Premier Inn London City - Old Street

There are loads of hotels, but Premier Inn is the one I count on for a good night's sleep and a nice, powerful shower. The beds are the comfiest, the shower is warm with good pressure, and breakfast is yummy. It’s reliable and consistent. It’s not fancy or posh, and it doesn’t need to be. These basics are all you need.

The delays with my wife’s surgery at Moorfields meant we ended up staying here for three nights when we hadn’t planned to. We were really stressed, but the team made a difficult situation much easier to manage. They were kind to us at dinner and always around when we needed help. They sorted out a late checkout and held our bags, then arranged for us to have our original room on the last night even though we’d checked out six hours earlier. Nothing seemed like too much trouble. Huge thanks to Elly, Naim and Daria for taking care of all this without adding any stress. We’ll never know how much it helped.

I’m editing this because I don’t understand why Google won’t publish my review after I stayed here. I have proof, including photos, a receipt and the booking confirmation. It’s a shame if only positive reviews are allowed. The reception staff were friendly, but that was the only bright spot. I gave the room one star because the first impression was so bad. We paid considerably more for a Premier room on a higher floor, yet its condition was unacceptable. The hallway carpet was visibly filthy, stained and dirty, as if it hadn’t been vacuumed or deep-cleaned for months. Our room had a dirty carpet too, and a chipped wall. The bathroom was the worst part: old hair was sitting in the sink drain, the shower tray wouldn’t drain properly, and I didn’t dare look to see what was blocking it. There was visible mould on the shower head and black mould around the screen frame. The hygiene was appalling. A three-star rating doesn’t excuse poor cleanliness. I don’t expect brand-new furnishings, but I do expect a spotless, hygienic room.

The staff were very friendly and helpful, though, as is often the case with Premier Inns, there seemed to be too few of them at busy times. Housekeeping was a bit hit and miss too: for two people we had only one set of towels, and the hand wash was empty. The duty manager got it sorted when we mentioned it. Our Premier Plus room was on a quiet floor and had a little extra space and useful additions, including a fridge, coffee pod machine and complimentary bottled water. The hotel itself is comfortable and reliable, and the location worked well for me, though it may not suit everyone. It’s at the northern edge of the Square Mile, with an easy walk to Guildhall, Bank, the Royal Exchange, the Thames and Borough Market. Head north for a pleasant walk over the Regent Canal to lively Islington. I’d have liked better maintenance: part of the shower was loose and damaged.