Premier Inn Waltham Abbey

Nicola went out of her way to welcome me when I arrived. She’s exactly the person you want to meet at the door. All the staff were professional, friendly, and courteous, and I felt like family during my two nights at the Premier Inn. The rooms are clean and comfortable. My only issue is that they don’t have king-sized beds. As a tall gentleman, one would have made my stay that much better. I highly recommend this hotel.

The staff here work incredibly hard to keep a stay enjoyable and affordable. This time Elena and Nicola hosted us, and they were always smiling and ready to help with anything. Our grandchildren joined us for a lovely breakfast cooked by our favourite breakfast chef. We always stay at Premier Inn, and of all the ones we’ve visited, this is our favourite.

Check-in was efficient, and the room was clean and well equipped, though it smelled a bit damp. The next morning, breakfast cost 10.99 and was quite disgraceful. We arrived at 9:30 to find no meat products or hash browns, only beans and tomatoes. Breakfast came in bits: first one slice of bacon with a hash brown, then later a sausage on its own. I don’t eat eggs, and my husband’s was overcooked. It was extremely busy and they were clearly understaffed. One woman seemed to work nonstop refilling things in the restaurant, while others wandered around without seeming to know what to do or working at much pace. The chef was alone with two ovens and a packed restaurant, concentrating on tomatoes and mushrooms, with seemingly no meat. He checked his phone, then handled tomatoes without gloves or washing his hands, which wasn’t great for hygiene, though perhaps he needed another person to help. After breakfast our key card wouldn’t let us into the corridor to our room. We spoke to reception and tried again, but it still didn’t work. Another couple arrived and their card failed too. The receptionist opened the door with a smug flourish, as if we’d been doing it wrong, then disappeared. Our card still wouldn’t let us into the room, but luckily she was there to help us get in and say it was our fault because the card had been near a mobile phone. It hadn’t. The stay was expensive and poor value. Premier Inn needs to up its game and hire more staff who can provide better service and food if it’s going to charge these prices.

We got there before our booked time, and receptionist Ginesa was very kind. The whole stay was wonderful. I’d definitely recommend it, one of the best hotels in the area.