Premier Inn Nottingham Arena - London Road

This has been my favourite Premier Inn so far, and I’ve stayed in lots. Great value, really friendly staff and very clean rooms. The kids even had little Christmas gifts waiting in our room. Breakfast was freshly cooked rather than buffet style, which was a nice bonus. Highly recommend.

Fine for a night’s stopover, though the hotel feels old and dated. The room was spacious but dated too. The heater was quiet at 18C, but turning it up to 20C made it emit a high-pitched noise all night. Reception is poorly signposted, so guests try the wrong door and have to buzz the intercom just to be redirected to another entrance.

The location is excellent for the arena, but for a city centre Premier Inn regular, I found this below par. The room was freezing because the heater didn’t work. Reception only gave me a plug-in heater after I reported it, and this really should have been checked before anyone was put in the room. There was mould all over the bathroom ceiling, the towels weren’t replaced during my two-night stay, and breakfast was either burnt or undercooked. The Leonardo across the street may be a better choice.

The room was clean and in good condition, and breakfast and dinner were the usual ample, efficient meals served promptly. The restaurant is in the basement beside the canal basin, which gives it some character. The location is handy for the city, ice rink, train station and even the football grounds. It didn’t seem very busy, and parking spaces were available at a fair price for the centre, though the car park isn’t run by Premier Inn. There’s no air conditioning, if that matters to you.