Premier Inn Manchester Central

I usually choose Premier Inn and have had good stays at other locations, so this one was a real letdown. The hot water wasn't working, and we were told the boilers had failed the day before, broken again, and contractors were due that morning. I understand things go wrong, but nobody let us know before we arrived or at check-in. Not being able to shower was frustrating. The trams outside were extremely loud all night. Even with earplugs I could hear them clearly. I've stayed at other busy Premier Inn locations where the soundproofing was excellent, so I hadn't expected this. Reception said nothing could be done. I was also told that, because I'd booked just one night, I'd been given a noisier room and should have asked for a quiet one. I'd never stayed here before, so I didn't know to request that. There was no compensation or goodwill gesture, which was especially disappointing given the “Good Night Guarantee.” This wasn't the usual Premier Inn standard for me.

Checking out now after a midweek night here with my son. I'd had good stays at Premier Inn before and wasn't expecting five-star, but our room still fell short. Paint was peeling from the bathroom skirting, the light fittings were dirty and damaged, and the bottle opener was hanging upside down. There were also beard trimmings from a previous guest on the bathroom sink. Breakfast was a poor experience too. I asked for veggie sausages and was told they could make some since they weren't on the buffet. I waited half an hour, then gave up. The person I'd ordered from ignored me once we sat down, and because we were short on time I didn't try ordering again.

The staff were lovely, but the stay itself was disappointing. We arrived late on Friday with our two children after travelling from Scotland for the Bricktastic event. In the room, one of the children's beds was made up, but the second had no bedding. My husband had to ask reception, and we were told the bedding should have been in a bag for us to make the bed ourselves. They brought it up, but after the journey we were exhausted and had a car-sick toddler who needed sleep. At £150 a night plus breakfast, I expected the beds to be ready, especially by 8:30pm. Breakfast was poor as well: watery scrambled eggs, undercooked beans and barely cooked sausages. We'll choose a different hotel for the event next year.

The bar and dining area were open late, with a couple of cheerful chaps serving drinks during the week. The location was great, and the staff were very helpful. Several of us were struggling with the self-service check-in machine, but a lovely staff member was there straight away to help.