About Premier Inns?

[KimberleyClark]

They’ve gone downhill IMO. Stayed in the one in Bodmin on the way to and from Cornwall. The first room we had the curtains were full of holes which we only noticed on waking up, on the way back, different room, one curtain was hanging almost half off the rail so couldn’t be closed. Nothing to drink water out of except the glass tea mugs. We stayed in one in Bromsgrove a few months back and the lift was out of order the whole time. I had a medium size suitcase and we were on the second floor. And they no longer do cooked breakfast buffet, you have to order it which I don’t like as I prefer to choose my own. And the continental breakkfast selection was very poor.

I stay in them loads and always have done. They are definitely getting shabby. Usually still clean but now cost more (as everything does after inflation). I gave up on breakfast when it stopped being included. We stayed in a premier inn plus room recently and realised it was the sort of old usual standard.

I love a PI. I stay in at least 1 a month for 5 days. Sometimes 2 a month for work.
I love the beds the mattresses are so comfy. Tempted to buy one for myself.

I've never had a bad experience and I've stayed all over the UK.
Some are more dated but I think they are doing them up.
Reception is usually helpful for more towels or tea/coffee. Always 4 pillows, there are 2 on top of the wardrobe.
We have a choice between Premier Inn and travelodge. I hate a travelodge.

I have stayed in 3 in the past year. Portsmouth (normal room), Edinburgh Premier Inn Hub and St Peter's Port, Guernsey - a premium room. Obviously the premium room was the best but you get what you pay for.

I like the raspberry tea bags you get at breakfast. Not easy to find elsewhere.

I've only stayed in a a few but they have all been great, as long as you remember that it is a budget option. Breakfast is very good for the money. The one near London bridge is brilliant.

My Husband and I stayed in a premier Inn, in Orpington Kent.
The room was small & dark, it smelt unclean.
My Husband asked for another room. They made a fuss, but when he mentioned Trustpilot, they gave us another room. Still not good, but a improvement.
On checking in, the staff were passive aggressive, kept me waiting to check in.
The cost was only £65.00 per night, but the standard was more like a hostel!
The windows were dirty, the bathroom floor not very clean?
Chair was badly stained. Shower head was fixed, with water leaking at the side.
Blow Dryer cutting out! Smart TV looked old?
A tiny amount of Coffee/Tea/Sugar/Milk supplied.
My husband had mentioned, he saw a homeless person staying there!
They need updating & staff training!
So sadly, I cannot recommend staying in the premier Inn.

If you’re in the far north of Scotland I recommend the Thurso one. It’s fairly new and the staff are lovely.

I've stayed in 3 PI so far this year. London Aldgate was lovely. We had a Premier Plus room for 3 nights and requested a clean after the second night, mostly because the bin needed emptying! Last week we stayed one night in Stafford. No aircon, and our room never went below 30 degrees all night. We had a fan, but the window was on a restrictor so there was no fresh air coming in. We've also stayed at Greasby on the Wirral which was fine. All 3 we've stayed at this year have been clean although Stafford did look tired. I've booked Salford Quays for a weekend for next Spring - it was cheaper than the nearby Travelodge!

Happy to report that the Exeter Southernhay PI is great.

but then I think it’s fairly new.

There are good ones and bad ones. Ones i have liked are:

Liverpool Albert dock
titanic belfast
rickmansworth
Croxley green
York place Edinburgh
King’s Cross London
Southwark station London
Kendal
Winchester
Bristol parkway

dodgy ones have unfortunately all been in Scotland:
inverness
falkirk
Glasgow

the Falkirk one had a bin right outside the front door that had been tipped over and was being dived bombed by seagulls. I told the staff who just shrugged.

I’ve never been to a one where you have had to order breakfast though? Except during Covid where it was all table service.

Aviemore is a nice one, and fairly new, if you need a stop on the way to Thurso.

Which one did you stay at in Inverness?
We stayed at the one on Millburn Road. It used to be a distillery and looks like it has been recently refurbished.
The staff were lovely and welcoming and it had a bar and restaurant within the building itself. We didn't eat there, preferring to try the local eateries.

The Falkirk one we stayed at was very tired and run d own, but we had a cracking breakfast at the garden centre next door.

The one in the centre by the river which I found claustrophobic and the one out by the canal which was a bit shabby.

It sounds like we made the best choice. If you are in Inverness again I would stay at the one we stayed at. I think it is called Inverness Central.

Great
Canning Town, Docklands Excel, Romford Market, Canary Wharf, Aldgate, Bristol (Finzels Reach), Coventry (Belgrade Plaza), Liverpool Lime Street

OK
Brentwood, Hull City Centre, Barking, Bournemouth, Doncaster, Cardiff, Cleethorpes, Banbury Castle Quay, Wembley Stadium, London Victoria, York (Blossom St South)

Never again
Stratford (dodgy security, broken lift from entrance to reception on 9th floor, corridor stank of week, family room reeked of cigarette smoke)

There are 6 Premier Inns in Cardiff, can you specify which one it was?

Good Premier Inns recently have been: Bristol King Street, the Cardiff high rise one by the Utilita arena, Stroud, Witney.

Yeovil was OK.

Birmingham (near the cathedral) and Manchester (top of Oxford St) were very noisy. Brighton had a terrible view of wasteland and old mattresses. London St Pancras had a weird alarm go off in the middle of the night and served DH a stone cold chicken pie!

Oxford Road, I meant for Manchester.

Cardiff City Centre (Queen Street)

I'd only eat an evening meal in the PI restaurant if there were no other option personally. I've done so a couple of times with very hungry children and it's overpriced even at what they charge.

The one at kings cross is great so handy if we are visiting right of the train and there you are.

We thought Edinburgh Waverley was brilliant. Great location, great price at about £50 per night (couple of years back), clean and relatively new.
Tried to re-book when I took my DD to the university open day, but it was pricey, so booked Lauriston Plave instead. Again - perfectly reasonable.

Yes, it was more expensive than usual for a Premier Inn

We stayed in one in Bromsgrove last summer and it was fine, but we've noticed over the last few years they are not as good as they used to be and are getting quite expensive. In fact, when you factor in the cost of breakfast now, it's often possible to get better deals at some of the other chains. They e also started to charge for parking. Every one we looked at for the summer charges parking and the one we booked, which at the time had free parking, is now charging. We did get an email from them saying they will honour the free parking on all bookings already booked, but going forward there will be a charge. The cost of parking definitely means we will look elsewhere in future because that cost, on top of the room, definitely makes other chains more attractive.

In my experience, the purpose built ones are usually okay. The ones they've shoe-horned into an existing building are less so.

I gave up on breakfast when it stopped being included

That must be at least 15 years ago, though. That's at least how long I've been staying in Premier Inns and paying separately for breakfast. When was this point in time when standards were different and breakfast included?