Or do Premiere Inn towels smell rank now?

[ThenUm]

So have stayed in many PI in different places with work. The last three visits the towels:

1. One smelled so bad I could smell it in the bathroom. When I unfolded it there was a brown blob. It smelled yeasty. I assumed it was a minging guest that used the room before me.
2. The towel had a hole in it and looked badly laundered - off white and badly folded.
3. Towels look clean but one has a fainter yeasty smell than in example 1.

Incidentally I’ve also had recently;

no batteries in remote.
TV not tuned in
tap not switching off properly.
light switch not working.
unclean cup.

which makes me think new ownership? Cost cutting to stay in the game.

What’s going on? Anyone with inside info know? Anyone had similar?

I thought towels were automatically taken away and laundered when a guest had checked out?

They are I think. Which is why I’m baffled that the yeasty smell was on two towels in different locations. Have they switched laundering company?

And why the sudden drop in standards? It used to be reliable and consistent.

Which hotels?

@KimberleyClark Oh. I see what you mean. How could a towel in my room have been made dirty by a previous guest. I wondered that but as it was folded and on top of the rack at the time I assumed the cleaner made the assumption it hadn’t been used. I did wonder why a guest would fold a used towel relatively neatly. But now I’ve smelled the same smell on a towel in a different location I’m thinking it’s a problem with the laundering company. Then with all the other issues I’m thinking may be they are cutting costs. Or outsourced the cleaning and maintenance? Or been taken over? No idea, but I’m no longer seeing it as the ‘safe’ budget option. Too many things now.

Different locations. Major cities.

I stay in premier inns all the time and find the room standard very high.
the receptionists are usually very miserable and say the bare minimum needed to get me checked in.

(this is based on about 28 different premier inns I have stayed in in 2024)

occasionally I have to stop in a travel lodge- now THOSE are RANK.
the amount of crap I’ve found in those rooms.

Why not tell us the specific hotels so people who have stayed in them recently can comment?

I've got to stay in one in September for my stepsons wedding with 3 of my kids so thanks for the heads up, I'll take my own towels and paper cups!

Myself, my husband and 2 dc stay in Premier inns a couple of times a year. I've never had a problem. Admittedly, we haven't stayed in one recently, so maybe they have gone downhill.

You will be fine?? I've stayed in a premier inn recently and the towels, bedding etc have been clean and smelt fresh.

Never had a similar issue in years of using them and then these issues have all
come up in the last couple of months. Which is why I’m wondering what might be going on.

In the last one all but one of the towels smelled fine - no smell. But one had this odd yeasty smell. So I know it’s not my nose or something in the room. It’s so bizarre.

Premier Inns vary widely . I have found in the non touristy spots where maybe contractors are their main clients , the standards are shockingly low . Recent experience of this was Woking. I gave family in some very tourist hot spots , these hotels are significantly better but often double the price .
generally , the beds are the same to be fair . It’s the bathrooms and smaller touches that make the experience so different .

Never had a problem and found standards high - Bournemouth, Cornwall and Cardiff.

Not particularly friendly staff except PI Cardiff Bay who were really lovely.

Ah. It’s been for work so I always find the cheapest rates so may be that’s it. But then surely they send the towels to the same laundry service throughout?

Yes. I'd never stayed in a Premier Inn before, but stayed in one on December and another in January, and on both occasions the towels smelt horrible. Very chemically and nasty which was very disappointing, as the bedding smelt fresh and fragrant. That was the only thing O didn't like.

The hotels I stayed in were Welwyn Garden City and Caerphilly (Corbetts Lane).

I stay in them several times a year and find the standards high. Given the price of Premier Inn Wembley Stadium they should be. I'm staying in one in a few days (Penrith) that I've never stayed in before.

Oh no,I do hope that Premier Inns aren't going down the pan. They are my go-to hotel. Partly because they're usually a bit cheaper than other hotels but mainly because you know exactly what you're getting,no nasty surprises! Plus,I've always found the staff in every one that I've stayed in friendly and helpful. And of course there's the legendary breakfasts....!

As it happens I am staying in a Premier Inn right now! Been here for a week. No issues at all. In fact I just went in to the bathroom to sniff the towels and they don't smell of anything.

Room was perfectly clean and comfortable. We have eaten in the restaurant twice and had a reasonable meal.

I have stayed in a few Premiers and never had a problem with them. Always get a good night's sleep.

As a PP said they are far better than Travelodge.

The one we are in now is in London,but heading home tomorrow

Premier Inns are my “go to” pit stop when I don’t want to spend too much money - the sheets and towels have always been clean. The kettles have been clean too and I like the fact they have baths (unlike Travelodge). I stayed in one in Manchester last week and it was absolutely fine. The food was good value too. I didn’t have children with me, but did you know they can eat for free all half term?

We had to unexpectedly and quickly find a room for the night at the end of last year. The Travelodge didn’t have any rooms, which I was pleased about when I saw the state of the reception area. The Premier was tired, dated and cold, until we were able to turn on some heat, but it seemed clean enough. I’ve not been impressed with relatively expensive hotels though. We stayed in a Harbour hotel last year, that needed some serious maintenance and refreshing, although the food was good.

It’s interesting to hear that only one person has noticed the towels smell funny. I just don’t understand. First time was odd but assumed it was a guest. Then second time, it was a different hotel, and only one towel.

I think they vary a lot e.g. Gatwick is reliably good, but Swansea and Cardiff were both shit and I got nowhere with complaining using their good night's sleep guarantee.

I only tried the breakfast twice and both times it was rank.

@ThenUm . I’m staying in a premier inn on Saturday, near Portsmouth . I will check on the towels and get back to you . 😆

You'd have to be a bit more specific than "Gatwick", I'm afraid. It's a sign of the clout the chain has that there are fully seven Premier Inns with Gatwick in the name, of which five have "London Gatwick Airport".