This week I slept in a Wetherspoon, and no not because I'd had too many pints for £1.92 each (yes, you can still get a pint for under £2). I also had a bath, did half my shift there, and was able to walk from bed to the bar in less than a minute. And although there have been more than a few Thursday nights I've found myself at the mercy of a Spoons, this was for a very different reason.
Let's be honest, love them or loathe them, Wetherspoons have become a bit of a UK staple. With their buildings' illustrious histories, 'interesting' carpets and diverse clientele, and with nearly 900 of them across the UK, you're highly unlikely to come across someone who has never visited one of Tim Martin's prized possessions (you can read more about how much those carpets actually cost here).
But while the pubs are famous (or infamous depending on who you ask) for their cheap drinks, does-the-job grub and controversial owner, what most people don't know is that if those beers go to your head, some of the watering holes have rooms where you can sleep for the night.
And one of these is The Wyndham Arms Hotel in Bridgend town centre, one of four JD Wetherspoon hotels operating in Wales. Surprisingly (not many people I asked knew about them), the pub giant has 57 hotels across the UK, including ones in Brecon, Bridgend, Monmouth and Ruthin. But what exactly is it like to stay in a Spoons? A home away from home or just a bit surreal? I gave the Bridgend branch a go to find out.
These hotels are nothing new but, for the most part, appear to have slipped under the radar. There was anger in Cardiff in 2017 after the company submitted an application to open one on the city's famous Westgate Street (you can read about that here) but other than that, they seem to be fairly inoffensive.
I decided 'how bad can it be?', reluctantly telling my editor my plan and went ahead to book a room. Now, first things first, I'm sure in reality the hotel's single room offering is nice enough, but the picture on the website was giving off big Norman Bates energy (perhaps time for some new photos?) so I shelled out an extra £5 and went for a double room.
At £61 the room seemed to be a pretty standard price for the area and was in a much better location than most, right in the centre of town. Despite the reviews all looking great I still couldn't shake the vision of too many cocktail pitchers out of my mind and was still a bit sceptical getting off the train in sunny Bridgend.
I'm not sure what I was exactly looking for when I went in search of my home for the night, but if any of the Spoons I'm used to are anything to go by, they are often a sorry sight (I'm talking to you, Neath's David Prothero). But I've got to be honest, had it not been for the fences outside I would have walked right past the Wyndham Arms before realising it was a Wetherspoon.
The near-Georgian style cream building stood out on Dunraven Place, almost glowing in the early evening sun. My email confirmation didn't give me any information about where to check in so I assumed I'd head to where I usually do in a Wetherspoon: the bar! At around 7pm on a Thursday evening, it was already quite busy with lots of customers eating and drinking. And to be fair, it looked like a decent pub as it happens.
Soon enough a member of staff informed me that there was a whole separate entrance to the hotel just around the other side of the building. I was only there for one night so had packed light but I imagine I would be grateful for this had I had a suitcase to drag around.
It may have been a separate entrance but as soon as I walked in I noticed two things that screamed Wetherspoons: an eccentric carpet and what looked like lots of stairs. As I made my way up wondering what would await, I have to say I was a bit dumbfounded when I reached the reception.
On leaving the office earlier that day my colleague had said "you'll be the only one there tonight" and I have to say, given it was a Thursday night in a Wetherspoon hotel in Bridgend, I had a mind to believe her. But in the reception there was already another guest enquiring about his (multiple) rooms and from the buzz of activity I could hear, I'd say quite a few of the 26 rooms had guests.
The reception had panelled walls painted in an inviting blue and cream palette with lots of art and print in homage to Bridgend. Soon enough I was greeted by a friendly member of staff who checked me in and handed me my room key and off to room 10 I went.
Up a few more flights of stairs and, quite frankly, it looked like your average independent B&B. None of the gloss and pomp of the fancy chains but not shabby either. Had it not been for the huge Wetherspoon billboard advertising their latest burger (more of that later) I probably would have forgotten I was lining Tim Martin's pockets.
Down a few long corridors and I was finally at my room. Here we go. What would I find behind the door? Tim himself? Some cocktail stains? An early morning drinker who had lost his way?
Facetiousness aside, until now it had all been great so what did I have to worry about? Perhaps the Tripadvisor reviews were right (for once). I'd booked a double room, no bells and whistles, and that's what I got. As soon as I opened the door I was met with air con and immediately reminded to stay in hotels more often. The room itself was really compact but had all the necessities you'd need.
When I say compact, I mean compact. I could touch the bed and the front door without fully outstretching my arms. But if you're only somewhere for a night or two, do you really need space? The bed itself took up a large section of the room - fine by me, that's the reason I was there after all!
There was also an open wardrobe, ironing board, television, a kettle with tea, coffee AND hot chocolate supplies (you don't see that often). There were also two bottles of Brecon Carreg water. Nice touch. That wasn't the only nod to Wales in the room, the only artwork was a framed drawing of Owain Glyndwr which was done by a pupil at a nearby school.
Now the faults, because we all have them. Firstly, the Wetherspoons magazine (or as some staff called it in 2019, propaganda). Perhaps it was meant as some light bedtime reading but it's commissioned by a man who I disagree with on nearly everything and I could have done without it.
It was pride of place on the table with some food and drink menus as well as some general instructions for my stay, like check-out times, wifi etc. And this is the point where my first reservation about staying in a Spoons came true: I heard a cackle, a shout, I looked out of my window onto one of Bridgend's main streets and saw a group of friends having a great time... right under my room. Good for them I thought, not so good for me come 11pm.
The bathroom was big and bright, nearly as big as the room itself actually, and had all the necessities with the added bonus of a bath! Very unexpected. The suite was brown and fairly modern which worked. The brown theme in the other room only made it look even smaller.
Having dumped my bags, and it being nearly 8pm by this point, I decided to head down to the pub for some dinner. Now we all know Spoons food. It's not gourmet. It's not meant to be. It's beer food. It does the job. Just for fun I decided I would test just how close I was to the pub and so timed myself on my way down. 56 seconds. Less than a minute from my front door to the pub. Now I think I get what it's all about.
Now I won't bore you about this part, a Spoons is a Spoons. They have the same decor, furniture, eccentric carpets and the same food menu. Having spent four long years in uni scrimping the pennies I am more than familiar with the options, even if it is more expensive now, and ordered a small fish and chips and a bottle of beer.
I chose a table in what seemed to be the quieter part of the pub where there were more eaters than drinkers and settled in for an hour or so. Around me were couples, friends, work colleagues, a real mixture of people all enjoying exactly what a Wetherspoon is designed for.
My food arrived in around 10 minutes and despite expecting to stay down in the bar for a little while to soak in the atmosphere, my tiredness from seeing Harry Styles the night before caught up with me and just under an hour later I headed back to my room. I decided to treat myself to a bath and a tea and settled into what by now was quite a cosy room for the evening.
It was around 9:30pm by now and I could still hear the group downstairs so I was a little weary but soon enough they either all went home or migrated inside as it all started to quieten down. I must say, after this, I would not have known I was staying above a pub, let alone one as lively as a Spoons. Other than a few people walking by, the loudest thing was the air con, which was probably my fault for having it on so strong!
The bed itself was probably firmer than I would have liked but the pillows were big and fluffy - and there were extras for those that wanted. My pet peeve is not enough pillows. Despite my early start the next morning I had a great night's sleep and have no complaints about the quality of the room or bed.
I was technically on duty so had some work to crack on with which meant the desk was very handy - as was the complimentary coffee. Check out wasn't until 11am - why on earth lots of places do it earlier is beyond me - but I left at about 10am to get some breakfast back at, you guessed it, Wetherspoon.
What I will say is that, at just gone 10am on a Friday morning, this Spoons is busy! Perhaps it's because I haven't been in one in the morning for a while but I was very surprised. Despite this, the staff were still great at checking that everyone was enjoying their food - mine was a small full English for those wondering!
And that was that, home time! Look, I have been known to be as snobbish about Spoons as the next person, but it really was fine. The rooms were fairly priced, you know what you're getting, and any hotel where you can get from your bed to the bar (and a bargain one at that) within a minute is a winner from me.
Quite honestly, had it not been for the incessant reminders about where I was, I probably wouldn't be any the wiser. Would I want to stay there for a long period of time? Probably not. But would it be the worst place to do so if I had to? Also no. So let's put snobbery aside and agree that whether you love it or loathe it, Wetherspoon - and their hotels - have their place. Just not on Womanby Street!
