Ramada Encore Milton Keynes

Dated but functional is how’d I’d describe this Encore.
Severe nicks and scratches throughout the room and hallway. Furniture probably dates back to the 90s.
The staff’s professionalism and proximity to restaurants are its redeeming qualities.

This hotel was less that appealing. The lobby is dismal and one of the lifts smells like it runs beside the septic tank. On the first floor (the only place where wifi is free), you’ll find an abandoned dining area seldom visited by guests and staffed even less.
In the rooms, the scene is not much different. The hardwood floor creaks underfoot almost as loudly as the bed. As for the television, you don’t just turn it on to watch a program, you have to navigate a 5-​step menu just to get to watching a channel. Hopefully you like channels 1 – 10 because these are all you get and a few that don’t work.
In the bathroom, don’t keep anything on the floor as the shower sprays absolutely everywhere and makes a mockery of the floor mat. Also, don’t run the sink or flush the toilet when the shower is running as it will cause the shower water pressure to drop and surge and the fixture will screech bloody-​murder until it stabilizes again.
If you require something from room service, forget the luxury of having it brought to your room as reception will tell you they don’t have the staff to bring it to you and you’ll have to go and get it yourself.
Overall, for a roof over your head this place will serve. Beyond that, I’d consider your options before settling on Encore Ramada in Milton Keynes.

The positives as reported back to me by my stepson:
Room was fine.
Breakfast was good.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — —
E-​mail to Wyndham Rewards:
I used my Wyndham points for my stepson and his partner to stay in Milton Keynes as they were visiting Indoor Skydiving.
What a shock to learn that:
* £10 for parking
* £12.99 for a day’s use of Wi-​Fi.
There is no mention on the website to suggest that a fee for either of the above are likely. If there had been a mention, then I would have enquired. Besides the fact that both fees are extremely disgusting, it is rather scurrilous not have that information about the hotel. I wish I had read TripAdvisor first, and I would have gleaned more.
The stupid thing is that I trusted the Ramada site to be honest, and informative.
That is not my only complaint. I understand that Ramada hotels are franchises and each will have different owners, but they sign up to the Wyndham loyalty scheme. They benefit by people staying and paying their rates, and the customer gets points to use in other hotels. None of this is rocket science. What my stepson encountered was a change in tone and manner when the person, at the reception desk, realised that their booking was using Wyndham points. A guest is a guest no matter how the room booking is funded.
I also use Club Carlson, and I have say that when I have used their hotels that I have been treated like royalty when I show my loyalty card.
I’m expecting a call from the hotel to see what they have to say about the matter.
However, let me add this point:
If the website had said there were charges for these facilities, and to ring to get the up to dated fee, then that would have been fine.

The Ramada Encore Milton Keynes is… a unique experience. It is a very lean hotel. Hardwood floors and no drawers combined with flat screen TVs and a cheap cheap rate.
Unfortunately that cheap cheap rate comes with a cheap cheap experience. If you are from The States, think «Comfort Inn» or «Motel 6»…with style. Think about a hotel that was designed by your snarky college friend from the UK. You know, the one who lived on 3 kidney beans a day, but always was the best dressed person in the room? Did you ever go to that person’s house? I’m guessing you would find their bathroom overrun with mildew, and all those stylish accoutrements? Either semi functional or just about worn out.
Tile bathroom floors might have looked cool when the hotel was first being laid out on paper and oogled over by its designers… but in practice it has resulted in disgusting foot-​fungus breeding grounds with mildew permeating the air and staining the grout. My first room (#230) reeked so badly I had to ask for a change after a few hours… my second room (#628) is much nicer, having a double bed and a «couch»; but also started to get pretty musty after my first shower.
Service is also pretty lacking. My wake up call, requested for 06:15 was given at 06:43…I also didn’t seem to get the hang of the door-​less shower… and had to use my bath towel to dry the floor after drying myself to make the floor so I wouldn’t slip. After hanging the «Please Service Room» sign on the door and then leaving the towel on the floor as instructed («If you want clean towels, please leave them on the floor…» yadda yadda) I returned to my room to find my _​still wet_​towel hanging from the back of the door, and no replacement.
So yes, this place is cheap compared to some, but just remember: as with most things, you get what you pay for.