Porthmadog, Wales	“Can a maid visit me every two hours?”
Newquay Seafront	“Where can I buy a wedding ring, and quick!?”
Wakefield, Leeds	“Could four adult dwarfs book one family room because they were ‘only small’?”
LondonStratford	(During the Olympics) “Why is it so busy today? Is there something happening nearby?”
Swindon Central	“Does the water come from the tap?”
Edinburgh Central Queen Street	“Can we keep 20 sheep in your car park while we stay in the hotel?”
Inverness	“Can you tell me when the Loch Ness monster comes out so we don’t miss it?”