Chelmsford City Centre hotel

I stayed at the Premier Inn Chelmsford City Centre this week. I have stayed in many Premier Inns with work and I have always been very happy. Sadly I did not check tripadvisor before booking this 'hotel'. Like the reviewers say it is FILTHY. Corridors, rooms, lifts are caked in grime. The new manger was apologetic. However he had clearly never actually walked around the hotel with his eyes open. I requested my room to be cleaned and it was not. When I asked at reception for clean towels on the duty manager was rude and argumentative. Please DO NOT STAY HERE.

What on earth has happened to this hotel? I used to stay here a lot and loved it, I returned to find key members of staff had left, there were staff who didn't have a clue what was happening, there was no hot breakfast being served (which we had no warning of and had paid for), the public toilets were absolutely disgusting, the room was dirty and it was like a totally different hotel. I asked about it and the staff member just rolled their eyes and said not to ask. Premier Inn, you charge a fortune for this hotel and it used to be worth it. Now there is no atmosphere, no care, and no justification for those prices. Absolutely appalling, and made worse by knowing how it used to be.

This hotel was by far the worst premier Inn I have stayed in. My first impression when I walked into the room was the smell of mould , I then noticed a number of quite large stains on the carpets together with dirt around the skirting boards I was provided with an accessible room which I didn’t ask for but in itself is not a problem however the wet room was covered in rust and in my opinion wouldn’t be safe for a wheelchair user. I complained during my stay but was informed they were fully booked so I couldn’t be moved I have since complained to customer services and despite me providing photos they believe the room to be satisfactory.

Expected parking after seeing it advertised - it's blue badge only. So expect to look for parking when you get here. Staff are not helpful. Rooms seem dated and shower has issues. The room smelt bad as we entered. Was met dismissively when mentioned it. Id suggest somewhere else if you're looking here.

Despite the website stating that guests "can avail parking facilities at the hotel" when we arrived there on Friday evening, we discovered the only parking available is for Blue Badge holders booked in advance. I wouldn't have booked this hotel had I realised there was no parking. Reception is located on the first floor of the hotel so it was a bit of a trek for my partner to go in and ask where we could park our car. Arriving in the dark in an unfamiliar town was also a problem for us - I drove past the hotel initially as there is no sign to suggest this anonymous office block was actually a Premier Inn. It was only when we left the hotel to go and find somewhere for dinner that we looked up and saw the Premier Inn sign on the very top of the high block, completely in the dark - no illumination at all. Really very, very poor for a chain of hotels which we have used in the past in other locations with no cause for complaint. When we got into our room, the first thing I noticed was the unpleasant smell which I tracked down to the shower curtain - that definitely needed replacing. Depending on your needs, this hotel may suit - it's located very close to the station and it has lots of availability for disabled people in possession of a Blue Badge to be able to park but overall this is not a hotel I'll be rushing back to in a hurry.