hub by Premier Inn London Shoreditch hotel

This is quite a vulnerable thing for me to talk about, but it feels important and necessary to prevent further harm to potential guests. Unfortunately, what should have been a straightforward hotel stay became an extremely upsetting experience, largely because of the way staff responded when I was experiencing a mental-health episode. I left feeling that there was a serious lack of compassion, disability awareness and basic understanding from the people who were supposed to be looking after guests. I am autistic and also receive specialist mental-health care for psychosis. This can occasionally mean that during periods of significant anxiety or distress, my ability to function deteriorates considerably. On the morning of check-out, I experienced a major panic attack and became extremely overwhelmed. I was struggling to regulate myself, get dressed, organise my belongings and prepare to leave the hotel. I was aware that I was supposed to check out and I was not simply choosing to ignore the check-out time. I actively tried to get help. I contacted Premier Inn through their live chat and explained what was happening, including disclosing my autism, psychosis and the fact that I was struggling. I was told to contact the hotel reception directly. I then tried to do exactly that. It took a considerable amount of effort to build myself up to making the call while I was already panicking, only for reception not to answer the phone. Meanwhile, before the actual check-out time had even arrived, housekeeping staff entered my room twice while I was sitting on the bed in a state of panic. The housekeeping manager subsequently came to my door and I explained the situation to her, including that I had already tried to contact Premier Inn and reception and that I simply needed a little additional time. Her response was incredibly stern and made me feel as though I was being threatened with removal rather than supported as a disabled guest in obvious distress. I was told that I needed to leave and that otherwise staff would effectively have to remove my luggage and belongings themselves. When I explained that I just needed around half an hour, I was told that late check-out was until 1pm and to “hurry up”. Even after I had explicitly explained my health and accessibility needs, staff continued returning and knocking on my door every 5–10 minutes. At some point during all of this, somebody from the hotel also called me and left a voicemail telling me that if I wanted to remain any longer I would need to make another reservation, that there were not many rooms remaining, and that I therefore needed to make the reservation quickly. Rather than providing any reassurance or helping to resolve the situation, this introduced yet another deadline and another source of pressure while I was already having a panic attack. I cannot adequately express how counterproductive this was. I had explained that I was autistic, experiencing a mental-health episode and struggling to function, yet virtually every interaction that followed involved additional pressure, urgency, repeated interruptions or the prospect of my belongings being removed. The constant knocking, being told to hurry, the unanswered reception phone and then receiving a voicemail telling me I needed to act quickly did not help me leave any faster. It made the panic substantially worse and made it even harder for me to function. The impact did not end when I eventually left the hotel. The experience took over the rest of my day. I remained extremely anxious and shaky afterwards and found it very difficult to relax or recover from what had happened. That is perhaps the most upsetting part of this experience: I asked for help during a period of genuine vulnerability and the way the situation was handled actively intensified my distress. I completely appreciate that hotels have check-out times, that housekeeping teams have schedules and that rooms need to be prepared for incoming guests. I was not expecting to occupy the room indefinitely, nor was I asking Premier Inn to simply disregard its policies. I was asking for a relatively small amount of flexibility and understanding because a disability was affecting my ability to leave at that particular moment. A compassionate response could have been incredibly simple: answer the reception phone, agree a clear short extension with me, give me some uninterrupted time to regulate myself and pack, or have one member of staff calmly communicate with me rather than repeatedly knocking and applying more pressure. Even simply speaking to me with some kindness would have made an enormous difference. Instead, I was left feeling that disclosing my disabilities achieved nothing other than having to repeatedly explain an extremely personal and vulnerable situation while becoming progressively more distressed. I find that deeply disappointing from a large national hotel chain and sincerely hope Premier Inn reviews how staff at this hotel are trained to respond to disabled guests and people experiencing acute mental-health difficulties. Unfortunately, the problems were not limited to the way I was treated. The room itself also fell below the standard I would expect from Premier Inn. The Wi-Fi was extremely poor, with very slow download and upload speeds that made it difficult to use reliably. One of the lights in my room was broken, the blind was damaged and there was very little practical storage space. The bathroom also appeared to have inadequate extraction, if any, so steam and condensation built up significantly after showering. This was compounded by there being no window that could be opened for ventilation. Any one of those room issues might have been relatively minor in isolation. Taken together, and particularly alongside the way I was treated on the final morning, they contributed to a thoroughly disappointing stay. I rarely feel compelled to leave a review like this, but the way my situation was handled genuinely affected me beyond my time inside the hotel. I did everything I reasonably could to communicate what was happening and ask for help. I needed a small amount of understanding at a moment when I was struggling, and instead I was repeatedly rushed and placed under further pressure. For me, that is far more serious than a broken light, damaged blind or poor Wi-Fi. Those things are inconveniences. Making a disabled guest’s mental-health episode substantially worse after they have explicitly told you that they are in distress is something Premier Inn should take very seriously.

We had a fab stay here! Room was perfect for what we needed and was very clean. We booked the bigger room which I would absolutely recommend for two people as there was a bit more space for our suitcases etc. and was still great value for money. Location was good, only a short walk away from Liverpool Street Station and close to many convenience stories and restaurants. There was some noise from trains but nothing disruptive. Staff were friendly and helpful- especially the person on reception upon check in (Nicky?) who helped us connect our two bookings (as we had booked an extra night) with ease. Would definitely stay here again if visiting London!

All in all, I found the Hub by Premier Inn on Quaker Street pretty lackluster. The price makes it somewhat worthwhile, but I think I would probably have preferred a regular Premier Inn rather than this slightly funky, younger, WeWork-feeling version of the brand. A lot of the little conveniences you normally expect from a hotel seem to have been stripped back. There is no kettle in the room, for example, only facilities in the lobby. Your room is not cleaned automatically every day; you need to request it at reception. Towels are not automatically replaced either, and if you want fresh ones you need to ask and bring the old ones down yourself. The complimentary water is also not refreshed automatically. Again, you have to ask at reception. None of these things is disastrous, but together they make the whole place feel like it is constantly trying to save a little money or push some of the work back onto the guest. The room itself was reasonably clean and not particularly small, so there are certainly positives. On the other hand, mine had a strange smell throughout the stay, and there was a small leak in the shower plumbing. Some of the water pressure was clearly escaping through the connection rather than reaching the overhead shower, which reduced the pressure noticeably. For the price, it is fine, and the Shoreditch location may appeal particularly to younger travellers who like this kind of atmosphere. Personally, though, I found the whole concept a little odd and not especially comfortable or pleasant. I would not go out of my way to stay here again, and I think a normal Premier Inn would probably suit me better. Overall: 3/5.

Excellent value for money. We upgraded to the slightly bigger room which was great. Wifi very good. Breakfast was delicious with excellent choices. Convenient neighbourhood near public transport, buses & trains, good restaurants. Overall, highly recommend.

A very good, quiet hotel in a pleasant neighborhood close to public transport. The staff are helpful and very professional. I stay there often; it’s always excellent.