I stayed in this Premier Inn in the Elton Service area off the M56 on Wednesday night this week with my husband. We were looking for a cheap, clean hotel within easy distance of Chester Zoo. Having booked online prior to the trip, I had a rate of £49 for the night (not a special offer rate, just standard). On arrival we were given the key (yes an actual key! Not a card!) to room number 25. The room was ok, big enough in size and seemed to be fairly clean, although there were one or two hairs on the bathroom floor. The bathroom also had the most horrible, cheapest toilet paper I've ever seen. I know it's a budget hotel and all, but come on. After a couple of minutes we noticed a loud buzzing/whining sound that we couldn't find the source of (possibly the extractor fan in the bathroom). Being light sleepers, we decided that it was too much to put up with all night and I went to the reception and asked to be changed. The receptionist put us in room 7 downstairs. As soon as we walked in there was that musty, damp smell of mould. The ceiling in the bathroom above the shower had black spots of mould on it and the grout on the tiles grimy and orange as well. The shower head was missing the plastic bit that regulates the flow, so the water just came out all over the place when you turned it on. There was a big orange stain or burn mark on the net curtain in the room, and cup stains on the window sill. Although the room was superficially clean, i.e. clean bath, clean cups and bed sheets, etc., it just felt very...grimy. Since we were both wrecked we decided that we would put up with it since it was just for one night. Throughout the night, we heard nothing but bangs and thumps from other rooms, the noise of other guests tv's and other guests themselves talking. Not shouting mind you, just talking. The walls were paper thin so you could hear everything. To top it all off, when I woke up the next morning I had several disgusting bites on my legs from some creature that had decided to nibble on me during the night. To say I was disgusted was an understatement.
I'm quite a fan of Premier Inn in general, and they are always my first choice when planning a UK trip. We had spent a very pleasant 3 nights previously in the Premier Inn at Trentham Gardens and found it to be just what I expect, quality at a decent price. However, this one has put me off considering PI unless they're in a more central location. It seems like being in a service area gives the ok for a hotel to be lacking in the basics like cleanliness and upkeep. For the rate I paid, compared to the quality I felt we received, I think I would have been better off spending less on a Travelodge down the road.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
22 September 2010
Thanks for taking the time to pass on your feedback following your stay at our Chester East hotel. At Premier Inn we take the service our guest receive very seriously and upon receipt of your booking details we will investigate your stay fully. We do apologise for the service your experienced, however please be assured you comments will be duly followed up. Thank you again for taking the time to review your stay.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC