London Gatwick Airport South (London Road) hotel

We booked this Premier Inn around nine months in advance, so obviously had no idea what the weather would be like when we stayed. We noticed the hotel didn’t have air-conditioning, but didn’t think too much of it. After this experience, that is definitely a lesson learned. We arrived at approximately 3am after a flight back from Egypt, exhausted and expecting to get a few hours’ sleep before continuing our journey home. Instead, we walked into an unbearably hot, south-facing room. The curtains had been left open and the two fans provided in the room were switched off. The outside temperature when we landed was only around 17°C, so it was incredibly frustrating to find that seemingly no attempt had been made to keep the room cool during the day or circulate cooler air before our arrival. I complained to reception immediately at 3am. There were no alternative twin rooms available. I asked for another fan and was told there weren’t any available, despite a fan sitting at reception. We eventually managed perhaps 3–4 hours of very broken sleep, outside the covers, and woke feeling sweaty, clammy and completely shattered. The room was still boiling in the morning. What has disappointed us even more is Premier Inn’s response. I contacted Customer Services and was effectively told that because this hotel doesn’t have air-conditioning, being unable to sleep because of the temperature isn’t covered by their Good Night Guarantee. No refund, no meaningful complaints escalation — just that our feedback would be passed back to the hotel. I fully appreciate that a hotel without air-conditioning cannot control the weather. What it can control is how it manages its rooms during periods of hot weather. This wasn’t the first hot day, so keeping curtains closed in a south-facing room, using the fans provided and taking reasonable steps to prevent the room becoming unbearably hot would seem like basic heat management. If previous guests have raised similar concerns, I would also expect those concerns to have prompted some preventative action. The most important thing for prospective guests to know is this: if you book this hotel during warm weather and your room is too hot to sleep in, don’t assume Premier Inn’s Good Night Guarantee will protect you. According to Customer Services, the lack of air-conditioning means it won’t. Had we understood when we booked that not only was there no air-conditioning, but that an excessively hot room would not qualify under the Good Night Guarantee and that seemingly very little would be done to mitigate the temperature, we would never have booked this hotel. We’ve stayed in Premier Inns because we’ve always associated the brand with being able to rely on a decent night’s sleep. On this occasion, we paid for a hotel room specifically to sleep after an international flight and came away absolutely exhausted. Completely and utterly dissatisfied.

Absolutely — I’d make it firm but fair, focusing on the misleading location rather than sounding overly harsh. I was disappointed with my stay, particularly because the hotel’s description is misleading about its location. It is advertised as being at/near the South Terminal, which gives the impression that it is a short and convenient walk from the terminal. In reality, it involves a roughly 30-minute coach journey, followed by a walk from the road to the hotel. This is a significant difference, especially for travellers with luggage or those booking specifically for the convenience of staying at the airport. I think the location and transport arrangements should be made much clearer when booking, so that customers can make an informed decision. Unfortunately, the misleading description took away from what should have been a convenient overnight airport stay.

The location of the hotel was convenient for us as it was quite close to Gatwick airport. The hotel itself was a bit run down and needs modernisation with ACs in all rooms and good Wi-Fi connections which are lacking at the moment. The paid freshly made breakfast was good and tasty and adequate for our needs, however was it good value? I thought it was a tad expensive. The check-in receptionist was quite pleasant and we had a smooth check-in. However the next door restaurant was closed due to renovation and hence we had to order pizzas from Domino’s. I had to wait outside the hotel lobby for the food to arrive as the person at the reception in the evening flatly refused to let me know when the delivery driver arrived with my food, claiming he was too busy to do so.

Rooms and corridor hotter than the outside temperature. No air con in rooms just two noisy fans all night. The windows barely open and so the temperature never drops. No bottles of water in the room either. No bar or restaurant on site. Find a better hotel for a comfortable stay.

This hotel is experiencing huge disruptions due to nearby renovation of the pub/ restaurant The area including the hotel inside and out looks tired @ neglected. We have stayed here many times in the past but we were shocked at how standards have dropped. It’s not welcoming although the 1 staff we did see was polite at check in. The surroundings, which were always so tranquil and welcoming are dirty, neglected , and a building site due to the works. Rooms have no air conditioning in them so with 31 degree heat outside, it’s not acceptable. We were not informed the restaurant would be closed indefinitely so no food available except breakfast. The distance to the airport is further than portrayed. Shuttle bus, advertised in hotel did not turn up . Apparently this happens regularly so we had to get a taxi to the airport . We won’t be booking premier in again.