Premier Inn Harrogate Town Centre

The staff were friendly, and we slept well. The location is good, with a car park next door, though it cost us £20. Compared with the lovely York Layerthorpe where we stayed the night before, this one was disappointing and needs updating. The paint was peeling, there was a smell of smoke, and the toilet kept running. They moved us, which was good, but that first room shouldn't have been given to anyone.

The staff I did see were friendly and helpful, but there weren't many around. The restaurant's evening menu was extremely limited. We sat waiting to be served, then gave up and went into town to eat because no staff were visible. The car park was expensive at £20 for 24 hours, and you'd think Premier Inn could have negotiated a discount. The room was tatty and needed a facelift. The carpet hadn't been vacuumed, including the corridor outside. There was no hairdryer, despite the website room information saying there would be one, and there was no menu or other information in the room. We only had one set of towels, so I had to go down to reception for more. The bathroom ceiling light didn't work, leaving only the lights behind the basin. Dirty linen was piled in the corridor. Altogether, a huge disappointment. I'll choose Travelodge next time.

The room they first gave us was unclean, with an overwhelming smell of damp and stale drains. When we checked it, the toilet seat fell off. The replacement room was better, but had no hot water and black mould covering the bathroom ceiling. We won't be back.

The staff were working incredibly hard and did a great job, so I don't blame them for how badly things were run. With only one person covering the evening restaurant and bar, and one chef, we waited more than 90 minutes for a meal, and large parts of the menu weren't available. They even ran out of coleslaw. There was one check-in desk, and the self-check-in machine seemed to be permanently out of order. I come once a year for an event that I know gets busy. For a budget hotel next to the venue, they should have enough staff for the yearly rush when people arrive at the same time. It's a management failure, and disappointing when there are so many other options nearby. They should pay for more staff and run the place like a proper hotel instead of an overwhelmed B&B. That would be better for management and the company too. The rooms themselves are standard Premier Inn, which is what we expect and like.