Staying in central London can be expensive and stressful if driving. Premier Travel Inn in London is a cheap and easy alternative.
LOCATION
Kenton Road is in a pretty good location and the best thing you notice once you drive in is the large free car park. This was important for us as we didn’t really know the area and so needed somewhere safe to park. Nearby there are lots of shops where you can buy food and any essentials that you forget to pack! It is next to a Beefeater so getting food is not a problem. There is a tube station nearby which is also very convenient for getting to places.
THE HOTEL
Premier Lodge and Travel Inn have joined together to create the Premier Travel Inn. And they are the leading UK company when it comes to budget value hotels. If you need a cot in your room be sure to let them know when booking the room. This will save hassle once you get there. Breakfast buffet at the hotel costs £7.50 which is good if you can eat lots in the morning- but for us it wasn’t worth it as we woke up just minutes before check-out time. I like the fact there is seating in the lobby so if there’s a wait for the reception desk you can take a seat. They also have a snacks machine in the lobby which is good for late night munchies, when you feel too lazy to go out and buy something.
CHECKING IN
You can check in from 2.00pm. It is a simple procedure (the room was booked online), on arriving at the hotel you give them the name under which the booking was made. You will be given a simple form to fill in and will be asked to pay. Once you have paid you are given a card key and given the reception number in case you need anything. It only took ten minutes to check in and everything went smoothly, especially as the room was booked online.
THE ROOM
We booked a family room as there were five of us sharing a room. Now I’ve stayed at a Premier Travel Inn before- but always in a twin with a friend. I was surprised at how similar the rooms were to a twin. In fact the only difference is that with a family room you get a mattress on the floor. You get a double bed and a futon-style small bed (which didn’t open as we assumed it would- neither did the odd shaped cushions make another bed).
You also get a chair, a desk/table type thing, a mirror, a standard picture on the wall, mirror behind desk, bedside tables, bedside lamps, a very cheap open door style wardrobe (but the hangers were appreciated!), a Bible (I still think its weird that hotels provide this), a hairdryer, a television with some satellite channels, and a radio alarm. A nice touch is the kettle and tea/coffee making items you get. We also got a small pack of biscuits. You also get an ensuite bathroom, with extra toilet rolls and towels. I am pleased they got rid of the awful purple shower gel they did in those tiny bottles (they probably got stolen all the time). Now they have Lux shower gel attached to the wall. The shower is good quality, and the shower curtain stopped any overspray which is always good. You also get two extra pillows on top of the wardrobe which is a nice touch. I was pleased to note that high speed internet access is available by WiFi- but I didn’t test it out as I didn’t take a laptop.
One negative aspect about the room was the lighting- it really was inadequate. When putting on makeup in the actual room I ended up putting all the lights on. The beds were both in good shape, firm and clean. I would’ve appreciated some extra blankets as it got chilly in the night and one of the girls was sleeping on the floor, but apart from that it was fine. The décor is definitely on the budget side, so don’t expect anything chic or modern and you won’t be disappointed. However everything is clean which is important to me. You do have a thermostatic heater which is attached to the wall and was adequate for the mild weather. Check-out was fast (as I find it always is) and just involved returning the key.
FINAL VERDICT
The room is perfectly sufficient for a clubbing weekend stay, although I wouldn’t choose it for a romantic weekend with a partner. I love the card key as it fits easily into wallets and is easy to take out with you. I also think that the family room wasn’t adequate for five people to sleep in so be warned. One big negative for light sleepers is the noise from nearby trains. We didn’t really notice it as we crashed as soon as we got in from our night out. Overall I’d recommend this hotel if it is budget accommodation you want. It is a safe, clean place and pretty good service too- but the best thing about it is the location for what we wanted. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again if we split rooms or there were less of us travelling.
PRICES AND HOTEL INFORMATION
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