Premier Inn Honiton

The beds were comfy as always, and breakfast was yummy. The front desk guy was friendly, though I felt for him because he seemed to be doing everything, from serving food to checking people in. We had a small issue in the room and reported it. He said he’d go up and fix it himself. I hope they pay staff extra for that kind of role! The place seemed short staffed. We couldn’t get the meal deal we’d ordered ahead because the only time offered was 8.30pm, too late for my eight-year-old. They refunded it, but it was a bit annoying since we didn’t want to go out again. We did enjoy our night’s stay.

Cheap and cheerful, but I wouldn’t bring a family here. It’s more of a bed for the night for contractors. The room looked clean, but smelled extremely strange. I couldn’t be bothered with the hassle of moving, so I stayed. Nearby, a huge dehumidifier was running 24/7 to dry out an external door by the lift after flooding, and the area stank of damp. The on-site restaurant was closed for the evening for some unknown reason when I arrived at 5pm. The walls and ceilings are thin. I could hear the man above me snoring loudly through the ceiling. There was no phone signal or data connection at all, and the free WiFi was under 1mb, so expect to pay £5 for 24 hours of premium WiFi at 25mb.

We’ve stayed here several times for short breaks because it’s close to Lyme Regis and Charmouth, but we’ll look elsewhere next time. The price is reasonable, but I’d rather pay more and get what I pay for than have another awful experience. We’ve never managed an evening meal here. The restaurant is either closed, or staff discourage people from eating there because they might get “overwhelmed”. It’s sad to see a place with so much potential run so poorly. The evening restaurant is shocking, and the rooms and corridors are dirty. Reception is often unmanned, even when you need something. Staff seem unenthusiastic, and the lack of proper management and resources shows throughout. Breakfast was okay, but the front of house staff seemed uninterested. They grouped together, chatted loudly and used their phones, making work and customers seem like an inconvenience.

The food wasn’t good for me, though I’m not blaming the staff. Everything on the breakfast menu was marked vegetarian and vegan, but there was no effort at all for people who can’t eat gluten. It’s so frustrating to wait to be seated and then be confronted with a whole load of paperwork. The food itself was okay, and the rooms were clean with good beds. The heating took ages to warm the room when it was very cold outside. Breakfast is always the same.