Premier Inn Keswick

The location is great, and the room was comfortable and warm with lovely views. I’d stay again, but be ready for some waits at breakfast. We arrived at 1445 and our room wasn’t ready. After they took our names, we waited 20 minutes in reception, then a huge check-in queue formed. We complained that we’d already given our names. Otherwise, we might have been sent to the back of the queue again. Breakfast was nice, and there were good continental choices and nice coffee, but arrive at 0930 or later and things are drying out, with rubbery eggs. I had to wait to order my veggie option, and got sausage on the first day, then sausage and bacon on the second. There were two different chefs. Drew stepped in at the last minute to cover for another chef who was poorly. On the second day they’d run out of eggs and beans, so I waited another 6 minutes for those and 15 minutes for my veggie option. The food was okay, but expect to wait.

Absolutely lovely hotel, and the staff and service were lovely too. The room was brilliant and very comfortable, with really quiet air con. The only thing I disliked was Horizon parking’s greed. They manage the car park and charge £12 per night, with no guarantee of a space. In my opinion, that isn’t Premier Inn’s fault.

The building, room and view were lovely, and it’s a prime location. Still, the stay was disappointing for a Premier Inn because breakfast let us down. The room price was okay, but £12 a night for a cramped car park felt like too much. We paid cash for breakfast the night before and had to show ID, supposedly because of some laughable anti-money laundering company policy. In the morning they had no record of the payment, though luckily we kept the receipt. Half the full English was cold. I never usually ask for a food refund, but did this time, and we had to go back a second time to check it had gone through. I heard other guests complaining about breakfast too, so it wasn’t just us. The fire alarm woke us in the morning, though maybe that was just bad luck. The staff seemed okay and did try, but the place feels understaffed and makes simple things more complicated than they need to be. I’d probably return, if they sort the breakfast out to match other Premier Inns. Otherwise, I’d eat elsewhere in Keswick.

I’m a real fan of Premier Inn, as the consistent experience is a big plus and it’s affordable for families. The staff were friendly, and it’s within walking distance of trails and the city centre. Parking was available too. But I did have a few issues here. The rooms have a “clean your room on request” policy, which I appreciate environmentally. I asked for clean towels for the family, since the kids needed them. The receptionist was very kind, but asked my room number three times and wrote down a different one. I’m not sure what happened, but the towels still hadn’t arrived when we got back that evening. Not a huge problem, but they shouldn’t advertise room cleaning so prominently if it doesn’t happen. Breakfast was a good deal, though there was often a wait and sometimes no hot food. If it’s served until 10:30, customers shouldn’t be told at 10:15 that there are no eggs left. The selection was limited but okay. More annoying, my child found two hairs in his food. On the first day the whole restaurant area was full of smoke, as the kitchen seemed to have an issue and food was burning. That can happen, but it’s a rough start to the day when your clothes smell greasy. The windows don’t open, probably due to modern building and energy-efficiency regulations. I found the rooms felt quite “air-dusty,” which can irritate you if you’re not used to it.