Premier Travel Inn Liverpool - Albert Dock, Liverpool

I recently stayed at the Premier Inn Liverpool Albert Dock while I was on a training course for work being held in the nearby BT Convention Centre. I normally discuss what led me to make a certain choice of hotel when I come to review them, but in this instance the choice was made for me by my department's budget holder - in other words, this was the cheapest hotel in the vicinity! This also means that I cannot comment directly on what the Premier ...
...experience of staying in a Premier Inn hotel, and my only knowledge of them prior to this trip was the awful Lenny Henry ad that has been on TV over recent months. My expectations were of a dull-but-affordable Travelodge type place, somewhere adequate (probably decorated in beige) that would meet budgetary requirements and do little else, and I wasn't especially looking forward to my stay.


- Location
Arriving at Liverpool ... more

I recently stayed at the Premier Inn Liverpool Albert Dock while I was on a training course for work being held in the nearby BT Convention Centre. I normally discuss what led me to make a certain choice of hotel when I come to review them, but in this instance the choice was made for me by my department's budget holder - in other words, this was the cheapest hotel in the vicinity! This also means that I cannot comment directly on what the Premier Inn booking experience is like; I can, however, say the customer service people at their website are prompt to respond to emails and are very helpful, as I contacted them to confirm check-in details and got a friendly reply in less than 24 hours (which is good in my experience of such things). This was my first experience of staying in a Premier Inn hotel, and my only knowledge of them prior to this trip was the awful Lenny Henry ad that has been on TV over recent months. My expectations were of a dull-but-affordable Travelodge type place, somewhere adequate (probably decorated in beige) that would meet budgetary requirements and do little else, and I wasn't especially looking forward to my stay.

- Location
Arriving at Liverpool Lime Street station late in the evening and having never been able to grasp the concept of travelling light, I decided to take a taxi to the hotel (costing £5, which probably means in was within walking distance if I had packed better and remembered to bring a map). It has been quite a few years since I was last in Liverpool, and I was pleasantly surprised at just how much development was going on and the degree of activity that seemed to be devoted towards the European City of Culture award. The city certainly looked a lot nicer than I remembered it from my last visit. The Albert Dock area of the city was particularly impressive, and I was pleased that I had been booked into a hotel in this area rather than the city centre.

For those of you that have never been, the Albert Dock represents the largest group of Grade I listed buildings in the UK; built in the mid 19th century, it was the first enclosed, non-combustible dock warehouse system in the world, and the first structure in Britain to be built entirely of cast iron, brick and stone. This is an area that is of considerable historical importance, but after only a short period of prosperity fell into disrepair in the early 20th century and was formally closed as a working dockyard in 1972. Fortunately, the historical and architectural significance was recognised in time to save what remained of the buildings - regeneration work began in 1983, with the final undeveloped areas brought into use in 2003. My last visit to the Albert Dock was to the shopping area a good 12 years previously, but now the dock houses many of Liverpool's top visitor attractions as well, including the Merseyside Maritime Museum and The Beatles Story. The regenerated area is very attractive and lively (it reminds me a lot of the Historic Docks in Gloucester and parts of Bristol), with the original buildings having been redeveloped sensitively. The Premier Inn is within this area of regeneration, next door to The Beatles Story and only 5 minutes walk from the Echo Arena; there are plenty of shops, cafes, bars and restaurants in the area and it is an excellent base for tourists to the city. A lively, central location with good local amenities but be prepared for it being a bit noisy if you stay over a weekend: 9/10.

- First Impressions
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Premier Inn was actually in one of the redeveloped dock buildings, a warm red brick former warehouse, rather than one of the soulless new builds that seem to be springing up around the edge of the docks. The usually large purple plastic signage that I had seen elsewhere attached to hotels in this chain was absent; there remained a smaller, more appropriate sign over the door announcing the hotel's presence, and nothing more to clutter up the entrance. Inside, there was a decent sized lobby area with open brickwork ceiling and walls, and sofas, lighting and furniture chosen to complement this setting - even the obligatory vending machines had been discreetly tucked into a niche. It was modern and comfortable, yet curiously tasteful for a chain of budget-conscious hotels. The reception desk was quite busy when I arrived, with the receptionist dealing with all enquiries and requests in a friendly and efficient manner, not rushing guests or getting flustered due to the queue. I had only to wait a few minutes to be checked in and still got an apology for the delay. Before arrival, I had been somewhat concerned about my booking - as it had been made by someone else in my name and on the department's credit card (which I didn't have with me) - but found this caused no trouble at all, and I was checked in swiftly and easily, and directed towards my room. This was an excellent start to my stay: 10/10.

- The Room
To get into any of the guest areas of the hotel requires the use of your room key-card to pass through doors as a security measure. There were two doors leading from the lobby to the rooms - one to the lift, one to the stairs - but I opted for the stairs as I was only on the first floor. I was pleased to see that the hotel kept some of the character of the building outside of the public areas, with the stairs being built in the original stair shaft of the building and not having been bulldozed through other architectural features. Signage was clear and I soon found my room without difficulty...although I was a little nervous, as I had been allocated room 101! The door unlocked easily with the key card, and I then had to slot it into a card holder on the wall near the door to activate the electricity in the room. This is an electricity-saving measure I have come across in one other hotel (a Holiday Inn), but here it worked far better because the card fitted snugly in the slot (in my previous experience the card kept coming loose and I was plunged in darkness on more than one occasion).

The room was as pleasant as the lobby had been; the ceiling was arched, and again open brickwork was on view, giving it far more character than a three-star chain hotel room had any business having. The amenities were also rather better than I might have expected. My room was equipped with a flat screen TV and had an electronic temperature control panel, so I could heat or air condition as I pleased. The only time I had previously had either of these things in a hotel room was when staying in a "4 star deluxe" hotel in London, so this quite impressed me. The furniture was basic but as much as I needed (twin beds, desk, one armchair, wardrobe, mirror), and a hairdryer was also provided. On investigating the bathroom, I found I had both bath and shower - and a bottle of decent quality shower gel (note: better than the cheap stuff I had brought with me) was attached to the wall. Now, you don't get that in a Travelodge. The towels were soft and plentiful (in fact there were extra towels in the wardrobe as well) and there was some nice liquid hand soap too. All exceeded my expectations, and my only niggles were that the mattress was a little too firm and it would have been nice to have hot chocolate included in the tea-making things (not that I wanted hot chocolate in the summer mind you, I just always appreciate it when a hotel provides something for those of us who don't drink tea or coffee). But all in all, a clean, comfortable room with a nice view out over the docklands: 9/10.

- The Breakfast
Breakfast is held in the Premier Inn's restaurant on the first floor; I didn't sample the evening menu during my stay, but I can say that the restaurant is of good size with waterside views, and all the staff I encountered were friendly, helpful and polite. It was all pleasantly informal (which I appreciate early in the morning); there was a buffet I could help myself to, and then I could sit at a table of my choosing without waiting to be seated. The selection of food was good - cereals, juices, croissants, yoghurts (posh Yeo Valley ones at that), toast, fruit and a selection of cooked foods as well. The aforementioned London "deluxe" hotel that I had stayed in a few weeks earlier had offered poor breakfast service and luke warm cooked food, and I have to say that Premier Inn beats them hands down. The food was great, a toaster was available to make your own toast so you could have as much as wanted, hot and fresh, without having to track down a waiter, and the hot plates kept the cooked food hot as well. It provided an excellent start to the day (which was just as well as the food in the fancy new convention centre turned out to be pretty awful): 10/10.

- Final Thoughts
I think by now you have got the impression that I liked this hotel! Certainly, I think for a £65 per night hotel (plus £7.50 breakfast) it represented excellent value for money, and it was one of the best three star hotels I have stayed in. The staff throughout my stay were very helpful, the location was good and both the room and the breakfast were far nicer than I would have anticipated, and I left feeling glad that my department budget holder had gone for this hotel rather than the nearby Jury's Inn in a dreary modern building. I think the best thing I can say about it, though, was that I wouldn't hesitate to stay in a Premier Inn hotel again - this experience really changed my mind about the brand.

Recommended.

Premier Inn Liverpool Albert Dock
East Britannia Building
Gower Street
Albert Dock
Liverpool
L3 4AD

T: 0870 990 6432
F: 0870 990 6433

www.premierinn.com/pti/hotelInformation.do?hotel Id=24150&iscsell= 

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