Accommodation

Premier Inn (UK, Budget Traveller)

Ok, so you're visiting the UK. Awesome and welcome. If you haven't already found a decent hotel (which in my experience having now stayed in excess of 50 properties throughout the UK), finding a good hotel for a reasonable price can be more challenging than you think.

Sure, booking sites like TripAdvisor and Booking.com help when choosing a hotel but the descriptions don't always match the experience and neither do the photos, which are usually taken of the property when it first opens so everything looks new. Most of the reviews written by past guests don't give you a very clear picture of what your stay will actually be like as they often miss the finer details.

When I travel, I look for the following:

Clean rooms, free from stains and debris.
Comfortable beds and pillows (medium firm, not too soft, not too hard is ideal for me)
A decent shower (with water pressure and hot water). You'd be amazed at how many budget and even some boutique hotels fail this test.
Consistency

Of all the hotels I've stayed in there is one clear winner and that is Premier Inn. They are clean and comfortable. I've stayed in about a dozen Premier Inn hotels now, all over the UK, from Manchester in the north to the midlands and all the way down to Brighton. They are my preferred hotel for budget accommodation as they are consistently good (for the price) and match all the above criteria.

A bonus is that quite often the bathroom also features a fairly decent sized bath, perfect after a cold winters day exploring the local town. A remote large screen TV is also featured in the room as well as individually controlled air conditioning.

The room sizes aren't huge but they're more than adequate with plenty of space to store your luggage and hanging space for coats and jackets etc. Other features I like include a work desk, free toiletries, a hair dryer and some rooms even offer mood lighting. There's usually a restaurant located either in or adjacent to the hotel offering all-you-can-eat cooked breakfasts and reasonably priced evening meals.

Additionally, check-in is usually from around 1-2pm and checkout is 12pm midday.

To book, you will need to sign up for an account on their website but you can use their app (or website) to make a booking.

Prices vary depending on where and when you stay. I've paid just £49/night on a weeknight at Kidderminster and up to £200 for a Saturday night stay in Brighton. Naturally, you will pay more for a weekend than you will a weeknight due to demand and of course, if you stay in the centre of London, you'll pay a premium.

Premier Inn Hotels are the best choice for budget stays in London or anywhere else in the UK. Highly recommended.