Looking at the Premier Inn chain that is talked about highly here for a Lindon stay pending, you know, covid. Is there a difference in the regular PI and the Hub when it comes to beds, noise, etc.? Considering the Hub Goodge Street or the regular at Holborn and may be putting too much thought into this. That’s the problem with planning 6 months out.
It is all about space. How comfortable are you with a small room? My sister stayed at a Hub and was quite pleased. It suited her just fine. She did tell me that given my slight claustrophobic tendency, she would not recommend it for me.
I have stayed at Premier Inn Waterloo and loved the hotel and the location.
Here’s a previous discussion on the pros and cons of Hub hotels:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/hub-hotels
Looking at reviews on TripAdvisor, there are some complaints about windowless rooms. These were specifically at the Westminster and Tower Bridge Hubs, but I assume the rooms are the same in all the Hubs—-at least the room photos are the same. It may only be a feature of some rooms but not all. You might want to ask about that when you book. And the room size is small—-11.4 square meters for the standard rooms. Fine for a solo traveler, but it might be tight for a couple.
They do get good reviews for cleanliness, bed comfort, bathroom design, and the free coffee and tea in the lobby area (no kettle in the room)
Hub rooms are tiny, tiny, tiny. I have stayed in at least three — one of them twice — and quite like them, for certain situations. But they are not a place to go and hang out at your hotel.
Standard Premier Inn rooms are larger, and because of the bigger rooms, there will be more families staying there.
I like both of them and find them both a reliable, good product. But they definitely cater to different needs/wants.
Thanks all. I don’t mind a small room if it’s week designed. Giving the Hub standard room a try. If anyone else looks at this later, best to book as soon as possible. I checked prices a month ago and now they’re about $50 more per night. Covid uncertainty has destroyed my decision-making skill. Good news is maybe that means people are feeling optimistic for late spring travel! Fingers crossed.
Rates for the Premier Inn chain tend to start low and increase as the arrival date approaches. The pattern seems more obvious and more consistent than with many other hotels.
We stayed at Premier Inn St James station last week. We bumped to the bigger room. I think I heard the Std rooms push the bed against the wall. Not ideal for 2 travelers.
We really enjoyed the place. There is construction right next door. We did not hear any noise from there. That may not always be the case. The tube station was a half block away. In the evening we would go downstairs to the lounge and plot our next day. It was comfortable