Premier Inn Birmingham Oldbury - M5 Jct2

We were travelling with our toddler, and the room worked really well for us. The hotel kindly provided a crib when we mentioned we needed one. The room was great, and the main road location made it easy to get to nearby places. Breakfast wasn’t included because of the refurbishment, but we enjoyed the simple takeaway options, like croissants and coffee. We had a lovely stay and hope to visit again.

At £125 a night, the breakfast offering was pretty poor: a wrapped pastry and machine coffee. The restaurant was being renovated, so there was no dinner either. I didn’t have a car, which left KFC as the nearest option. The website didn’t mention the restaurant closure until after I’d booked. My room at the front was noisy, with cars revving in the car park and drive-through traffic. Inside, it looked tired and in need of decorating. There was no toilet roll, bits all over the carpet, and a curtain hanging off its clips. The bathroom extractor was as loud as a jet engine. Staff were polite and welcoming when I arrived. At checkout I mentioned the dirty floor and was told they use robot vacuums, which don’t always clean it properly. They may need to check and clean rooms manually.

I was staying for a family wedding and had a comfortable night. The room was clean and quiet, and I slept well, just as I’d expect at Premier Inn. I already knew the restaurant was closed, so that didn’t bother me. The difficulty came after checkout. There were no toilets or changing facilities for guests waiting to travel. That’s inconvenient if, for instance, you’re heading straight to the airport and want to freshen up or change before your flight. It was a comfortable stay overall, but access to a restroom or a small space for departing guests would have helped.

The coffee machine was often missing basics like beans or milk, which took away from the stay. Staff didn’t seem to take enough responsibility for keeping these simple services available. The hotel is also a bit outside the city centre, which can be inconvenient if you need to go into town several times.