Premier Inn Whitstable

The room felt stale when we walked in, wasn’t very clean, and could do with a refurb. The beds were comfortable, but I don’t think housekeeping spent much time on the rooms. The food was good, and credit to the chef, who seemed badly overworked. Staffing was the real problem during our one-night stay: I saw just three people, a chef, a waitress and a receptionist. The receptionist kept having to leave the desk to help in the restaurant, then rush back, so one waitress was serving dinner on her own. They even had to turn diners away and ask them to return in 45 minutes, despite the restaurant not being full. We’d both ordered burgers and chips, but mine arrived five minutes before my husband’s. The restaurant is tiny, about the size of two rooms knocked together, with one small kitchen. There’s no bar, just bottled or canned drinks in a fridge, and they were overpriced. The website had led me to expect a proper restaurant with a bar, so the setup was disappointing.

The awkward little counter for the breakfast extras would make eating there when it’s busy a pain. Coffee, tea, bread, toaster, cereals, fruit, juice and milk are all squeezed in there, with mugs, plates, glasses and bowls on shelves underneath. People end up asking each other to move while they reach below waist level for things. Cooked breakfast isn’t self-service anymore. One waitress was taking orders and serving the whole restaurant, so ours took ages to reach us and sat under the heat lamps for a while. The bacon was very dry and the poached eggs were overcooked and rubbery. The cook also disappeared for a while, apparently to take a call on her mobile. The hotel feels tired, and the room was basic even by Premier Inn standards. The carpet was threadbare, there was only one chair, and the only heat in the bedroom came from a small convector heater. The bathroom had none. Premier Inn used to feel like good value, but now it seems you only get a basic budget stopover for what you pay.

Lisa made a really tasty breakfast fresh to order, especially the fabulous poached eggs. Ella was such a friendly face in the mornings, chatting with us and helping us plan our sightseeing around North Kent. We enjoyed dinner too. It was staff-cooked, nothing fancy, but there was a nice selection, and the dinner-and-breakfast deal was good. It’s a shame there wasn’t a bar, as I’m sure we’d have spent our evenings in the Social. The staff welcomed us with smiles and were friendly and happy. Our first room didn’t suit the length of our stay, but they moved us straight away. Housekeeping were just as helpful and friendly, and dealt with requests immediately.

Breakfast was the best part for me. It came out hot and didn’t go cold as soon as it hit the plate. The staff were engaging, and the main town is only a stone’s throw away. This is an older-style Premier Inn compared with the newer ones in and around major cities, which gave it some charm. The ceiling was a bit dusty and had cobwebs. The bed was okay, though I’ve slept better at this hotel chain. A nice stay, and I’d recommend it.