Premier Inn Southend on Sea (Eastern Esplanade)

We arrived at 3am after a long drive and were met by staff who were warm, energetic and welcoming. Parking was easy, with plenty of spaces, and cost £8. The large sea view room was comfortable and clean, with wonderful beds, air-conditioning and a good shower. Those helped me overlook a broken shelf for the hairdryer, as if someone had sat on it, and cracks in some bathroom tiles. I'm sure a Premier Plus refit is on the cards soon. The sea view made the stay nicer for me than the Premier Inn closer to the airport. I'd stay here again if flying from Southend.

The location right on the seafront is great, with a 10-15 minute walk to the pier and main attractions. The car park at the rear is large and costs £8 a day. Breakfast was fine, but on my last stay I tried to add a meal deal so I could eat there on Friday night and was told the restaurant was closed. I've stayed here a couple of times. One visit was in a lovely sea view room, and the other time I had a room at the back. Both were a good size and clean, with a shower over the bath. It was off season, but reception was unmanned much of the time I was there, and the restaurant also seemed short staffed.

The way we were treated was shocking. Staff told us no phone charger was available, although they clearly had chargers and simply wouldn't help. We were flat-out lied to. It left me feeling that staff were there to collect money rather than care about guests. To me, this was negligence, dishonesty and contempt for paying customers, not hospitality. For more than £100 a night, I expected basic amenities, but there was no toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo or shower gel. Even budget hostels do better. None of the room's USB sockets worked, so guests couldn't even charge their phones in 2026. That's unacceptable. I'm requesting a full refund for the poor service, missing basic facilities and unacceptable treatment. I genuinely don't understand how this place gets a 3-star rating when 1-star hotels and hostels give much better service and honesty.

The food was a letdown. We had smothered chicken, but the portion of chicken was very tight. The cheesecake had awful texture and taste, and the sticky toffee pudding was tasteless. At 9am breakfast, there were no bananas, hardly any pastries, and the sausages were cheap and nasty. In room 418, the hand towel was loose and the toilet seat was half hanging off. We were surprised there was no fridge. Although extra tea and coffee were available, there were only two sugars in the room when we arrived. I use four per cup, so that wasn't enough.