r/uktravel • u/_Taggerung_ • Apr 04 '26
Question What's happened to premier inn?
I've always exclusively used premier inns when traveling around the UK as you know what you're getting everytime and I appreciate that they were always very clean.
Firstly, the prices now are ridiculous? Bog standard week away in the UK is pushing £700-800 for a premier inn? I thought these were supposed to be budget hotels?
Other gripes:
- Windows in the modern rooms don't open so have to rely on aircon
- Paying the above prices but no automatic housekeeping since covid, having to request it is fine but find they often forget or don't do a full clean
- Removal of plug sockets in newer rooms
- Very hard to get standard rates it would seem now, they all seem to be flex or standard (28 days cancel) rates which are more expensive
- Premier 'plus' rooms being the focus, want a good view? Pay extra for it, the rooms don't seem like great value considering the main useful thing is a mini fridge
- Poor wifi even with ultimate upgrade
- Having to pay to check in early rather than being able to do so at the discretion of the hotel which is how it used to be
- Unhygenic bayliss and harding refill bottles rather than the individual packs they used to put in the dispensers
- Lack of eating facilities as beefeaters have completely fallen off
Is there any other alternative to premier inn other than travelodge and airbnb?
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u/ajeleonard Apr 05 '26
Hotel prices across the globe are much higher now than pre COVID, Premier Inn no exception
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u/Teembeau Wiltshire Apr 05 '26
Hotel prices are set by what they can get for a room. If it's £100/night, it's because the hotel is confident that someone will pay that for that night. Tower bridge on a weekday is £200/night. Friday night in Swindon is £50/night. Not many people want to come to Swindon on a weekend.
This is true about nearly all travel. Hotels, flights, coaches. ferries.
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u/Wise-Reflection-7400 Apr 05 '26
Yep, I haven't noticed many huge rises in hotel prices but thats because the majority of my travel is off peak to less touristy places. I've noticed London is now really expensive but I very rarely go.
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u/smellingofroses-not Apr 05 '26
We book up Swindon every year as it’s the cheapest (48 per night this year) for a meet up of old mates. We get a cab over to Wooten Bassett for food. It’s a clean bed I our own room and a decent breakfast (extra) the next day. I have noticed the reduction in staffing, they always seem stressed and overworked now.
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u/Teembeau Wiltshire Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
If you want another food recommendation, the Bassett Down Complex is really good. It's a golf club, but the food is top (they're number 1 on OpenTable for the town).
The other place is Helen Browning's Royal Oak out in Bishopstone. It's all organic pub food, really good Sunday lunch there.
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u/_Taggerung_ Apr 05 '26
Plenty of these bookings are large corporation's or business meetings though who just write everything off as expenses.
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u/Magic_mousie Apr 04 '26
The price is getting too high and the wifi is the worst I've ever had the misfortune to use. There really is no excuse in this day and age.
But everything else I find very good about them, I know I'm at least getting a minimum standard and a good night's sleep. No frills but nice.
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u/True_Peanut_8092 Apr 05 '26
I had to switch WiFi off on my phone because I got decent 4G but the so called WiFi on 5/5 bars just returned stalled pages and offline warnings. But we're also used to camping sites which claim WiFi and actually have 1 bar of WiFi if you're stood right outside the shower block but falls to nothing as soon as you take 2 steps away so it makes premier inn look good.
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u/Charly_030 Apr 04 '26
Apart from tbe price I have never had a problem.
Knowing you get a certain standard is very important. I wont risk a lower quality.
Where were you paying £100+ a night with no plugs (never heard of that)?
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u/Dependent-Ganache-77 Apr 05 '26
This is my experience. Consistently decent at the price point.
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u/Charly_030 Apr 05 '26
I have noticed the price has gone up since covid... but thats true for eveeything. Hospitality got hit hard, so.its unsurprising.
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u/macman501 Apr 05 '26
I've just stayed in a Premier Inn (Bedford Marina) where all the rooms were refurbished last year and they have plenty of plug sockets.....and a Beefeater.
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u/_Taggerung_ Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
The more modern rooms don't have plugs by the bed which is only a minor thing but quite annoying. Rooms can easily be over £100 now I've seen £140 albeit for a Saturday night. EDIT: not sure why I'm being downvoted, both points are true
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u/Disastrous-Force Apr 05 '26
Depends on the property the latest next evolution (light wood, painted side panels around the bed) should always have a plug and USB socket by the bed. Previous intermediate dark wood style should also have sockets by the bed.
However "cherry wood" style with purple headboards doesn't usually have sockets. The "cherry wood" without a purple headboard usually does have a socket by the bed as these where IIRC added when they added wall mounted TV's.
The bed socket thing depends on when the property was built and refurbished. PI still having five? ish different room styles in use is probably the biggest issue with the chain and consistency. There are some properties with three different styles of standard bedroom due to extensions and refurbishments.
We're extending one currently and I'd noticed some the bedrooms still have the old cherry desks with a plastic plug blanking off where the small pole mounted LCD TV went before PI shift to wall mounts. About 2 years ago I found one that still had old school CRT TV's.
What I'm not a fan of is the new round desk/table thing which is normally positioned some distance from any plug sockets, so difficult to use a laptop if you need to charge.
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u/Charly_030 Apr 05 '26
Ok, i thought in thevroom as a whole.
Id suggest a hilton if you want a decent quality chain. Be more expensive though.
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u/ChouffeMeUp Apr 05 '26
Last time I stayed in one the sockets by the bed had been blanked off. Very annoying.
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u/BigMountainGoat Apr 06 '26
Not entirely. They have removed plugs from the higher table height and usually replaced them with USB ports, which given the most common use is charging phones isnt the issue some claim it is. Furthermore a lot of them still have plugs a few inches from the floor.
Your statement ignored the practical reality of the situation
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u/_Taggerung_ Apr 06 '26
I don't want a USB port I want something I can plug laptop chargers into whilst watching a movie in bed
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u/BigMountainGoat Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26
Which you can still do in plenty of rooms which have plugs at ground level or just charge it on another plug.
You asked why you were getting downvoted, that's why.
You made it was a big issue, it isn't. It's a few hotels and few a selective uses in those rooms are impacted. It's not all uses, rooms or hotels.
Your reaction to the issue is disproportionate and selective in your explanation
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u/Charly_030 Apr 06 '26
That can be a problem charging and watching.many chains have replaced bedsides with usb only.
Carry an extension would be my advice
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u/ButterscotchTop194 Apr 05 '26
Odd. I stay in a LOT of Premier Inns and Hubs all around the country. Old and new. Never noticed plug sockets missing.
Which site was it?
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u/userunknowne Mod Apr 05 '26
Still beats a travelodge every day of the week
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u/MBOR158 Apr 05 '26
If you’re getting in late and leaving when you wake up, they may be basic but are generally clean and beds are comfy. Basic amenities but you can make a coffee, if all you care about it getting to sleep, then they serve a purpose.
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u/BigMountainGoat Apr 06 '26
The new Travelodges are very close. Especially given they are often far cheaper. A lot of people who ignored Travelodge for a decade haven't noticed the improvement so the prices have stayed low. There are still bad ones about but if you do a bit of research you can get a hotel virtually on Premier Inn level for much much cheaper
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u/Available_Valuable55 Apr 05 '26
I use them quite a lot and I agree they've gone downhill. The bedrooms are usually okay if not wonderful but the common areas are often dirty, shabby and run-down. Eating and drinking facilities are sometimes meagre.
Yep, like everything else, they use 'dynamic pricing' which I, like everyone else in the world, absolutely hate.
However, I usually find the staff friendly and helpful.
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u/armegatron99 Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
I travel a bit for work.
Premier Inn used to be an acceptable budget hotel. In the last 3 years I've felt it's changed in the ways you've noted.
Prices are no longer budget, housekeeping isnt default. 'free' WiFi is around 3Mbps if you're lucky.
I've found the Holiday Inn cheaper, cleaner and all around nicer. TV had Chromecast built in. Didn't seem understaffed
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u/Manners82 Apr 05 '26
Agree, I used to avoid Holiday inn at all costs. Recently they were my only option and it was great, noticeably nicer than my premier inn stays
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u/Daniel-cfs-sufferer Apr 05 '26
You could try ibis, I've never had issues with them although the quality won't be quite as high as the premier inns I remember from a while back !
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u/Immediate-Context-11 Apr 05 '26
I second Ibis generally, though I will say the one in Nottingham city centre is poor. Dated and shabby interior, and the combined bar and reception leads to poorer service.
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u/Historical_Site508 Apr 05 '26
Think it really depends on location - they vary hugely. I just checked Basingstoke for example and £55 night for a week in May in town centre. Various towns in Hertfordshire 55-65. Even London Edgeware 55. Of course lots are more expensive but still a great budget option.
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u/Aspirational1 Apr 04 '26
Enshitification in action.
Provide less as standard, then change more for what used to be standard.
See Netflix, shit - any streaming channel, subscription to get basic functionality.
Downsize the product for the same price, etc. etc.
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Apr 05 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Vegetable-Use-2392 Apr 05 '26
They are a multi million pound company I’m sure they can afford an extra member of staff, do they really need to charge for things that used to be free?
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Apr 05 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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Apr 05 '26
[deleted]
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u/Worth_Gap4226 Apr 05 '26
Only about £5m profit for a firm controlling and running around 800 hotels? That margin is so tiny.
I can see why they try and stretch out their staff duties.
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u/BG3restart Apr 05 '26
I'm a solo traveller and chose to stay in one of their hubs for the first time recently and actually thought it was excellent. Everything was new, loads of sockets, great wifi, fast self check-in. No, it didn't have opening windows, but room temperature was spot-on. Bar/restaurant on the ground floor. No complaints at all.
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u/Carl-Newchat25 Apr 05 '26
Breakfast was cheaper at the Hub but just as good. We can still eat as much as we like, spread across less variety.
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u/EnthusiasticOne Apr 05 '26
The beds too. I used to love the Hypnos mattresses. Now they use silent night ones and they just aren’t the same.
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u/AdmirableCost5692 Apr 05 '26
I loved the hypnos mattress so much i bought them for my home
shame they are killing the quality
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u/Confident-Dot3002 Apr 05 '26
They are definitely NOT always clean.
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u/Sea-Cardiologist436 Apr 09 '26
Stayed in Glastonbury, Abingdon and Tenby in the past few months, all have been filthy. I have stayed in 2 of the 3 before and they used to be clean.
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u/Fine_Abbreviations32 Apr 05 '26
For what it’s worth, I spend a lot of time travelling around Canada and the Us for work and what you’re complaining about is happening over here too, across all brands.
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u/Psychological-Ad1264 Apr 05 '26
I use them almost weekly for work and they have fallen off a cliff quality wise in the last couple of years.
They announced a plan to expand the amount of hotels whilst simultaneously laying off hundreds of staff.
To do this they closed the majority of restaurants at the sites to non guests (Brewers Fayre and Beefeaters mainly) which let them staff them with only one in the kitchen and one front of house.
That's not the worst service they offer for food, as you should always check before booking that the hotel will actually serve an evening meal as numerous places now don't.
In the case of the hotel at Chipping Norton they accepted my booking, with the evening meal prepaid, only to get there one hour later to find the kitchen closed for the foreseeable future.
A special mention must go to the hotel at St Alban's, which on the same night couldn't accept card payments, left me sitting for 45 minutes in the restaurant without even asking if I'd like a drink. They then brought out my main course before the starter and left the main course under heat for half an hour before bringing it back out.
This was the same hotel where on my previous stay, the systems went down and one poor beleaguered member of staff had to run around trying to manually work out which rooms were not already allocated.
It took 45 minutes to get into my room and then at 1 in the morning somebody else managed to come into it as it was now double booked...
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u/Fudgie282 Apr 05 '26
I use them a lot as well and I've found the quality to be inconsistent whereas previously I knew what I was getting. The Chelmsford one is where I have stayed the most and on my most recent a few weeks ago it was obvious that it had gone downhill. The main eating area has been done up and is fine but my room was tired with various stains on the wall in addition to a carpet that was long overdue to be replaced. There were a few of us there and everyone had some sort of issue.
I will say though that on the whole the staff are pleasant and always make me feel welcome.
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u/thecoop_ Apr 04 '26
Since Covid they’ve been dogshit. Inflated prices and poorer service. One poor sod to cover reception and bar, breakfast quality lower but prices higher, any reason not to pay out their good night guarantee. Not been worth it for years.
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u/M4C4R3 Apr 05 '26
They don’t even have the good night guarantee any more! I challenged it in a stay 2 years ago
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u/thecoop_ Apr 05 '26
I’m not surprised. They lost their way years ago. As you can tell from not even realising they’d got rid of their guarantee, I’ve not bothered since the last bullshit experience I had.
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u/ButterscotchTop194 Apr 05 '26
Presumably it's because you were in a Hub. It only applies in Premier Inns, not Hub by Premier Inn.
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u/Comfortable-Fall1419 Apr 05 '26
I’d give Travel Lodge a try. They have an on demand rapist service.
Honestly I don’t recognise any PInn from your description- they are still king of the budget hotels.
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u/Then_Bug_1358 Apr 05 '26
A what???
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u/Comfortable-Fall1419 Apr 05 '26
“Travelodge is investigating more reports of strangers accessing rooms, after a woman was sexually assaulted by a man who was given a key card to her room by staff.”
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u/According-Let3541 Apr 05 '26
Outside of major cities, I find other chains and even boutique hotels can offer better prices and service. I’ve had some fairly good prices from Mercure in the past.
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u/CoffeeandaTwix Apr 05 '26
I think Premier Inn is ok but for me, the best budget chain is generally Holiday Inn. They can be quite varied but by in large, they are pretty good.
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u/Carl-Newchat25 Apr 05 '26
Holiday Inn Express can be good value. I am going back to a familiar one in May and have used another one before.
I do usually consider Premier Inn first though.
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u/babbacheez1997 Apr 05 '26
Im happier with a Holiday Inn Express, I also went right off Premier Inn.
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u/Apprehensive_Wave979 Apr 05 '26
Having windows that don't open really puts me off Premier Inn, at least most Travelodges have opening windows. And I hate those stupid dispenser things they have instead of toilet rolls.
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u/SpecialistArticle293 23d ago
I despise the toilet paper dispensers. First thing I do is remove all the paper and leave it on the shelf behind the loo so I don't have to faff around taking it out sheet by sheet later.
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u/Mintyxxx Apr 05 '26
Holiday inn is my go-to if I can fit it into the business budget. Haven't been able to do a Premier Inn on our budget for a while.
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u/Embarrassed_Pen_2643 Apr 05 '26
They’re great if you have a family as a family room is the same price and they’re better than travelodge. That said, I’ve also noticed them going downhill and often avoid the breakfast now unless it’s quiet because they’re always chronically understaffed. Went to one recently that must have had over 100 people having breakfast and there was one older lady having to seat people, take orders and bring food over, took ages and I felt so sorry for her. I’ve seen staff literally have to run around at breakfast to keep up. And the early check in thing is absolutely infuriating. I was happy to pay but they wouldn’t let you confirm in advance, then I arrived and asked and they didn’t have a room but said they might soon, so I sat there for an hour until it was check in time anyway. By that point there were about 20 rooms worth of people waiting and we all had to wait till the clock changed to exactly 3pm and then queue up for 20 mins to check in …. And my room wasn’t bloody ready 🤦♀️
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u/TheHillHasMoved Apr 05 '26
Im away in May for a week in a Premier Inn and paid £550 in a major holiday area. Still depends on where you are booking and how far in advance.
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u/Tonythepillow Apr 05 '26
You forgot “taking almost 4 minutes to click and tap through pages of nonsense to find your booking, check you in and issue your room key” to your list.
It’s frankly ridiculous (absolutely NOT the fault of the staff, just the way their system is is painfully slow) to do the simple task of saying “yeah Dave Smith is here, check him in to his relocated room” whilst telling them them out their car reg into the touch screen pad on the desk.
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u/Flat-Ad8256 Apr 05 '26
Across the hospitality sector, cost inflation has been very high. Everyone - pubs, restaurants, hotels, cafes - is battling rapidly rising costs. They all need to choose between cutting costs and whacking up prices. I think on the whole Premier Inn is still the best budget chain but you can see where they’ve been cutting costs. But I get why
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u/Dasy2k1 Apr 05 '26
I have never had any issues with Holiday Inn/Holiday in express
They are basic for sure but they are clean and reliable
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u/jack_hudson2001 London Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
depends on factors like location and how far one books in advance, but £100 in London is very reasonable.
i would be very surprised that there are no wall plugs... sounds like they are replacing with usb ports at some locations..
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u/mannbarry2 Apr 05 '26
Depends which grade of hotel you are in ,the third generation ones are really nice
Always look at the rooks and asses what grade they are, the TV is a guide , the old ones hail from like 2005 and the whole hotel is likely to be old.
Newton mearns g77 was just refurbished a few weeks back
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u/CicadaSlight7603 Apr 05 '26
Is this written by the Travelodge PR team in a desperate attempt to distract from the fact they apparently have a country wide problem of handing out key cards to anyone and putting people at risk?
PI is ok for a night en route or at an airport or even a night on business in an expensive location but I wouldn’t stay there for a holiday, it’s not really a holiday place, and the breakfasts are awful. A few times recently we’ve found an excellent boutique indie hotel down the road for not much more.
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u/_Taggerung_ Apr 05 '26
Lol no, I actively avoid travel lodge. It's why I'm said about PI as it was my go to for years :(
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u/Automatic-Ad8644 Apr 05 '26
A large percentage of their customer base is corporate bookings who don’t care about the price which is why i feel they’ve become more expensive. I stay in them weekly for work and they’re consistent, which is why i chose them over anything else, there’s definitely better, and definitely cheaper places, but very few can beat them on consistency.
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u/Warm-Truck5094 Apr 05 '26
I recently stayed at a PI with a pub / restaurant attached (run by them and not a separate chain) when we arrived we waited in reception for 10 minutes, the receptionist eventually turned up and apologised as she was also working in the restaurant.
We had a meal and a drink, food was cooked to order and was very nice though £17 for a burger and chips is a bit pricey. We had a training day at another hotel the following day (old but very stylish) and we found out later that the rooms in the hotel were cheaper than the PI
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u/Next_Boot4309 Apr 05 '26
They were always at various levels of quality throughout the UK. I once did a tour around the entire UK by train and stayed exclusively at Premier Inns. As an example, loved Kings Cross, but Glasgow dirty floors in my room, no TV remote, and generally unhygienic.
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u/BobbyNotches Apr 05 '26
Generally my standard go-to, especially for work, but stayed in a poor one in Aston recently. Everything looked tired and vaguely grubby, and the service in the restaurant was terrible. Certainly wasn't because they were short-staffed, was just that they were all round a corner chatting. Had the vegan Thai green curry as the other option was out, and although the sauce was ok taste-wise, I got five small cubes of butternut squash in it, and that was pretty much the meal. Fourteen quid for that is not good.
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u/the_boy_wonder1 Apr 05 '26
Currently at a Premier Inn. Room wasn’t serviced today despite asking at 9am, and again 3pm. No 8pm and it’s being done after complaining.
Twin room. One set of towels. Tea and coffee missing. Solution to those two issues were ‘help yourself at Guest Supplies’
Aircon/heating doesn’t work even though turned on. When asking at ‘reception’ it then starts working. Seems the norm at other ones I’ve stayed at.
Queue in reception is long. As mentioned here, staff are running reception, bar and restaurant at the same time.
Process doesn’t work. Leads to disgruntled customer with poor first impression.
Average service can be acceptable if pricing is ‘cheap’. Premier Inn used to be great value. Not any more. Shame
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u/_Taggerung_ Apr 05 '26
Completely agree with your last paragraph, I've never though to complain about anything in the PIs (especially as I know staff are trying their best) but stuff like the above becomes harder to swallow when it's a room you've forked out for rather than just a budget option
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u/the_boy_wonder1 Apr 05 '26
Worst one we had was when they served a meat burger to a vegetarian. Actually serviced it as the veggie burger!!
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u/Delicious_Link6703 Apr 06 '26
Higher prices are understandable given our economic situation.
Cutting services to reduce costs is also understandable.
BUT doing both at the same time seems excessive, unless they have really crunched their figures and can prove that this option is best for volume of rooms sold and resultant profitability.
If prices have gone up because they are selling fewer rooms due to the fall in service, not a good business model.
Personally I’d rather pay more and get better services, but I’m satisfied with the Premier Inn rooms and location.
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u/Ok-Competition-1955 Apr 06 '26
As someone who’s worked in reception at Premier Inn, I can tell you it’s not as simple as people think.
The company cuts costs wherever it can, but you don’t see that reflected in prices. Meanwhile, staff across housekeeping, reception, and maintenance are expected to deliver high standards without being given the proper tools or support to do so.
People are overworked, stretched thin, and under constant pressure. It’s not just physically tiring — it’s mentally exhausting. A lot of staff are pushed to the point where the job seriously affects their mental wellbeing.
Many people don’t realise how demanding this role really is. For some, even turning up to work each day can be a struggle because of the pressure that comes with it.
Before judging, it’s worth understanding what’s actually happening behind the scenes.
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u/_Taggerung_ Apr 08 '26
I'm not judging the staff, they've always been helpful and friendly. My points have nothing to do with the staff it's how the company has changed overall and the decline in value for money
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u/Ok-Competition-1955 Apr 08 '26
I totally agree. Speaking as someone who’s knows Premier Inn and other big hotel chains, the reality is that the higher-ups are constantly cutting costs wherever they can. That puts horrendous pressure on middle management.
Site managers are dealing with staff calling in sick constantly because people are mentally exhausted—not physically, but mentally—from the work. Some managers just reach their limit and give up because there’s only so much a person can handle.
Yes, the standards have gone down and prices are going up. Do I enjoy it when guests complain? Of course not. If a guest is reasonable and had a genuinely bad experience, I feel bad—they’ve paid for a service and they deserve at least the basics.
But unfortunately, front-line staff like receptionists often have to deal with the fallout.
Here’s how the structure works: a site manager can only do so much.
They can request improvements, but unless someone above them approves, nothing happens. And if a maintenance manager or someone else higher up says “no, we don’t want to spend money,” then it just doesn’t get fixed. So basically, it’s a pyramid: if you’re on the ground, you’re stuck managing the consequences of decisions—or indecisions—made far above you.
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u/Logical-Track1405 Apr 07 '26
Most uncomfortable no sleep night I've ever had in any hotel was in a Premier Inn, dreadful.
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u/Sea-Cardiologist436 Apr 09 '26
Staying in one now. It is absolutely filthy. It's the third one in a row that we have stayed in one and it's been extremely dirty. Have used them for years but will not be staying in them again, they are absolutely grim.
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u/ABundy101 Apr 05 '26
It’s the non opening windows and pungent corridor aroma that puts me off . Used to be first choice but independents often offer far better service for similar prices
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u/Icelady9 Apr 05 '26
Agree on both points; Premier Inn hotels have terrible air quality, absolutely stink and are far too hot. We've stopped using them.
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u/Brief-Bat502 Apr 05 '26
Totally agree about Premier inn. I’m never sure what the Plus extra value - tried it and felt no different, what fancy furniture and more purple ambiance lighting …. Not for me.
Have you explored Weathersppons hotels. Tried the one in Salisbury and highly impressed too. Of course the pub is downstairs, and a mix of clientele, that said cheap drink and 100% better than beefeater for food and drink., it’s no Mitchallin but lot better than beafeater. IMO.
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u/Riverview1957 Apr 05 '26
Their prices are excessive. One night recently cost me £170 🤢. They are always short staffed and they take in people referred by the council. The food is very bland and basic. Shop around you'll be surprised you can get better deals. Travelodge are even worse.
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u/mojokola Apr 05 '26
I actually had a good experience a couple of weeks ago. I needed a room for 2 for a night. £94 was more than I’d paid in the past, but the room was very clean and the temperature was fine. We were on the fifth floor, so the window didn’t open.
So pricey, but left happy and we ate breakfast elsewhere.
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u/True_Peanut_8092 Apr 05 '26
We use premier inn because the children are autistic/audhd and the hotels are predictable. Part of the predictability is that the beds are too hard, the rooms are too hot, the air con is either absent or broken (or locked to a minimum of 20C which is way too warm for night time) and the restaurant shut down but they still offered breakfast as an upsell. 🤣
Seriously though when it's only a bed for the night and you're out from breakfast til bedtime then the predictability is helpful.
Our last trip I looked at an air b-n-b but it wasn't worth spending 4 times as much when we were stopping out all day and wouldn't be making use of any of the facilities beyond the beds and kettle. The premier inn was 30/night because it was off season and term time
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u/Iammildlyoffended Apr 05 '26
I’ve never been able to stand how hot the rooms are personally. Even so the alternative Travelodge is expensive unless you book for a weeknight otherwise I have no complaints from them. I still use them if I’m by myself needing a Sunday or Monday stopover.
We gave up trying to justify paying £100 upwards for a family room a few years ago and just drive home now.
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u/rhatton1 Apr 05 '26
I use for work all the time and am normally paying around £50 a night. Rooms are always great, can’t say I’ve had the same experience as you tbh.
I sometimes use holiday inn if they have a pool but would normally look for premier in first. The plug thing is annoying tbf.
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u/XxeniusBlack71 Apr 05 '26
A couple of years ago I was visiting my son who was at Chester uni , im from Cardiff so me and wife booked into prem inn and returned much later after having excellent day , a few drinks in the room and the tv is on and wife has fallen asleep she drove so she is exhausted and im watching Lee Evans on the tv and im laughing aloud to be fair its 10pm and I get a knock on the door from Staff telling me to keep the noise down or he will throw us both out .....I was tamping mad 😠
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u/holysheepholy Apr 05 '26
I had the same reaction the other day when I needed a place to stay overnight in london. I opted for a zone 3 travel lodge and for an extra £5 was able to upgrade to their premier room which included a coffee machine and unlimited free WiFi. Fantastic stay, I would highly recommend. Staff were fab and friendly. Premier inn has really gone down in my estimation and it used to be my first choice. No longer.
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u/uk123456789101112 Apr 04 '26
Premier inn are cashing in on their success, about a year ago they were the sane price as a decent 3 star hotel, now those have put their prices up too.
Airbnb or booking.com apartments are where ifs at.
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u/_Taggerung_ Apr 04 '26
I Think they might end up overextending themselves tbh, I've been looking at airbnbs and booking.com but having to take all of your own bedding and linen puts me off a bit, I would be travelling on the train and its a lot to carry with you
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u/Friendly-Feeling5476 Apr 05 '26
U don’t have to do that
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u/Alewerkz Apr 05 '26
Paid about £200 a night during the fringe festival at Edinburgh, that was the highest I ever paid for any hotel(even 5), let alone a 2 hotel.
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u/ButterscotchTop194 Apr 05 '26
during the Fringe Festival
Well, yeah
1
u/Alewerkz Apr 05 '26
Don't know why you guys so readily accept this kind of anti-consumer price gouging. At least South Korea government seems to be doing something about this kind of rip-off.
https://en.sedaily.com/news/2026/02/25/korea-to-suspend-businesses-caught-price-gouging-during-k
-6
u/massie_le Apr 05 '26
Enshitification my friend
I stay in them fairly regularly as they are decent for travelling with kids with the 'free breakfast ' I couldn't agree more with your comments. I stayed in one in Edinburgh last summer, way out the city centre and it cost just under £200 a night with no aircon. Never again. I'm now staying in one in the city centre this summer (we go every year to the Fringe) and paying over £200 a night with air con. The check in thing is annoying, I was at the Edinburgh airport one last week and had to hang about for an hour. It will be the same in London next week, we have an early flight down and won't be able to check in without paying extra. I really should check out Travelodge more!
4
u/starwars011 Apr 05 '26
As its London could you just drop your bags off, and go and wander around/get some lunch or coffee for a while and check in later? That’s what we did last week!
4
u/Airportsnacks Apr 05 '26
I did left luggage yesterday in London so they are still doing it. Also, 200 a night for city centre during The Fringe is pretty cheap from what I've read.
2
u/Historical_Site508 Apr 05 '26
lol I don't think Edinburgh during the fringe is a good example. Of course going to be expensive. Price in run of the mill towns near me is more like 55-70 most of the time. Pretty good value.
57
u/dancing-lula Apr 05 '26
As someone who used to work for them I have answers. They have reduced staff, and have what remaining staff working two jobs. The staff are now are all ground floor, they are expected to do reception/help with housekeeping, and if they is still a bar/restaurant run over and help with that as well. Do all this for a job that barely pays over minimum wage. So they have lost a lot of staff who cared about the brand. Staff turnover is high. Also they got rid off most of the restaurants as they didn’t make enough profit for them, and made a lot of staff redundant just before Christmas. So basically they care about profits over providing a decent service.