Saffron Walden hotel

Nice hotel, friendly staff, clean sheets, clean bathroom with a good shower. The hotel is very far from the station, almost an hour's walk. Around 20 minutes walk to the town centre. Very few buses and in weekends even less, so be prepared to walk or take a Uber.

Shower would only spray hot water. Sink tap faulty spraying in all directions and toilet flush very weak. Reported it to reception which was met with “ok we’ll make a note of that!”.

Lovely comfy bed and pillows. No staff available all doing multiple jobs. Room was dusty. Food was mediocre. You had to find staff just to order and again to pay at the end.

Good hotel. Nice, efficient staff. Room exactly as expected from a Premier Inn. Having read other reviews, I was concerned about this stay however I found the staff pleasant and the rooms clean and stocked with towels. Only comment would be the shower glass and chrome could do with a buff to remove water marks. Overall, a great one night stay.

We recently stayed at this Premier Inn, which is only six years old, and unfortunately the experience didn’t quite meet expectations. While the hotel was cleaner than some older branches, the room didn’t feel as fresh or well-maintained as we’d hoped. There were small but noticeable signs of wear — dust in the corners, slightly grubby surfaces — things that could easily be addressed with a bit more attention to detail. One of the reasons we chose this location was for the air conditioning, especially during a heatwave. When we arrived, we were pleased to be able to set the temperature to around 18 or 19°C, which made the room feel comfortable and cool. However, at some point it was changed remotely and locked at 21°C, which left us far too warm overnight. It felt like a real letdown, especially as we’d booked hoping for a restful, cool night’s sleep. The mattress was also a problem. It was extremely firm — uncomfortably so — and you could feel the springs. I had always thought Premier Inn prided itself on offering comfortable beds, but perhaps that reputation belongs more to Travelodge. A more moderate, medium firmness would likely suit most people better than something quite this hard. We also ate in the adjoining restaurant, and the food was incredibly average at best — nothing memorable in terms of flavour or presentation. What stood out more, unfortunately, was the chef’s appearance. Although he seemed polite and friendly, his overall presentation didn’t reflect well on hygiene standards. His hands didn’t appear especially clean, he was handling food without gloves, and he had a generally unkempt appearance, including missing teeth. While none of this is a personal criticism, it didn’t inspire much confidence in the meal. Overall, our stay fell short of the usual Premier Inn standard. With improvements to temperature control, mattress comfort, and professional presentation in the restaurant, this hotel could offer a much more reliable and comfortable experience.