I rarely leave negative reviews, but this experience was serious enough that I feel it’s important to share.
I’ve been a long-time customer of Premier Inn and have stayed in their hotels many times across the UK. I’ve always chosen them for their reliability, comfort, and the convenience of having an on-site restaurant. Unfortunately, my recent stay at the Oswestry hotel was the worst experience I’ve ever had with any hotel.
The room we stayed in (room 18) had a very strong mould smell. It was not just noticeable—it was overwhelming. You could even smell it in the hallway outside the room. This wasn’t just unpleasant; it felt like a genuine health concern, especially as we were travelling with a small child. By the end of the stay, all of our clothes—even those left hanging in the wardrobe—had absorbed the smell so badly that everything had to be washed afterwards.
We reported the issue, but the hotel was fully booked and we were not able to move rooms. What made things worse was the follow-up. We had to call both the hotel and the guest relations team multiple times because our concerns were not properly logged. Even after speaking directly with the hotel manager, we didn’t hear back from guest relations for another six days—and only after we chased them again ourselves.
This brings me to the “Good Night Guarantee,” which, based on this experience, feels more like an advertising promise than a real policy. Whether it is intentionally difficult to claim or we were simply unlucky, the process was frustrating and disappointing. Given the seriousness of the issue, I expected a much more responsive and proactive approach.
Another disappointment was the change to the usual Premier Inn experience regarding dining. One of the main reasons we’ve consistently chosen Premier Inn is the convenience of having a proper restaurant on-site, especially when arriving late. At this hotel, the bar/restaurant has been closed and replaced with a basic dining area with no windows or toilets, while more guest rooms have been added instead. The food itself was very bland, and after the first night we chose not to eat there again. This was particularly inconvenient given the hotel’s location on the outskirts, with very limited options nearby.
To be fair, the staff we interacted with were friendly, and the breakfast was good. However, that does not make up for the overall experience.
Overall, this was extremely disappointing and far below what I’ve come to expect from Premier Inn. I hope this was an isolated case, but based on this stay, I would seriously reconsider booking again.