24 Hours in Southport | Travelodge

Hello my lovelies! You may remember back in February that I shared my "24 Hours in New Brighton" blog post, and since my husband and I where out and about again last month, this time for his birthday, I couldn't not share our experience in Southport with you all.

| ABOUT SOUTHPORT | Southport is a large seaside town in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Irish Sea coast and is fringed to the north by the Ribble estuary. Situated on the Sefton coast, Southport is easy to reach from all over the North West and is close to both Liverpool and Manchester. Southport is a great coastal town to escape the hustle and bustle of a big city for a day out, short break or a 'staycation'!

| WHAT TO DO IN SOUTHPORT | Why not take time to Explore 22 Miles of Coast? Boasting a beautiful and expansive coastline, Southport is surrounded by natural beauty, making it a great place to escape. Starting your journey along the coast, at Crosby beach you can experience the Anthony Gormley 'Another Place' art installation, one hundred iron men standing proudly looking out to sea, which at various points throughout the day can be seen in very different ways, giving you a different experience every time. Heading to Formby beach, you climb through the natural dunes until you come to the most beautiful and expansive view of the coast before your eyes. Moving towards Southport, Ainsdale beach is a haven of things to do where you can kite surf, para cart and enjoy other beach attractions and activities - perfect for active families. Once in Southport you can leave the town behind and head to Southport beach, build sandcastles or wander down the pier and enjoy the beautiful coastal views, we are sure you won't be disappointed!

Why not time to enjoy events all year round? Watch the birdies fly on our world-class golf courses or feel the need for speed at the Southport Air Show, you can watch music and sparks make magic in the sky at the British Musical Fireworks Championship, or fill your tummies at the Food and Drink Festival. All year round, Southport is host to many events, making your visits different every time!

Feeling peckish? Southport is boasting the most independent eateries and restaurants outside of London, Southport is rich with its food offering. Whether it's breakfast, lunch, dinner, a coffee shop or some yummy food on the go - there is always time to sample some high-quality cuisine in Southport. Once the night time arrives it is time to explore the bars and pubs including gin bars, whiskey bars, speakeasy bars, this is your time and whatever you fancy, you can enjoy it in Southport!

Wanna experience something a little different? Whether it is building sandcastles on the beach with the kids, or eating fish and chips on the promenade watching the sun go down. You can enjoy the tranquillity of the coast wandering along the Pier or having some fun in the arcades. Why not try the exciting water sports or the thrills of a funfair, or maybe explore the beautiful nature reserves and enjoy some of the best walking and cycling routes. With magnificent fairways, tree-lined boulevards, miles of coast and attractive woodland what more could you ask for?

| ABOUT PLEASURELAND | If you are a family you could always explore the full-filled amusement park that is Southport Pleasureland*. You can explore lands of endless enchantment, where your fantasy becomes a reality, as it is more than just a Theme Park with rides and spectacular live entertainment shows, it also offers the ultimate family day out or holiday. You can experience some of the most magical and exciting events in Southport together at Pleasureland*. Take time out for some fun on the rides. Whether it's zooming through the galaxy, braving a ghostly mansion or embarking on high-seas adventures during the Golden Age of Piracy you'll be sure to have fun. None of them your thing? Then, give a wave to the Fat Controller himself, climb aboard hair-raising long flums or come face to face with a giant caterpillar. Or maybe grab the reigns of a galloping horse and enjoy a magical carousel experience. You can really enjoy one of the most iconic fairground rides of all time. There was even a comical cartoonist who drew my husband's and my picture, how silly but awesome do we look?

| ABOUT TRAVELODGE | Travelodge Southport* is located at Garrick Parade on Lord Street, PR8 1RN. You can enjoy the charms of a traditional seaside resort from central Southport's hotel room views and enjoy a good nights sleep as all rooms feature a comfy king size bed with four plump pillows and a cosy duvet. Guests can enjoy a wide variety of food and drink choices within easy walking distance from this hotel. A small walk from the hotel you can visit the old penny arcade on Southport Pier, scream your head off at Pleasureland or go boating on Marine Lake. You could also visit the lovely Botanical Gardens in picturesque Churchtown, head down the coast to meet the red squirrels of beautiful Formby Beach or play a championship round at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club.

Our room at Travelodge Southport* was clean, tidy and smelling fresh upon arrival. With it being the summer months now in the UK, the staff had closed our curtains in the room we were staying in to keep it cooler - which we were so thankful for. Our room was spacious and our big double bed was comfortable and we had a fantastic sleep. The only downfall for us was the little tea tray in the room as it doesn't cater to vegans and we had to take our own tea bags and milk. However, I do highly recommend checking out the nearest Travelodge Southport* when you're planning your next holiday.

| ABOUT OUR EVENING | For Phil's birthday celebration meal we booked a romantic meal for at Genting Casino Southport, which we both regret doing majorly. But first let's start off with the only two positive things I can say: the disabled toilets were clean and tidy, and the fairy lights in the restaurant where pretty - now is where it all goes downhill.

The Fahrenheit Grill is advertised as a social restaurant where the vibrant surroundings and atmosphere mirrors the food they serve. Guests can choose from our extensive à la carte menu, vegan menu (which was the main reason we booked a table there) or something sweet from the irresistible dessert menu. Fahrenheit Grill advertises that it offers the highest quality ingredients freshly prepared which did not happen for us sadly.
It also states that you will receive an "impressive is the level of service" "with every member of the team having extensive knowledge of [their] menu, they’ll be happy to accommodate any requests." This. Is. Lies.

My husband decided to order their "Mushroom Risotto - gently cooked risotto rice with cep and
button mushrooms finished with parsley, and vegan cheese" costing £9.95. When it arrived it was more like a bowl of mushroom soup, sadly Phil didn't enjoy his meal and didn't finish it. He ordered an orange juice for his drink which was basic and nothing special other than the fact that it cost nearly £5.
I ordered their "The Vegetable Burger - 100% plant-based, as good as the real thing. Topped with a Violife cheese slice, baby gem lettuce, tomato and a dill pickle, served with fries" again costing £9.95. When ordering this the waiter asked me if I would prefer fries to chips, I agreed but as you can see from the picture above I was given chips with my meal - chips which had "normal cheese" under the top lot of chips. However, and this is what shocked me the most, THEY GAVE ME A BEEF BURGER! They had given me a beef burger topped with vegan cheese on a toasted bun with lettuce and mayonnaise. WHAT THE FUCK. How is it even okay to give a vegan meat? I also ordered a mocktail for my drink, which they put a lot of vodka in.
When the desserts came we were both a little nervous in eating them so didn't try much of them.

We complained about the food and the waiter said he would refund us for my meal only, which he did but we were so shocked about it all that we paid the rest of our bill and left. We were so disappointed and it really ruined our whole night.

We were also really disappointed that there was no view over Southport at all from the restaurant and the only view you could see was people playing games on the casino whilst they were watching you eat.

It was a horrible experience and not somewhere we would ever book again. If you consider dining here, make sure you always check your food and drink are right.

| ABOUT OUR BREAKFAST | We were invited along to Frankie and Benny's for breakfast to try their vegan menu and wow it did not disappoint, with its classic decor and 50's style music playing I was in my element! Their vegan breakfast was delicious and came with scrambled tofu, vegan sausage, baked beans, baby button mushrooms, grilled fresh tomato, and bbq style toast and we had to order a side of baby herb potatoes - so beautiful. If you've never been to Frankie and Benny's then make sure that you do so soon, it won't disappoint!

| ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCE | Other than our horrific vile experience with Genting Casino, we had an awesome time in Southport thanks to Travelodge and cannot wait to book our next little holiday away with them! I would highly recommend checking out Travelodge Southport* if you're planning a trip there soon! 

With love, Alisha Valerie. x

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