I've just spent 2 nights at the (new) Travelodge Gatwick Central, next to the Best Western Moat House. It's the old Mercure, and at £19 a night no cause for complaint.
Had it been £40 a night I would have complained. The place has a tatty run-down air about it. The first room I was allocated had a seized lock so the door could not be closed, let alone locked. All the unoccupied rooms on my floor had the doors open, which makes one wonder about security. My next room stank of stale smoke and lack of fresh air, despite having a window that opened (with difficulty due to a rusting frame). The bathroom had several towels and a tiny square of soap, nothing else. Still, at least there was no cockroach in the bidet!
They are obviously doing much needed renovations, and the drilling and hammering on the floor above me started at 0730.
When I went back to my room in the evening, it had not been cleaned.
Even for £19 a night, I expect better from a chain like Travelodge. One thing I must say though is that the staff are really helpful and friendly, also there's a nice pub within walking distance (the Old Six Bells), and transport to/from the airport.
Next week I'm staying at the Regency, about £40 a night, it looks like a well run comfortable old fashioned place, in the middle of nowhere down a country lane.