Premier Inn London Kensington - Olympia

The room had a nice touch with the wall artwork, plus bathroom products and a Nespresso coffee machine. It was really spacious, and the ottoman, sofa chair, dressing table, and sockets beside the bed made it a big step up from a regular room. I’d never booked a Premier Inn Plus room before, but after staying on the 18th of November, I’d choose one again. The free ultimate Wi-Fi was included, though our own data was faster. The heating couldn’t be adjusted, and the window quality made it noisy at times. We were out most of the day, so it didn’t bother us much. I didn’t catch their names, but the blonde receptionist working around 12:30pm was especially friendly and helpful, as was the brunette receptionist downstairs at about 1:30am. The location’s handy, near Earl’s Court tube station and lots of shops and food options. I’d definitely return, thanks :)

We came to London for Remembrance weekend, me and a veteran who uses a wheelchair. The outside lift was out of order when we arrived, so getting up and down the entrance stairs was a struggle. Our rooms were cramped and very small. On Sunday afternoon, we got back to find the beds untouched, no fresh towels, and no cleaning done. Reception said we should have put a sign on the door asking for the rooms to be cleaned, which was new to us. We explained we hadn’t known, but the receptionist claimed we’d been told at check-in. He had checked us in himself and hadn’t said that. Nothing was done, as housekeeping had left by 4pm. We got a couple of clean towels, but they wouldn’t even collect the dirty ones. We were offered a complaint card, as if that would fix it. Breakfast was another hassle. Items weren’t on display, so we kept having to ask for them. The waitress was on her phone and I had to interrupt her to ask about marmalade, which she had to dig out of the jams. The dining tables were old, worn, and sticky enough that my jacket and glass kept sticking to them. The food itself was good, though portions were on the small side. Staff seemed disinterested, including people having personal conversations near us while we ate. They also spoke to each other in a foreign language in front of guests. Having stayed in hundreds of hotels and worked in hotels in Portugal, I’ve never seen staff show so little care or interest in clients. I’ll never return and will be talking to customer relations.

It was fine for a quick overnight stop before heading out in the morning. The hotel’s quite dated, but it did the job, and being close to Earls Court Tube Station was handy. There are plenty of places to eat near the station, so I’d take the short walk instead of dining at the hotel.

The bathroom smelled strange as soon as we arrived, and it got much worse overnight. My son opened the door while we were sleeping, and by the early hours the whole room smelled of drains and mold. It was so overpowering that I couldn’t use the bathroom properly or shower. We left the next morning still smelling of sewage, which was embarrassing and unhygienic. I stayed at the Premier Inn Kensington Olympia in September, and the experience was very unpleasant. Guest Relations later said I should have spoken to staff during the night because they’re available 24/7. I don’t think it should be my job to check a room for obvious problems, and if staff are always available, I don’t understand why a room with that smell was allocated. Premier Inn offered only a partial refund, even though the bathroom was unusable and the stay was ruined. Apparently sewage smells and being unable to shower don’t qualify for the “Good Night Guarantee” they promise. This wasn’t the service or quality I expected, and it didn’t reflect the standards Premier Inn advertises.