Christchurch West hotel

Monday night in August did not come cheap at £136 and you now need to add £3 which did seem a bit penny pinching. Double bed with a sofa bed by the window, drink making facilities along with a TV and a hairdryer etc. We even got a bath which was a nice touch. The room location was a let down as it involved stairs and no lift option we could find? I would ask next time for a room in a better position. Helpful staff at check-in who tried hard to be helpful.

Regular visitors to Premier Inns, but this was our first visit to Christchurch West. Our early check in was fine, as was our room. Reception staff polite and efficient. Room clean and tidy. We prefer a walk-in shower, but the bath version was ok. The kettle was dodgy; had to hold down the “on” button until the water boiled. Reported to reception as we left. So, overall, content with the accommodation. We didn’t use the attached pub/restaurant, the Bailey Bridge, until the last night of our stay, for a drink only. It is a sizeable place but the bar was bereft of beer pumps; only Coors, Madri, Moretti and Guinness were available - three globally produced, equally tasteless lagers, but no ales ( not even the ubiquitous Doombar). I managed to get a decent drink by way of a bottle of Sharps Atlantic (why not available on pump?) but things then got worse when my wife dared to ask for a brandy. The two bar ladies were polite and did their best to be helpful but could not locate a bottle anywhere. A study of the drink bottles on the shelves at the back confirmed not only that brandy was nowhere to be seen, but also that minimal other choice of spirits was available either. So, a question to Premier Inn: why is this modern, reasonably sized, hotel attached, gastro pub so poorly stocked?

Having seen mixed reviews about Premier Inn's Christchurch West Hotel, I had mixed feelings, but was happy with PI's reputation and our past experiences with them (we, as a family, go to a different PI each year). As such, PI at CW, looks a little worn and well-used, but the Family Room was clean, all the amenities worked and was perfect for our needs. We had the meal-deal and the evening meals were as good as ever (probably a good idea to avoid asking for pints of soft drink for the kids, as this was found to be quite pricey, something like £8 per pint glass! The staff are well-versed in asking about and addressing allergies and have folders for people to check ingredients against meal selection. There were menus to peruse in the room, though it would have been nice to see details of the Meal Deal there too. The breakfast has taken a step away from the buffet style, here, one gave the server your choices, with whatever quantity wanted and one's plate was brought to you pre-loaded. The desire or ability to overfeed oneself, is technically there, but we did not feel the need to ask for seconds. The coffee machine works well, but the addition of a hot-chocolate machine would have been nice. All in all, a good selection of foods for breakfast and tasty as ever. Check-in and check-out was easy and the staff helpful and cheerful. While there was plenty of available parking, overseen by cctv, the PI itself is quite well hidden amongst various car showrooms.

We stay in a number of Premier Inns and although the room was as expected and comfortable, the service (with a couple of exceptions) was not. Firstly, it is very difficult to find. We tried to phone, but no one answered the phone. The afternoon staff on the desk for check in are unhappy and unhelpful. The Ultimate Wifi was difficult to use and the staff did not help. The hairdryer kept cutting out and when we asked for another one, a very grumpy person told us that they were all the same although she did get us another hairdryer. She came from the back and was still eating her meal when she got to the reception desk. The staff in the restaurant were helpful, especially the Russian lady.

Lovely room as usual. Staff seem to be struggling a bit with computer systems and having to multi task with reception duties and cleaning. A few computer problems meant that a request for a WiFi code couldn’t be fulfilled which we had prepaid for. One breakfast was a good thing, the 2nd not so much, in fact it was disappointing which is hugely unusual for a Premier Inn. Have the impression that a few more team members might help !