Premier Inn Skipton North - Gargrave

For £80 for two nights in February 2026, it was a pleasant stay, though I probably wouldn’t pay more. We didn’t eat at the restaurant, but tried the chippy and curry house, both lovely, and the pubs were great too. Our newer style room was clean, warm and well kept. The bathroom looked a bit tired, probably from having no ventilation, but there were no signs of mould or damp. Maybe we got lucky with our room. The corridors were a bit rough around the edges and could do with a refurb, though I might not have noticed without reading reviews beforehand. The hotel itself smelt fine, despite the reviews making me expect much worse. Check in was easy, the staff were polite, and registering the car for free parking caused no problems. We booked this weekend away without checking reviews, as Premier Inn has usually been good for us. I only saw them a few days before the stay while looking at the area on Google Maps, and started worrying about what I’d booked.

The bed was clean and comfortable, and the blackout curtains worked a treat, but the rest of the room was vile. My shower had black mould, the loo seat was yellow stained around the rim, soap containers and bins were rusty, and there were tea marks on the bathroom surfaces. The information booklets had old stains too. The hotel smelt overwhelmingly damp and foisty, and a noise from the cleaning room next door went on all night. Staff were pleasant, but seemed up against it. The chef had left the day before, so there were no hot breakfasts, and apparently there are lots of posts saying “chef left.” This place is tired, mouldy and dirty. It needs closing for redecoration and repair, including the leaking radiators. The mould needs properly cleaning out of the shower and its surrounds, then the wood should be dried, treated and repainted after cleaning. The skirting boards need the same attention, and even a handyman from the village could tidy things up and paint the outside. It’s basic stuff. Never again.

Anya was so thoughtful the next morning. When I told her why we were in Skipton, she gave me a lovely note and a packet of biscuits. We’d travelled up from Surrey for a funeral last Friday, and got delayed by the storm. I phoned to ask if dinner was still possible, as they were closing early because of the weather. Anya checked with the chef, then called back to say he’d have our food ready if we told her what we wanted. He did exactly that. That’s customer service. Sometimes the people working there matter more than the rooms. I book a lot of hotels, especially Premier Inns, and don’t always hear positive feedback from my engineers. Anya’s a credit to the hotel, and so is the chef. 😄

The friendly, efficient staff were no trouble at all, and the location was ideal for exploring Yorkshire and the North, depending how far you want to go. We got a really good price for the week, as it was on the lower tariff. The hotel is quite dated and feels like it hasn’t been updated in a long time. There are no modern fittings such as USB sockets, and although the bathroom was clean, it needs refurbishing. We didn’t eat at the pub next door since there were other places to eat. We’ve stayed at many Premier Inns around the country and would stay here again.