Budget hotels discussion

[Cloud Strife]

That's nice. All the places I've been checking out (not October) have been £100-250 a night. Travelodges can still be found for around £60-70, but sadly many of them are older hotels without air conditioning.

It seems that Premier Inn are perhaps cross-subsidising parts of their operation this way? Having said that, I've checked for 5 nights in London at the end of October, and it's coming up as around £300 in a reasonable area for 5 nights, can't complain about that.

Having said that, it's clear that summertime hotel prices in much of Europe have gone to ridiculous levels.

 

[Andyh82]

I’ve just stayed at one of their “Hub” hotels in London and I couldn’t fault it. I arrived about an hour early expecting to do a bag drop, and they let me check in straight away.

Smaller rooms than a standard PI but clean and modern and with lots of space saving storage such as a drawer in the divan bed as well as a slot for you to put your suitcase. Air con worked well, and with it being a new build there were plugs and usb plugs all over the room.

Breakfast was a bit more ‘cosmopolitan’ so you couldn’t have a full English just part of one, it was weighted more towards continental and it was fancier bread rather than white sliced, but it is cheaper than what PI charge now

One big difference is that there is no tea and coffee making facilities in the room, but you had free usage of the coffee machine in the bar/breakfast area so could make yourself lattes, americanos etc rather than a coffee sachet, and also have access to all the different sorts of tea bags rather than just the normal one they’d put in the room. There was also iced cold water available. I preferred this, but I know some would be annoyed having to go up and down in the lift every time.

 

[Cambrian359]

I always make a point of booking premier inns with the thyme restaurant and take advantage of the breakfast/evening meal deal.havent stayed anywhere overnight since pandemic unfortunately but it would be ashame if that offering is disappearing

 

[Crossover]

The simple solution would be just to get a domestic style simple pop-up toaster labelled "gluten free only" back of house to use for the gluten free bread. They don't need a full salamander grill just for toast. Have the conveyor toaster out front for the wheat containing bread and a regular toaster out back for those with allergens.

Undoubtedly but presume that isn’t up to the local teams but they’re left picking up the pieces. It really all seems quite bizarre to be honest

One thing we did comment about the one we stayed in - passing trade was unlikely as it was poorly signposted, has the A5 on one side and is in an area mostly of corporate offices

Here are the pictures of the PI signs outside the pub. Sorry, on mobile so can’t easily add image descriptions

 

[jon0844]

Love the thinking that you'd go off 10-20 miles to find another restaurant of theirs after they closed the one you wanted to go to!

I found it crazy that they wrote to me and then told me how far I'd need to go for my nearest branch. I've always enjoyed Beefeater but I am not driving 20 miles for one!!

 

[Andyh82]

I always make a point of booking premier inns with the thyme restaurant and take advantage of the breakfast/evening meal deal.havent stayed anywhere overnight since pandemic unfortunately but it would be ashame if that offering is disappearing

Actually the “thyme” style provision will probably end up increasing, as that’s generally the brand they use when it’s an in-hotel restaurant that isn’t really marketed to non hotel guests

I stayed at a PI with a Thyme in Hampshire located on a business park a few months ago and it was still doing meals for hotel guests with no real passing trade. I expect there was only the chef in the kitchen and two front of house staff running the whole thing including the bar.

Love the thinking that you'd go off 10-20 miles to find another restaurant of theirs after they closed the one you wanted to go to!

I found it crazy that they wrote to me and then told me how far I'd need to go for my nearest branch. I've always enjoyed Beefeater but I am not driving 20 miles for one!!

It’s no different than literally every shop or bank that closes down on the high street. They always say where the nearest branch is, which in rural areas might be 10s of miles away.

 

[jon0844]

It’s no different than literally every shop or bank that closes down on the high street. They always say where the nearest branch is, which in rural areas might be 10s of miles away.

That's totally different. If I need to do something at my bank, which I can't do online/post etc, then I have no choice but to jump in my car, bus or whatever to go to that branch.

If I walk to the end of my road for a roast at a now closed pub or restaurant, I don't need to go 20 miles to another one run by the same company. I'll find something else nearby.

I obviously get why they've said it, but it's just laughable.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

That's totally different. If I need to do something at my bank, which I can't do online/post etc, then I have no choice but to jump in my car, bus or whatever to go to that branch.

If I walk to the end of my road for a roast at a now closed pub or restaurant, I don't need to go 20 miles to another one run by the same company. I'll find something else nearby.

I obviously get why they've said it, but it's just laughable.

I suppose they know and accept that but, if Jon0844 really likes his Beefeater, then it is useful to tell him where the next nearest one is. If he has been happy using the one at the end of his road he might never have got round to looking at where any others of the same brand were.

I certainly wouldn't go 20 miles just for a meal but as part of a Sunday day out, with a country drive, visit an attraction, have a meal, then perhaps 20 miles would be within reason.

 

[317 forever]

I’ve just stayed at one of their “Hub” hotels in London and I couldn’t fault it. I arrived about an hour early expecting to do a bag drop, and they let me check in straight away.

Smaller rooms than a standard PI but clean and modern and with lots of space saving storage such as a drawer in the divan bed as well as a slot for you to put your suitcase. Air con worked well, and with it being a new build there were plugs and usb plugs all over the room.

Breakfast was a bit more ‘cosmopolitan’ so you couldn’t have a full English just part of one, it was weighted more towards continental and it was fancier bread rather than white sliced, but it is cheaper than what PI charge now

One big difference is that there is no tea and coffee making facilities in the room, but you had free usage of the coffee machine in the bar/breakfast area so could make yourself lattes, americanos etc rather than a coffee sachet, and also have access to all the different sorts of tea bags rather than just the normal one they’d put in the room. There was also iced cold water available. I preferred this, but I know some would be annoyed having to go up and down in the lift every time.

I had breakfast at a Hub hotel in February. It was cheaper partly due to the lower variety available. However, I just has larger portions of the cooked items available, and everything else I would regular want was available anyway. So, a worthwhile saving.

I thank you for mentioning the lack of tea/coffee facilities in the room. I usually wake up early if away for a transport job. So, provided it is available in the dining area at say 4.30am it needn't be a problem.

 

[jon0844]

In case there was any doubt, the local paper has published the applications for both 'my' Brewers Fayre and Beefeater restaurants to be demolished and for planning to extend the hotels.

 

[Belperpete]

In case there was any doubt, the local paper has published the applications for both 'my' Brewers Fayre and Beefeater restaurants to be demolished and for planning to extend the hotels.

I suppose that in most cases it will be easier to just demolish and build anew than attempt to convert a building purpose built as a restaurant into hotel rooms. Probably get more rooms that way. But does smack of burning their bridges.

 

[jon0844]

I suppose that in most cases it will be easier to just demolish and build anew than attempt to convert a building purpose built as a restaurant into hotel rooms. Probably get more rooms that way. But does smack of burning their bridges.

The Brewers Fayre restaurant has a footprint that can't be far off the size of about half or 2/3rds of the existing rooms so will potentially add a lot of rooms.

More rooms might mean more people wanting to eat.

I wonder how it will pan out and what happens five or ten years from now. Clearly they will never have the space to go back.

Parking might also be an issue, but nobody seems to care about parking these days. I don't know if the council would reject on that basis but probably not.

 

[Citybreak1]

I am surprised Premier inn are struggling. £200 per night central Edinburgh.

 

[jon81uk]

I am surprised Premier inn are struggling. £200 per night central Edinburgh.

I don't think Premier Inn is struggling. Its Brewers Fayre and Beefeater that Whitbread have decided are not profitable, hence the expansion of PI instead.

 

[Ashfordian6]

Another option to throw into the mix of why some of the older/less profitable PI's and TL's are being neglected, could easily be their management have identified them as potential hotels to let to the Government for asylum seekers.

The companies get a guaranteed revenue for X number of years and a free refit at the end. Definitely makes a lot of commercial sense and hence closing the associated pubs to said hotels is the first step to simplifying this process.

 

[Andyh82]

I am surprised Premier inn are struggling. £200 per night central Edinburgh.

You are trying to book a hotel in central Edinburgh in August?!




Even though Travelodge has improved there is still occasional signs that they are very much budget

I’ve just stayed in one where there was a sign on reception saying that the air conditioning was out of order due to ‘circumstances beyond their control’

I.e they don’t even tell you verbally they just stick a sign up and it’s basically tough

I once had similar at a Premier Inn where the air con packed in half way through my stay. They moved me to a different room where it was working and refunded me the cost of a breakfast

 

[gswindale]

You are trying to book a hotel in central Edinburgh in August?!




Even though Travelodge has improved there is still occasional signs that they are very much budget

I’ve just stayed in one where there was a sign on reception saying that the air conditioning was out of order due to ‘circumstances beyond their control’

I.e they don’t even tell you verbally they just stick a sign up and it’s basically tough

I once had similar at a Premier Inn where the air con packed in half way through my stay. They moved me to a different room where it was working and refunded me the cost of a breakfast

What are you expecting? A knock on your room door at 3:30am with the manager standing there making the announcement?

It's not particularly different to walking into a shop to find a sign advising the escalator is out of order.

In addition, from a customer perspective, I can see that they are aware of the issue, so no need to stand around waiting for a member of staff to be available to report it to, plus if turning up on the fly, I can see at a glance there's an issue, so could go elsewhere if I wanted without being told halfway through check-in.

From a staff perspective, after 1 guest has notified them of the issue, I'm sure they would prefer a sign rather than having umpteen people coming up to them to mention it.

 

[Andyh82]

What’s 3:30am got to do with it?

It’s better customer service for the reception staff to tell customers at check in and be apologetic rather than just hoping customers see a dog eared sign that’s clearly been there a while

Air con in a room where you’ve specifically chosen a hotel with air con, in rooms where windows tend to open about 1cm if at all, is a bit more important than an escalator not working

 

[Blindtraveler]

To jump back a few posts, I think Premier Inn are very much struggling, not just the restaurant aspect of things that's showing a few fairly obvious signs of times being tough for starters there is the classic price is up, quality ever so slightly on a downward trajectory, not that many would notice. But as someone who used to spend a lot of money with them and never be disappointed, I've had more disappointing stays in the past couple of years. Then ever before, my parents also have experienced a number of issues which being of the age that doesn't like to complain about stuff and thinks it's acceptable. They have ignored and indeed argued with me when I've advised them to report said issues,


Also a neighbour in a adjacent block of flats to me works for them and has said that whilst they remain good to their employees, well always assuming you don't work in the restaurant end of the business that is just now, they have seen the headcount drop and a move to go more down. The Travelodge model of super minimal staffing at each location. This has gone down well in some cases and very badly in others and there are also apparently a few increasing grievances in some cases with local management who have clearly been on a training course as to how to do things a little more aggressively. I would think that the latter issue. With regards to staffing is definitely one to watch as if you lose the Goodwill and motivation amongst your workforce you're going to run into problems. This has been one of my long-term complaints about a couple of the other budget chains where the staff are genuinely disinterested and the entire experience suffers as a result
In their defence. However, it is nice to see them refurbishing hotels again, which was for obvious reasons stopped during and after the pandemic and at the time they work quite honest and open about having to put prices up in order to restart refurbishment to add. Indeed larger scale maintenance of things. Maybe they have a maintenance backlog, but they do seem to be more issues these days. Or perhaps that's simply because there's more stuff to go wrong in a modern day Premier in compared to the past?
Returning once again to price. However, I fear that they are heading down the dangerous path of assuming that like walker's, crisps or Heinz beans. They are such a well-established brand that they can charge whatever they like and get away with it, this is simply not true as the last four or five times I've gone to book a hotel. I found a similar or better quality offering for at least 30 lb less in the same area for the stays. Concerned then Premier in and so they do need to be careful as they may have already gone a little too far on this one

 

[Peter Sarf]

Of course guests at Premier Inn have to contribute towards the cost of the advertising. There seems to be more advertising than pre-Covid19. I wonder how much this affects prices ?. If the advertising brings in more money after costs than without advertising then the temptation is to advertise more and more. This would work regardless of quality as long as new punters can be enticed.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Very valid points

 

[Belperpete]

If the advertising brings in more customers, then it will inevitably increase prices. That is the nature of demand-led pricing. Both because the cheap rates will get snapped up faster, and because the higher occupancy rate will lead to a rise in the base price.

I recall that PI expanded in a big way a decade or two back. All those hotels that were fresh and new back then, are now getting old and tired. Unfortunately refurbishment involves a significant expense, and loss of income while they do it.

 

[jon0844]

Of course guests at Premier Inn have to contribute towards the cost of the advertising. There seems to be more advertising than pre-Covid19. I wonder how much this affects prices ?. If the advertising brings in more money after costs than without advertising then the temptation is to advertise more and more. This would work regardless of quality as long as new punters can be enticed.

They don't allow their rates to be shown on price comparison sites and after a while, I guess people don't automatically think 'Premier Inn' as their first choice and go straight to the app. The fact the app is buggy and makes it quite hard to search for places (or let you view all hotels in any given area, allowing you to think 'Let's organise a weekend away and choose where to go by the cheapest hotel') means people may just exit that and go to booking.com - which means no booking for Premier Inn.

The end result is needing to advertise more, which costs money.

 

[RailAleFan]

I only discovered this recently; Travelodge have a pricefinder tool that lets you browse rates (if available) simply by location using a calendar view without having to make a specific search...

Price Finder

pricefinder.travelodge.co.uk

 

[bspahh]

I only discovered this recently; Travelodge have a pricefinder tool that lets you browse rates (if available) simply by location using a calendar view without having to make a specific search...

Price Finder

pricefinder.travelodge.co.uk

When Travelodge and Premier Inn have a special offer, its worth looking at HotUKDeals.com where they list some of the better deals, and often link to a Google Sheet with more detail. I don't think they update that, so it might list prices which are no longer avaiable, but early on, they are a quick way to see cheap nights at lots of hotels without having to do a load of searches.

 

[Belperpete]

I only discovered this recently; Travelodge have a pricefinder tool that lets you browse rates (if available) simply by location using a calendar view without having to make a specific search...

Price Finder

pricefinder.travelodge.co.uk

Accor have a similar calendar view on their website, for Ibis, Mercure, etc. It allows you to quickly scan for the cheap days, and which are the ridiculously expensive. However, it is worth remembering that prices can go down, sometimes very substantially, presumably if a large group cancel.

 

[johntea]

Stayed at a ‘easyHotel’ in Manchester this week

It’s exactly what I expected, a tiny room with just enough room for the bed and bathroom

No desk, no kettle (that sneaky Stellios kindly had a fancy coffee machine in the corridor…if you were prepared to donate it £2!), but they’ve gone *slightly* too far by not even putting a bin in the room unless the cleaners just forgot!

But on the flip side an actual air conditioning unit and free WiFi which I tested as running around 120MB!

The main attraction of course pounds and pence, whilst Travelodge and Premier Inn wanted a minimum of £150 for the 2 nights easyHotel came in at a much more attractive £90

More a hotel suitable for someone solo who just wants to get their head down I would say but I would stay again overall I think

<5 minutes walk to Piccadilly station too although there hardly seems to be a shortage of hotels in the area that would also match that goal!

 

[route101]

I am surprised Premier inn are struggling. £200 per night central Edinburgh.

Seen over £300 for one in Dublin.

 

[Kite159]

Seen over £300 for one in Dublin.

Isn't that normal pricing for Dublin?

 

[Blindtraveler]

That has certainly been my experience, I'd love to spend a night or two in Dublin, but it's just beyond my wildest high price range.
And someone I know spotted 500 lb for an Edinburgh Premier Inn during August