But I now hate purple.
I spent 15 years stopping in premier inns on a regular basis up and down the country.
I also now have a hate of purple. The company I worked for insisted we use them and gave us all premier inn cards to make it easy for them.
I'd not been in one for almost three years and kind of forgot how bad some of them are until I ended up in one a few weeks back.
I'll sleep in the car next time. At least there's no black mould in the car.
That sounds suspiciously like the Angel? Nice hotel, but you really didn’t want to be on the top floor if it was warm weather!
I think you're correct. I also had a little sit down on the stairs after braining myself on a low lintel.
Cracking breakfast iirc.
There are some great Hamptons, and whilst some Hiltons are physically pretty knackered the service has always been good for me.
Travelodge for me have always been a damp cold room with a shit bed and no food. The absolute worst.
More Britannia experience - on, I think, four occasions we've stayed at the Russ Hill Hotel near Gatwick. On none of those occasions has our room had a window, it's essentially been a cell.
(Not that it really mattered TBF, we were only there for the 'stay and park' deal ahead of an early morning flight the next day)
Pre pandemic I spent 8 months doing 3 nights a week at The Village hotel in Farnborough. Utterly soul destroying
I stayed there a lot a decade or so ago. Unless it's got worse since then you have no idea...!! Good beds, room service, good gym and a Starbucks*. That's nothing like the stuff being talked about here!
* Of course the hipsters will wail about that but it's a damn sight better than a sachet of Nescafé and another of powdered creamer.
Re Travelodge, we'd booked at the one in Ludlow to visit my folks last Christmas, leaving the day after Boxing day. In the end we drove home at 10pm rather than sleep there, despite having paid for the extra night. It's not even that old.
Working in film and TV the best thing to come out of covid was deals with locations where the crew was accommodated on site so that the crew were bubbled together day and night. With all the cancelled weddings and events that means filming and staying in various glamorous rural locations on private estates then get put up at night in the bridal suite
Pfffffftttttt, ohh how the other half live over in Drama.
Meanwhile in Documentaries I got to stay in the Sefton Park Hotel, which is next door to a halfway house, which meant unloading the entire contents of the van into my room, every bloody night. It was a close tie with the Hallmark in the town center for worst hotel they were prepared to put me in.
Somehow production (including the runners) managed to book themselves into the Titanic on the waterfront. Whilst muggins here, pulling 36h shifts to rig cameras that they kept breaking had to deal with Toxteth, Fazakerly and Old Swan (not that bad, you're still unlikely to actually get shot, just more likely than anywhere else).
The only upside was it was the final straw and from then on I've stipulated I have to be on the same bookings as the in-house staff and preferably self catered.
Pre pandemic I spent 8 months doing 3 nights a week at The Village hotel in Farnborough. Utterly soul destroying
The village hotels are almost universally the best?
Proper pools and gyms, big rooms, modern, even the food is hot.
The scenic view from my first stay in the Britannia, Stockport.
The less scenic view from my last stay there.
I spent a while travelling with the same colleague for a few months in about 2014. One night a week in the Midlands. We took it in turns to book the accomodation and it became a competition to find the oddest accomodation within our budget. I managed Coventry Ricoh arena, the bedrooms are actually the hospitality rooms with a murphy bed pulled down, big glass front overlooking the pitch. Other highlights were Stoneleigh Park - didn't realise it was in a showground type place and there was a dog show on at the same time - dogs everywhere!
Also spent a lot of time in Hampton by Hilton in 2015. 3 nights a week for about 8 months. That was my hotel of choice. Easy access, secure underground car park, stones throw from the city centre, modern clean rooms with good showers, free wifi and proper freeview on the TV.
A very good friend was once senior management at one of the above-mentioned chains. Some of the stories I heard from him about the stuff that went on was shocking. I heard some hilarious stories about regulars who always asked for the same room number for every visit – staff usually then checked the rooms for hidden stuff (usually cross-dressing gear or extreme porn hidden away in toilet cisterns or behind bath panels etc.
I’ve had enough of rubbish travelodges etc so always make a bit of extra effort to try to stay in a nice pub with rooms. You can find some crackers cheaper than the local travel lodge with much much nicer food and decent local breakfast fodder if you put in a bit of an effort. There are a few areas that seem to be a bit of a desert for decent pubs with rooms though. I’m off to Epping in a few weeks and am struggling there a bit. Lots of travelodge type options but few decent looking pubs with rooms…
I believe the Britannia in Stockport is currently 'home' to a couple of hundred Afghani refugees. You've got to wonder if, after seeing where they are now, they'd rather have stayed put...
Then at the weekends it’s packed with an endless stream of kids going to dance competitions endlessly rehearsing in every available communal space. I just wan to eat my miserable scrambled eggs on miserable toast and drink my miserable coffee in peace so I can face the day, not be greeted by a troupe of 9 year olds twerking to Nikki F**** Minage at 6am.
See also Premier Inn Sheffield Arena. Oddly enough.
On a similar vein, we've booked into two seperate Travelodges in Dundee for dance/skate competitions and they've both been consistently awful. The city centre one is a draughty conversion with huge bay windows that don't close properly and secondary glazing that does nothing. The one to the north is in an ex-care home and I can only imagine it was shut down because the residents kept topping themselves rather than stay there. Hotter than satans crotch in the room, I could actually hear the water screaming through the TRV that had been left fully open.
I believe the Britannia in Stockport is currently ‘home’ to a couple of hundred Afghani refugees. You’ve got to wonder if, after seeing where they are now, they’d rather have stayed put…
Not Britannia but I've stayed in the Hotel in Liverpool that sparked the riots.
Downstairs is all gloss white, fake marble, chandeliers, the whole Liberace chintzy works.
Upstairs, imagine a prison cell with two single beds, the worlds smallest windows, then put plywood paneling on the walls.
Just for some positive balance and a nice surprise:
Holiday Inn Huntingdon.
Huge modern rooms, overlooking the racecourse with balconies, or the nature reserve if you got the poor seats. Great gravel riding from the door in the evenings, and cycle path directly into town.
Food was your usual Holiday Inn fare (i.e. not great, but mostly edible), but for breakfast they even got in early every day we were there (weekends for 2 months) as there were a whole group of us staying that needed to be on location for 6:30 so consistently missed breakfast time. So they made sure to have breakfast out a good hour earlier than advertised.
It's places like that that make you wonder how others manage to be so absolutely dire.
Spent 15 yrs of my shop designing career in various Premier Inns around the country - 3 different companies I worked for all had accounts. Used to joke that I knew exactly what I'd have off the accompanying pub menu before every trip....
Until you’ve stayed in the Britannia Airport Hotel at Manchester none of you can complain. Sort of place there’s a chalk outline of a body in the car park and the local prostitutes ply their wares in the hotel reception.
Sounds like the Holiday Inn I stayed at in Warsaw a number of years ago. Having a quiet pint in the bar in the evening and curiously noticed a couple of "ladies" at the bar. It was only when they winked at another couple of ladies sitting at a table that I started to take proper notice of who else was in there. There were quite a few in the bar who I quickly accepted were not hotel guests!
Probably the worst work hotel was on South Beach in Miami. We were having to room share and it was just a weird hotel. Suspicious stains on the duvet cover and the floor seemed to come alive at night. We lasted 2 days before checking out and landed in more or less the complete opposite. Massive, opulent room with a walk-in wardrobe bigger than my bedroom at home.
One of my work colleagues booked a travel lodge, was recommended as it was close to the site. Not my first choice, but oh well. Who thought having a beep tone everytime the radiator came on in the room was acceptable, centrally controlled so you couldn't turn it off. Off to the car at 2am to get a screwdriver to pull the fuse out of it.
Colleague has learn't from this mistake and now spends the full allowance on hotels!!
Wen't to scotland recently and Perth was full booked (save for some absolute dives) and had to slum it in a 4star golf and country club, was actually cheaper than the holiday inn I tried to book.
My company knows that you can't work properly after a shit nights sleep.
I don't recognise any of this...
Even spending 4 days every month for 2 years at a suppliers development site had me in a series of 4 star places.
Stayed in Liverpool's Adelphi (Brittania), the residents were as ghastly as the building and the carpet. The sort of place where you're scared to look up from your plate in case you see a sight that will put you off everything forever. Second the comments about MotelOne, stayed in both in central Manchester, very civilised and a healthy continental breakfast.
and the local prostitutes ply their wares in the hotel reception
I used to work for Whitbread. Highlight of my career with them running a PI (bolt-on) was challenging a lady in reception that our rooms weren't meant to be used for 'trade purposes in person'. She was most indignant; repeatedly shouted that she was embarrassed, humiliated, shocked, distraught etc., right up until my head receptionist showed her her own picture on a website advertising 'services'. She stomped out of reception jumped in a car and sped off 😂 we were only tipped off after her associate, who was handing out business cards in the pub part of the site, gave one to an off-duty reverend who thought we best know! On investigation, we discovered the same woman was probaly one of PI's 'best' customers regularly frequenting our sites around the north of England and beyond.
small Hotel in Stornaway years ago, in January, in a howling gale and sleet: "Well, you can either have the room with no bathroom/toilet but the heating works, or the bigger room with en-suite but the radiators are knackered"
I chose the latter, I've been warmer in a snow hole in the alps than I was that night!
The village hotels are almost universally the best?
I thought it was awful. Yes it looked all very modern but the rooms were pitch black, the bar was brighter than 2 inches from the sun and constantly rammed and loud. The gym was a public gym that may have been the busiest gym I've ever been to. The breakfast was unbelievably limited, bland and repetitive, the evening menu wasn't much better. A self service check-in process that never worked.
On top of that, Farnborough is an absolute dump with nowhere else to go. A genuinely miserable 8 months that I still wince about whenever it enters my head.
Nothing as exciting as some of the comments above. Company preference was a Premier Inn. Some were modern and fine, but others were just old and tired.
Hampton by Hilton at Birmingham Broad Street was good. Mostly for the location and waffle machine for breakfast.
Discovered Motel One before lockdown and they're really good. Rooms are a bit smaller than a Premier Inn but they're modern well equipped and have good free WiFi. Good locations for the train in Edinburgh and Glasgow as well.
Nobody's mentioned Best Western hotels yet? Mainly lovely old buildings with lots of character. One or two that I stayed in are genuinely nice. The rest are quirky and run-down.
I walked into one, which had actually been used in Hammer Horror Films, Dr Who, and it was being renovated so the gale force wind outside was blowing leaves through the reception area, and tarpaulins were swinging from the ceilings. With the partial lighting it was like something from the Hammer Films it was used in.
One room I stayed in had fire doors through the room to the fire exit. I wasn't sure how much time I had to get dressed if there was a fire in the night, before the residents of the hotel charged through my room.
Nobody’s mentioned Best Western hotels yet?
I stayed in the Glasgow City one a few years back. Greeted at reception by a lovely woman who spoke no English, eastern European I was guessing, so I asked if she spoke German and she did, so great I can get checked in. Suddenly, a very burly, swarthy, mobster type character appeared to take control of check in ushering said woman from reception. I swear he was a Russian hood from one of the Bourne movies although he was pleasant if somewhat imposing 😂 hotel itself was nice, breakfast lacking oomph, and no restaurant. I've stayed in worse though.
New venue for me this week. Holiday Inn at Media City, Salford. Have to say, it's very nice. Big room, nice Marco Pierre White restaurant, quiet bar. A far cry from the Holiday Inn Express I usually stay at here and it wasn't any more expensive
A far cry from the Holiday Inn Express I usually stay at here and it wasn’t any more expensive
The one over the other side of the dock that you have to drive through the housing estate to get to?
The only thing that sticks in my mind about that one is the Nescafé coffee machine. I presume it made 'espresso' by diluting Nescafé granules into a thimble of Luke warm water.
Back home thankfully.
Don't know what it is about the penta in Warrington I hate so much.
I think it's lots of little things that add up.
Blurhg
The best western in rivers state port Harcourt. - only once ....the staff house was full - the water in the pool was green. The water that came out the shower and taps were green.....ergo I deduced they were from the same place and I asked for some sealed bottles.
1 in simpheropol who's name eludes me but felt like I should have been wearing grippy socks.... Everything was concrete including the mattress it felt.
I thought it was awful. Yes it looked all very modern but the rooms were pitch black, the bar was brighter than 2 inches from the sun and constantly rammed and loud.
It's been a while since I stayed at a Village, but I have never been impressed. They seemed to have the gloomiest lights ever to cover up the general lack of cleaning in the public areas. And that's an opinion formed by several different locations. Gym full of ****s too, even before I went in.
I can honestly say I've only ever met one member of staff at a PI who was grumpy. A few of the late night dudes have been a bit slow, but all still helpful and pleasant. Just that one time in Guildford (North) that stays with me.
Yes it looked all very modern but the rooms were pitch black, the bar was brighter than 2 inches from the sun and constantly rammed and loud. The gym was a public gym that may have been the busiest gym I’ve ever been to. The breakfast was unbelievably limited, bland and repetitive, the evening menu wasn’t much better. A self service check-in process that never worked.
If that's all you've got to complain about you've got off lightly.
On top of that, Farnborough is an absolute dump with nowhere else to go.
I worked there loads, and loved it. Why? Because I stayed in Bracknell at the Hilton and commuted through Swinley Forest. 30-60 mins thrashing top notch singletrack* every morning and evening during the summer was absolutely bloody brilliant. You weren't expecting to be entertained by the town itself were you? What town would provide entertainment for a solo visitor every night month after month? You have to make the situation work for you, and for me that meant biking.
* yes, it is top notch if you ride it fast enough 🙂
Even spending 4 days every month for 2 years at a suppliers development site had me in a series of 4 star places.
Stars are a poor indication of quality. Having a swimming pool and a gym will net a star or two but that's jeff all use at 2am when you're trying to get some sleep.
But whilst we're talking about chains,
I was in Leeds a little while back for a conference. I missed the last train home because unbeknown to me Leeds Station shuts all bar the front door entrances at night and it's a big bugger of a thing to walk around the outside of. I fetched up at of all things an Easy Hotel, scabby-looking orange thing by the people from EasyJet.
And... you know, it was alright. The room was small but it was clean and comfortable, cheap as chips, accepted a booking at like midnight, and was exactly what I needed when my requirements were little more than sleep. I'd stay there again.
Stayed in a few of the Britannia hotels mentioned above, I concur with the assessment of them being universally crap.
Hotel in Bonar Bridge middle of Winter 2010 and they were offering us hot water bottles because the heating wasn't up to the task.
Pretty much any of the B&Bs near Blackpool town centre are absolutely awful.
Has anyone ever stayed in any of the establishments from 4 in a bed?
I've stayed in 2 that were featured in the same week !
Notable mention for The Shilton Hotel somewhere in North London room just didn't look clean, radiator set at the temperature of core of the Sun. But the icing on the cake was the guy who tried to break into our room at 4am.
After that it was chain hotels (PI, Travhellodge, etc)for us.
Stars are a poor indication of quality. Having a swimming pool and a gym will net a star or two but that’s jeff all use at 2am when you’re trying to get some sleep.
Maybe, but the ones i were in were all top notch. Mostly sufficiently expensive that i couldn't afford to stay there on my own dime. €200+ a night these days. Obviously we got corporate rates, but they still weren't cheap.
The most regular one you had to decide if you wanted to use the restaurant for your evening meal 24 hours in advance because they only kept a few tables back for hotel guests, the rest of the place was booked out weeks in advance, even on a wet Tuesday in March there was a need to prebook.
I once had a booking with a hotel that when I Googled it had 2 separate stabbings...
We're capped on cost so...
I drove there and back in a day