Insane new policy at Premier Inn

I've stayed at Premier Inns in the UK many times, and think that they provide a lot of value for what they charge; I've even had good meals in their Thyme in-hotel restaurants, and have often wished that they would start operating in the US where I live.

But no more if what we heard a week ago is to be believed.

We stayed at their Kings Cross property on York Way, which is very convenient for picking up the Cunard coach to Southampton. We noticed that the room had two bath towels but only one hand towel. One of us asked the other to call the front desk for an extra towel. Only at that point did we realize that there was no telephone in the room. The lady in my life went out to see if she could find a house phone in the corridor. She found a jack and an area of discolored paint where one had formerly been mounted.

When she took the elevator from the fifth floor to the lobby and inquired about why she was forced to make that journey, she was told that Premier Inn management had decided to remove telephones from all rooms and public areas of the hotels. The news was imparted somewhat shamefacedly; an eye or two may have been rolled, and it was her impression that this had been a source of contention with other guests. We were told that this was a chainwide policy now.

I'm guessing that with the widespread use of cellphones, the hotel no longer realizes any revenue from outside calls, and has therefore dismantled its internal phone system. That this totally ignores guests from other countries whose mobiles may not work in the UK, that it forces guests into journeys to the lobby for minor issues such as securing an additional hand towel, and that it deprives guests of the ability to communicate an emergency to management ("my husband has just had a heart attack, can you call an ambulance?" "It's two o'clock in the morning and water from the room upstairs is flowing into our bathroom" etc.) apparently means little to the geniuses who are implementing this policy.

I'm truly sorry to lose Premier Inn as a travel resource, but a room without a telephone is simply unacceptable. Are any other UK lodging chains doing this?

It keeps costs down, the same as you *choosing* not to turn your phone on, so is fine with me.

I think you're expecting too much of Premier. They provide clean, comfortable bedrooms. That's all. Quite apart from the telephone issue, I think you would have been a bit unreasonable expecting one of their relatively few staff to bring you up a hand towel. Couldn't you have managed for one night on three towels between two of you? Surely you don't use 14 towels per week at home - do you?

You get what you pay for, and in this case you pay for no frills. (Or phones.)

i think you're expecting too much of premier. They provide clean, comfortable bedrooms. That's all. Quite apart from the telephone issue, i think you would have been a bit unreasonable expecting one of their relatively few staff to bring you up a hand towel. Couldn't you have managed for one night on three towels between two of you? Surely you don't use 14 towels per week at home - do you?

 

You get what you pay for, and in this case you pay for no frills. (or phones.)

ditto!!

We've never used the 'phone in Premier Inn to contact Reception. Always popped down to Reception to ask for extra coffee, sugar etc. There's a contact point there and someone always comes very quicky

The Premier Inn Ferry Terminal in Dover, did not have a phone.

The Premier Inn Westminster London, did have a phone.

Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. You should not expect four star service at three star prices.

I have stayed a few times at a Premier Inn and have no idea if there was a phone in the room. However, I suppose it would be useful in an emergency.

These days, I'm quite surprised when I stay in a hotel that has a phone in the room. (We're pretty cheap when choosing hotels, so this could be a factor! :p)

Most, if not all, of the Premier Inns that we've stayed in have not had a phone in the room. I've never looked for one in the corridor, so I don't know if they've had one. It's a non-issue for us. We walk to the front desk if needed, and use the mobile for the alarm in the morning, and for actual phone calls. Really, I can't remember the last time I made or received a phone call from a phone in a hotel room. 10 years or more, probably.

I have stayed a few times at a Premier Inn and have no idea if there was a phone in the room. However, I suppose it would be useful in an emergency.

Like the hotel is in fire and the fire is blocking my exit from the room! I would expect at least a fire alarm lever :)

Premier Inn are a budget operator. Phones cost money. And generate little revenue.

Even if there had been a phone in the room, chances are they wouldn't have had the staff on duty to bring you up some more.

Costs are high in the uk (property and people costs would make your eyes water) so anything a chain to do to cut costs and maintain value without impacting on the 99% guests who understand you get what they pay for is fine with me.

Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. You should not expect four star service at three star prices.

Is £168.50/$256.32 for a bed and breakfast for two considered a three-star rate in the UK? Certainly the comparably-priced Ibis Euston where I stayed last year had in-room phones. While I've never actually considered in detail what makes a property three-star vs four-star, all of the officially-designated three-star hotels in which I've stayed in Europe have had (a) significantly smaller rooms and (b) no dining facilities.

I'm also not seeing the cost-savings associated with pulling out an existing phone system. The major costs such as wiring in the walls and handsets are already sunk. It's not like we're in the 1930's and I need a human operator to connect every call.

I suppose that the next step is to install minuteries in the corridors, the timed light-switches which for me are the true mark of French three-star hotels.

Is £168.50/$256.32 for a bed and breakfast for two considered a three-star rate in the UK? Certainly the comparably-priced Ibis Euston where I stayed last year had in-room phones. While I've never actually considered in detail what makes a property three-star vs four-star, all of the officially-designated three-star hotels in which I've stayed in Europe have had (a) significantly smaller rooms and (b) no dining facilities.

 

I'm also not seeing the cost-savings associated with pulling out an existing phone system. The major costs such as wiring in the walls and handsets are already sunk. It's not like we're in the 1930's and I need a human operator to connect every call.

 

I suppose that the next step is to install minuteries in the corridors, the timed light-switches which for me are the true mark of French three-star hotels.

Hi, Bob,

Premier Inn prices, like the prices in both chain hotels & privately-owned hotels, in the States and elsewhere in the world, vary according to their location. The price that you quoted suggests central London - where you'll pay through the nose, same as any other central London hotel.

Elsewhere in the country the average price for a Premier Inn room is around £60 to £70, and can be as low as £30.

The £168.50 / $256.32 price you quoted also includes a proper breakfast, an optional unlimited full cooked breakfast at about £9 pp. And it includes taxes.

In the States that same price would be advertised as £125 / $190 "room only, plus taxes".

Yes, still expensive compared to the States, but pretty reasonable by London standards.

No dining facilities, Bob? I don't know about central London hotels, but who cares? - the city is full of cafes & restaurants & pubs. Elsewhere in the country even most small hotels offer a cooked breakfast, and most larger hotels offer an evening meal. I think probably all Premier Inns offer dining, or share a site with a pub/restaurant - Premier Inns are owned by a brewery!!!

There are very few pukka breakfasts to be found in the States - I've looked at US breakfast buffets offering coffee plus one choice of juice plus a DIY waffle machine covered in gunge plus a sticky wrapped Danish if I'm lucky, and yearned for a Premier Inn breakfast. Or even a Denny's. ;)

Yes, although P.I. rooms are larger than most, hotel rooms in the UK & Europe tend to be a lot smaller than the States, and most only sleep two.

Same as Asia & Australia.

Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that most hotel rooms in the States are larger.

Those timed corridor light switches which you associate with France are to be found everywhere.

Including the States.

Ditto the door key-cards doubling as a room's master switch.

But I've got to agree with you about phones. especially removing existing phones. A sensible means of communicating with the front desk etc, especially with some middle-of-the-night emergency. And surely as important as some of the other room facilities which aren't money-earners.

I don't recall a hotel room anywhere in the world where I noticed that there wasn't one, including a number of Premier Inns.

But since I rarely need one that's hardly a scientific analysis.:rolleyes:

This may not be some new chain-wide policy - there are a number of TripAdvisor references to the absence of in-room phones at various P.I. locations dating back at least 3 or 4 years.

Here's the response to a TripAdvisor reviewer from one P.I. manager

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g190786-d3462718-r172954303-Premier_Inn_Halifax_Town_Centre-Halifax_West_Yorkshire_England.html

JB :)

Is £168.50/ While I've never actually considered in detail what makes a property three-star vs four-star, all of the officially-designated three-star hotels in which I've stayed in Europe have had (a) significantly smaller rooms and (b) no dining facilities.

Most officially designated 3 star hotels in the UK have dining facilities.

I just want to be clear that I was comparing the Premier Inn to European three-star hotels to make the point that it provides superior accommodation, and to thus question whether it is truly a three-star hotel. I was not comparing to US hotels, but in point of fact, the Premier Inns in which I've stayed compare favorably to most mid-level US hotels, hence my comment about wishing for them to open in the US.

The Kings Cross property at which I stayed had ample room, and had been recently redecorated, with the chain's signature purple color scheme toned down a bit (I actually missed the painting of three trees against a purple and orange sunset which has faithfully adorned the walls of every other PI room in which I've stayed). And John Bull is correct is pointing out that PI's full breakfast puts most US mid-price hotels to shame.

I don't think that PI provides three-star accommodation, at least at this property; closer to four-star, I'd say. This makes the deletion of the telephone system all the more puzzling.

Premier Inn is all about a budget stay. They have always provided great value for my family of 4. I hope they continue to keep their core product good and keep the prices low.

We're staying at a Premier Inn next May. Although I find the lack of phones in the room a little odd it won't keep me from staying there.

I look at it more as a safety issue than an inconvenience. If you're from another country and don't have a cell phone that's turned on for Europe, and have a medical emergency while in your room or need to report, maybe, an electrical fire, it will cause a delay in an appropriate response..

We're staying at a Premier Inn next May. Although I find the lack of phones in the room a little odd it won't keep me from staying there.

 

I look at it more as a safety issue than an inconvenience. If you're from another country and don't have a cell phone that's turned on for Europe, and have a medical emergency while in your room or need to report, maybe, an electrical fire, it will cause a delay in an appropriate response..

Our personal cell phones are inactive outside of the USA. We have a different phone for travel in Europe called a Eurobuzz. Great service & only pay as you go while in Europe. We give the Eurobuzz phone number when transport companies need a phone # to verify pickup time, to make reservations or for anytime we would need a phone in Europe...staying at Premier Inns.

We're staying at a Premier Inn next May. Although I find the lack of phones in the room a little odd it won't keep me from staying there.

 

I look at it more as a safety issue than an inconvenience. If you're from another country and don't have a cell phone that's turned on for Europe, and have a medical emergency while in your room or need to report, maybe, an electrical fire, it will cause a delay in an appropriate response..

Anyone who considered that to be a serious issue, wouldn't be cruising. The delay in getting proper treatment for a medical emergency is far greater when you're two days from land.

Anyone who considered that to be a serious issue, wouldn't be cruising. The delay in getting proper treatment for a medical emergency is far greater when you're two days from land.

Seriously? Ships tend to have a pretty robust medical center onboard. You don't even have to wait for the ambulance or fight traffic getting to the hospital.. :D

For those that like the reassurance of being able to make emergency calls, whether or not your plan is set up for Europe you can still make an emergency call. Your phone doesn't even need to have a SIM card in it.

You just have to know the local phone number. In Europe 112 will work in any European country in addition to local emergency number (like 999 / 911).

If your phone isn't physically capable of latching on to a foreign network because it's a different operating frequency, then it might be time to invest in a new phone....

I can remember when we first stayed in one of the PREMIER LODGE budget hotels. You had a nice brochure indicating where all the lodges were and a photograph of each with a map of how to get there. They had a pub restaurant which you got to without going out into the weather. In room had a telephone, Corby Trouser Press and a shoe polishing service. They typically had one room which was a suite for not much extra. Those were the days!

Regards John

Seriously? Ships tend to have a pretty robust medical center onboard. You don't even have to wait for the ambulance or fight traffic getting to the hospital.. :D

I've never been in a ship's hospital, or a land-based hospital's intensive care ward, but I can't imagine the facilities in the former match the latter. And surely they can't perform emergency surgery on board ship.

For those that like the reassurance of being able to make emergency calls, whether or not your plan is set up for Europe you can still make an emergency call. Your phone doesn't even need to have a SIM card in it.

 

You just have to know the local phone number. In Europe 112 will work in any European country in addition to local emergency number (like 999 / 911).

 

If your phone isn't physically capable of latching on to a foreign network because it's a different operating frequency, then it might be time to invest in a new phone....

This is incorrect.

Although the mobile phone network specification allows emergency calls to be made without a sim card, none of the networks in the UK have implemented that.

In the UK if you want to make an emergency call, your phone must have a sim card and be registered onto a network.

I've never been in a ship's hospital, or a land-based hospital's intensive care ward, but I can't imagine the facilities in the former match the latter. And surely they can't perform emergency surgery on board ship.

Unfortunately I had an accident ashore on a cruise and had to spend time in hospital. They do have a wide range of facilities like x-rays, oxygen, blood tests, drips etc but much of it looks out of date compared to what we have in our hospitals here. The lead Doctor is not a specialist in every discipline but will of course have experience in one or more fields. I was also able to have a portable oxygen concentrator in my cabin and they did an amazing job at managing my pain.

However my husband had a fall and damaged his knee and they said they would have liked him to have an MRI scan ashore as they did't have that facility so guess there's a limit to what they're able to do