Premier Travel Inn, Albert Dock, Liverpool

Author's product rating:   

Advantages:	New, clean, cheap, polite staff
Disadvantages:	Dinner was little more than satisfactory

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Introduction
I've had to go up to Liverpool for work on a couple of occasions this year. The first time, back in February, I stayed in the Premier Travel in on Vernon Street in the city centre, which was perfectly adequate for its three star rating, although the room was a little shabby. This time, our administrator at work couldn't get me in to the same hotel, but managed to find a booking at the Albert Dock Premier Travel Inn, which is still not too far from the city centre - I have walked it in about 15 minutes and taxi drivers seem to know it well. I was expecting an adequate stay, but was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the hotel and services for the money that I was charged.

Booking
I didn't personally book it, but our administrator found it quick and easy to book by email and received fax confirmation almost immediately. This was only three days before travel. To book, call 0870 990 6432.

The surroundings
The hotel is part of a block of converted warehouses/factories that include something called The Beatles Story, which I didn't investigate, but I gather was some kind of Beatles museum/entertainment centre, a Holiday Inn Hotel and numerous bars and restaurants. The block looks out over the docks and is surprisingly clean and modern-looking, Liverpool authorities having made a huge effort to regenerate the dock area.

Arrival
I got the train up from London to Liverpool Lime Street, hopped into a taxi and was driven to the hotel with very little difficulty. On arrival at the front desk, I was greeted politely, my booking was found very quickly and the basic functions of the hotel were explained well, albeit in a very strong Liverpool accent - I can imagine that non-English speakers might struggle. The reception area was neat and tidy.

The rooms
The hotel is clearly converted from old warehouses, so the rooms are big and the ceilings are high. My room was fantastic. It was at the end of a long corridor, and so was a bit bigger than others along the corridor that I caught sight of. There were two large windows, one down to the ground and overlooking the docks. The room looked hardly used, the furniture pristine and the bedding was fresh. The bathroom was large, again with a barely used bathroom suite. Shower gel and shampoo was provided. In the room, basic facilities were available, including hairdryer, kettle, coffee and biscuits and a television. There was also a phone, which was operated by a card from the reception desk. The room was a little cold when I walked it, but this soon warmed up because I was able to adjust the radiators to the temperature that I wanted. The shower was fabulously warm and pumped out the water at such high pressure it massaged my neck muscles brilliantly. Most importantly of all, the hotel was very quiet. During my stay at the Premier Travel Inn on Vernon Street earlier in the year, my colleague and I were kept awake by the other guests - at this hotel, I could hear other guests but not to the extent that I was kept awake.

The food
There is a restaurant and bar on the first floor, which I decided to try rather than go out, although there were a number of nearby restaurants that I could have chosen. As room service is not available at this hotel, I went down to the restaurant to eat. Service was quick and friendly - the staff are clearly used to coping with guests on their own and there were plenty of single tables. I chose a steak cooked with red wine and stilton and asked for mashed potatoes and a tomato and onion salad to accompany it. Unfortunately, my waitress, friendly though she was, did not speak very good English, so I ended up with chips instead of mashed potato and had to ask again for the salad, which literally was chopped tomato and onions and nothing else, no dressing or anything. However, the meal was eatable, if a little plain, and not bad value for just over £18 including a large glass of wine.

Breakfast the next morning was a different story. There are two choices - £5.95 for a continental breakfast; £6.95 for an English. The service was very good - as I walked in, somebody met me and escorted me to my table, after showing me where the buffet was. The choice of food was great, with a variety of cooked food, bread, yoghurt, fruit, cereals and best of all, mugs of tea, not stupid little cups. Everything was immaculately clean.

The price
This was the best bit - not including breakfast and dinner, I (or rather my company) paid just £52.95, which is the price from Monday to Thursday. Over the weekend, it goes up to £55.95.

Checking out
This was very quick - just a matter of handing the keys in. As the hotel is a little way (just a few hundred metres) from the main road, there is a phone at reception from which guests can call a taxi if you have a lot of luggage. Otherwise, it is easy to walk to the main road and flag down a taxi.

Conclusion
Although the dinner was nothing special, there was nothing else I could find to complain about - the service and quality of rooms deserved a higher star rating than the three stars it had been given. I hope that they maintain the quality. The surroundings were also fabulous and there are plenty of places to eat right next door to the hotel. Highly recommended to anyone who has to spend time in Liverpool, be it for business or pleasure.