Premier Inn Bournemouth Westbourne

The staff were friendly and clearly trying their best, but seemed overworked, covering the bar, reception and restaurant at once. On my second visit, the reception bell wasn't working and the sign was unclear, so I waited a long time before realising I had to go to the bar to check in. Parking is £10. Both visits were disappointing, and the first was bad enough that I changed rooms: the bed looked unmade and a stain showed through the sheet. Staff moved me quickly, but the second room still had problems. I booked again at the last minute hoping it would be better, but it wasn't. The toilet smelled and had a suspicious stain on the seat, there were hairs around the room, and it was freezing at night. The air conditioning didn't seem to work properly, the bathroom fan was very loud, there was no socket by the bed, and the chair was badly stained. It was my worst night's sleep at a Premier Inn. I didn't complain this time because I'd already tried different rooms on my previous stay. The hotel needs an upgrade and better cleaning. I hope the owners actually read reviews and make improvements.

Our family room had the heating running at 24C, and the windows were screwed shut, so we couldn't cool it down for the boys to sleep. We also asked reception for a travel cot, but it never arrived. A broken hanger with a staple sticking out was another letdown. This is mostly what I'd expect from a Premier Inn, and you do get what you pay for to some extent, but we've had better stays at other branches.

The staff were pleasant and nice, though they seemed short-staffed given the state of the room. Dust covered the walls and the air con, and asking for a clean didn't seem to get those areas sorted. The kettle was awful inside, and I noticed bits floating in my hot drink. A constant noise outside the window kept waking us, and I didn't want to use the air con with all that dust on it. At breakfast, dirty plates were mixed in with the clean ones, some marked with egg, and one cup had lipstick around the rim. I stayed a week to visit family. I've used Premier Inns all my life when travelling, and this is the only bad experience I've had.

The staff at the hotel wouldn't answer the phone despite my calling several times over several days. Customer care didn't help either, just blaming other departments. A couple of the workers I met during the stay deserved five stars, though they didn't seem happy, and after my dealings with the hotel and Premier Inn customer care I can see why. I found the price was Premier and everything else was very poor. This could have been resolved, but no one at Premier Inn seemed willing to handle it and just passed the issue on, leaving the customer to pay. On arrival, there was no parking, and after an eight-hour drive I followed the receptionist's advice and parked on the street about half a mile away. Now I have a fine because I drove into their car park to find nowhere to park. Thank you for making me choose different hotels from now on. Bournemouth is a beautiful place, but these aren't the memories I wanted from our trip. I'd advise choosing another hotel unless they resolve these company issues.