Brighton City Centre (North Street) hotel

If you are booking an accessible room, ask for a photo of the actual adapted bathroom before you go. Room 317 had insufficient rails to be safe to use independently, plus a hinged rail bizarrely put in vertically, which was no use.

This hotel is badly in need of refurbishment. The room was shabby and so were some of the corridors etc. One of the two lifts wasn't working resulting in prolonged wait times and the lift wasn't due to be fixed for at least a week. I used to think that Premier Inn was superior to Travelodge but many Travelodge hotels have been refurbished in recent years and in my experience now provide a better experience than Premier Inn.

I stayed for one night with my partner, as I was attending a training course in Brighton. I like staying at Premier Inns as you usually know what to expect - a comfortable bed, good night’s sleep, plenty of hot water, a good breakfast etc. I would like to emphasise that all of the staff were very nice and welcoming at the hotel, and the breakfast was delicious. However, the rest of our experience at this hotel was poor, and both myself and my partner got very little sleep. We were on the second floor in room no. 213, and the room faced on to the main road and over the bus stop. The hotel was very, very scruffy, and clearly needs a refurb. This is very evident in the entrance area, for example, including the lifts. The carpets were dirty. The corridors to the rooms were unattractive, stark, and somewhat dark – it almost felt like well used student accommodation. The room and décor was fairly stark – there was no sofa or comfortable chair provided, as is usually the case in PI rooms. In the bathroom, the external base of the bath was swollen and marked – I don’t know if this was dirt, but it looked like it was. And the extractor was not working in the bathroom. Half the light was not working on the makeup mirror. The room was not the brightest, even though it was a sunny day. When I opened the curtains in the morning, the curtain just fell down, where the rail was already damaged. I could have tolerated all of this, however, the bed was absolutely appalling. The mattress on the bed had no support, and just sank down with a huge hollow (see my photo). The mattress should have been replaced many, many months ago (or even years ago…) – it was completely unacceptable to have this on the bed. And the noise from the road was appalling. Whilst there was triple glazing, it was not at all adequate to sufficiently block out the noise of drunken people, constant buses, and service vehicles, which went on all night. I don’t consider that any rooms on this floor and along this front part of the building should be booked out given the amount of noise, and particularly room 213. We got virtually no sleep, and the bed was even worse for me, as I had been suffering with back pain that day, and so I needed to get some good rest, which I did not. I was not able to complain to any staff at the time upon leaving, as when I checked out in the morning, there were no staff at reception, and I needed to leave due to work commitments and needing to get to a meeting with clients, so I did not have time to find anyone. I submitted a complaint to Premier Inn customer services by email and was informed that it would be 10 working days to receive a response, but I did not receive any response. I also complained via WhatsApp and was told that as I had not made a complaint direct to hotel staff before leaving, that I would not receive a refund via their Good Night Guarantee. I repeatedly explained that I had not been able to complain to staff before leaving, as no one was around, and I had to leave due to work commitments, but they still refused to give me a refund. I consider that this is an unacceptable part of their policy - what was I supposed to do? I am sure that this has happened to many other people who needed to leave promptly in the morning - I have often stayed at PI hotels, and staff are frequently spread very thinly, with no one at reception, which is why there are always self check-in screens provided. I am extremely disappointed at the way in which this company operates, and how they have treated me, given also that I stay at their hotels a good few times per year.

Ideal location, but... Toilet was dirty, hallway has damp patches and cracks in ceiling. Sticky tables and dirty plates, glasses are scratched/chipped, even in the bedroom. Will be cancelling my stay next month!

I always choose a Premier for one night stays as they serve their purpose well. This location served it's purpose - the bed was comfy and basic amenities were provided. Staff were all extremely friendly and helpful. The only thing I didn't like was the double layer of locked glass so windows couldn't be opened in any way - I understand the need for doing this, but I found it a bit claustrophobic. Hot breakfast was cold despite being under heat lamps...or maybe just lamps! But to be fair, we weren't down for freshly cooked firsts. Overall, I would return if I came back this way. The hotel is close to everything you need in the city centre area, rooms are quiet, clean and comfy.