Isle of Wight Sandown (Merrie Gardens) Hotel

Friendly staff! On arrival Steve was helpful and funny, making the check in process fast. I had a well cooked meal in the onsite restaurant where the staff (steve and Waqar) were again very welcoming and friendly.

Stayed here with our two grandchildren for a two night mini break on the Isle of Wight. We stayed in a family room and were delighted with the size of the room which didn’t feel in the least bit cramped. The staff were very pleasant and welcoming and the hotel and our room were very clean. I can recommend the breakfast which our 9 and 7 year olds described as 9/10, due to the variety and quality of food available, and they loved that the lovely breakfast staff were only too happy to heat up any pancakes, croissants and pain au chocolate they wanted! On the first evening we had dinner in the restaurant, but the food was underwhelming and we regretted our decision and should have listened to previous reviewers who recommended the KFC next door. However, the hotel is ideally situated for travelling round the island and is in easy reach of Blackgang Chine, which our grandchildren greatly enjoyed spending a day in! It is only a mile or so from Sandown beach which is family friendly and beautiful. I have a feeling we will be nagged into returning to the Isle of Wight in the not too distant future and if we do, we wouldn’t hesitate to return to this Premier Inn!

A shabby and dirty budget hotel. But very helpful staff. Terrible food apart from breakfast. No opening windows for fresh air. The air conditioning made me ill. Bed sheets stained. Had to be moved to another room as the bed headboard was full of grease. We would not stay at Premier (Budget) Inns again as they are too expensive and not value for money.

Good air conditioning although rattled throughout the night (even when turned off!) Helpful staff with checking in Free parking but remember to register car number Comfortable mattress Good shower Extra teabags available in foyer Free bottle of water and small Chocolate in fridge on arrival Breakfast passable - bread and cereal processed, salty and sweet. Catered for gluten free and had oat milk 12 noon checkout Not so good ….. Smelly room - stale smell in room Grubby carpet with many marks Tea stains on back of chair Could not open window to let fresh air in Car park spaces now days are not big enough for modern size cars

Staff expect you to check in yourself. No service in dining room. Wait is over an hour for food. Staff really seem to not care at all!!!!