Premier Inn Braintree - A120

The welcome at the desk was lovely, and the kids' room had a cracker and an activity pack, which was a nice gesture. The beds were comfortable too. Breakfast is available right next door, so it's handy for a quick stop. But this room was much dirtier than I'd expect. There was black grime around the bath overflow that came off with a tissue, biscuit crumbs under the bed, and dust on the headboard wall and lights. The TV flickered while we watched it. We usually like Premier Inn, but the mess put me off this particular one, and we probably wouldn't stay here again. See the photos.

There were cobwebs all over our room. Breakfast isn't a buffet, and cooked food takes a while. I'd skip paying for breakfast here and walk the 30 steps to the pub instead.

The breakfast was very good: the food was cooked well, and they provided a full allergen menu when we asked. The bed was comfortable and the room seemed clean, though it was very basic, really just somewhere to sleep with a bathroom. The room heater wasn't working, and it was 15 degrees, which would have been uncomfortably cold. The online check-in information also made no sense and caused us unnecessary stress and a rush at the end of our family visit and Christmas holiday. Yulia on reception was so helpful, polite, professional, and personable. She saved the day, and one of my three stars is definitely for her. She's an asset.

I was there for three months while unwell, and the experience was awful. I'm disabled and was given a room by the stairs, so I could hear people going up and down all day. Staff said they had only two disabled rooms, which meant I had to go a long way down the corridor when I couldn't walk. There was banging outside my door constantly, poor air circulation, lots of flies, an old building, and not enough hot water. With no internet, I couldn't order food online. I know bringing deliveries to my door isn't their job, but when I can't walk, that kind of small help would have made a difference. The way I was treated made things worse. When I asked if someone could look at dirt in the bath, staff told my family they felt threatened. I'm a bigger man, so I suppose they decided I was some kind of threat. They also told my family they weren't sure how disabled I was because I could hold on to the walls while walking. Most staff ignored me or looked away at the front desk. One young woman and an African man were kind to me. I hope new management comes in and the place gets rebuilt.