TravelValue: England: Premier Inn

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

London Gatwick Airport, England: Premier Inn = Weak

Premier Inn London Gatwick Airport A23 Hotel

Longbridge Way

Horley RH6 0NX

United Kingdom

Phone number +44 871 527 8406

Website: premierinn.com/en/gatwicka23
Prices: ££££

This will not take long because we were not there long and I was not impressed, even for the price. They did not even bother putting the cushions on the bed, they sat atop the wardrobe when we arrived.

Like the Premier Inn in Nuneaton, my only other Premier Inn stay, I found the stay inadequate. Arriving after 11PM for a 05:20 departure the next morning, I got about 2 hours sleep thanks to the noisy neighbor upstairs that I could hear walking around all night long (I am a light sleeper) and a cold. What a miserable night.

As was the case at the Nuneaton location, Wi-Fi was slow and nearly useless. This room was much bigger, but there were two single beds we did not need and one print adorned the walls, otherwise, they were bare. The TV remote did not work and there was mold in the grout on the bathroom walls. I have heard rumours (rumors for the Yanks) that they will refund your rate if you do not get a good night's sleep, but I saw nothing advertized and really do not care at this point. After two horrible experiences at Premier Inns, we will not be staying with them again.

They try to sell you breakfast at £9 ($12.50) a pop or a two course dinner and breakfast for £24.99 ($35) ... REALLY? There is also a £3 per person charge to drive you less than 1,000 feet to the North Terminal (via a 15-minute drive to the Marriott and South Terminal), so you obviously get nothin' for nothin' at Premier Inns. The room price was right at just £50 ($70) for an airport hotel, but they dime you to death for everything and the negatives far outweighed the positives, hence my rating ...

CombatCritic Gives Premier Inn Gatwick A23 Hotel 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Four Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again"

Nuneaton, England George Eliot Must Be Rolling In Her Grave

Premier Inn Nuneaton/Coventry

aka Griff House

Coventry Road

Nuneaton CV10 7PJ

United Kingdom

Phone number +44 871 527 8858

Website: premierinn.com/nuneaton

Prices: ££££

The room was advertised online at £34.50 three days before our arrival, but when our travel plans were clear and I went to book the room the next day, the price had shot up to £43.50. As a travel critic and well known blogger with a focus on value, price gouging customers is not something I take lightly. When I asked the front desk clerk upon arrival why the price went up, I was told "That's the way we do it, prices change from day to day".

Their "free" Internet was extremely difficult to connect to and so slow that it was useless, so we gave up rather than paying the extra £5 for "Premium" service, another indication that the company's greed outweighs customer needs and satisfaction. The room was so small that my wife and I had to take turns moving around the room because the double bed took up most of the room and while sitting at the small desk trying to connect to the useless Internet, my wife had to crawl over the bed to get around me and to her side of the bed.

The staff at the adjoining Beefeater were great, but the food was mediocre and the prices quite high for what we got. My £15.99 ($22.60) sirloin must have been 8 ounces before cooking because it looked rather small and it was overcooked (I asked for medium-well and it was well-done). If a place called BEEFeater cannot cook a steak correctly, there must be something terribly wrong. The "unlimited" fries/chips were sparse and was never asked if I wanted more and the Cheddar, Pulled Ham and Mushroom Sauce (£1.99/$2.85 - bringing the total to £17.98/$25.45) was barely enough to cover the small steak. The only other thing I got on the plate was a single broiled tomato slice and one lonely sauteed mushroom. I can get quite a nice steak dinner at countless places in the States for $26, including a larger, better cut of meat and more/better fries, I would also get soup and/or salad, vegetables and bread for that price. Finally, I also found asking hotel guests to pay £8.95 ($25.30 for two) for breakfast also quite absurd.

Whitbread (Premier Inn's parent company) obviously cares only about profit and not its customers and preserving their building's historical significance is clearly not a priority. They have ruined George Eliot's birthplace and childhood home both inside and out instead of restoring it to its former glory and taking advantage of Eliot's fame to bring her fans and English literature enthusiasts to Nuneaton and the property. How they got away with destroying such a historic property is unfathomable.

George Eliot Memorial Plaque Obscured By Wiring And Pipes

Front (Now Side Of Beefeater) Of The Evans (George Eliot) Home In Disrepair

Evans' Farm Outbuildings Neglected And In Disrepair

Round Pond From George Eliot's Novels

The George Eliot Fellowship, dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of their famous, British namesake author and Nuneaton resident, has attempted, unsuccessfully, to persuade Premier Inn, Beefeater and Whitbread to restore the property to its former glory, promoting Eliot and Nuneaton with the respect they deserve. One would think the conglomerate would welcome the notoriety and income from such a famous and historic association, but with a 95% property capacity utilization rate, they apparently simply do not care. Shame on you Whitbread!

Elisa Fierro (Member) and John Burton (Chair - George Eliot Fellowship)

Elisa and John in Front of George Eliot Birthplace and Childhood Home

CombatCritic Gives Premier Inn Nuneaton/Coventry 2 Bombs out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Two Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Tits Up"

TravelValue: England

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

London Gatwick Airport, England: Premier Inn = Weak

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Nuneaton, England George Eliot Must Be Rolling In Her Grave