Premier Inn Southsea

The next morning, when we mentioned that the room was cold, the receptionist said other guests had raised it too and that the control panels had changed from white to black. The night before, my wife couldn’t adjust the temperature, so she spent the rest of the night in her clothes and woolly hat. There weren’t any spare blankets. We’d booked a twin, but were told it was a double, and they reluctantly made up a single bed for us. When we contacted the Premier Inn call centre to give feedback, the operator immediately said they couldn’t offer compensation. We weren’t asking for compensation. An apology from someone at reception or the call centre would have been a start. We won’t be staying there again. Future guests should know what happened.

We’ll definitely come back. The reception staff were welcoming, and the room was clean with the view we wanted. From the bed, you could see the sea through one window, which really needed a clean. The outside of the building could use some attention too, though we were there out of season and didn’t have any other complaints.

The location was good and most of the staff were friendly, but the rooms let this place down. We stayed three nights, and it was the worst Premier Inn room I’ve had. It smelled very damp, and although we asked to move, the hotel was full. The whole place feels like it needs to close for a few months for updating. We often choose Premier Inn for short breaks because we usually know what to expect. I wouldn’t stay at this one again.

The car park was in a really poor state. When we came back to the car in the morning, part of the roof had fallen onto it. There was also so much noise in our room. We seemed to be under a walkway, and it sounded as if an Irish dance troupe had been rehearsing overnight. I didn’t go down to reception, though, in keeping with that British stiff upper lip unless there’s a water leak. The reception staff were friendly and welcoming, and the location is great. I’ve always liked Premier Inn, but this old, creaky building made it hard to sleep. We didn’t get the good night’s sleep the chain promises. A very bad stay this time.