Premier Inn Cambridge (A14, J32) hotel - Cambridge

Matthew P.

Usually reliable chain, let down completely in this instance by the longest wait I've ever had in a restaurant. Arrived at 6:30, order taken promptly and starter arrived before 7pm, but we then had to wait until 8:40 (and after repeated pleas) for the main to turn up. Utter purgatory. If it hadn't been for the fact that the better half was going into hospital the next morning and needed a decent meal I would've given up altogether and told the staff we didn't want it. They were very apologetic when the main finally turned up and knocked £20 off the bill, though by that point I was desperate just to bolt the blessed food and go back to our room.

I eventually managed to ascertain that the reason for the appalling service was that, surprise surprise, there was one person working in the entire kitchen and that the three other staff were being completely run ragged trying to take orders, clear tables, operate the reception desk and work as assistant chefs all at the same time.

There is no excuse for this. Premier Inn is not a struggling business and can afford to employ enough staff to provide a tolerable level of service. Indeed, our recent experiences at other of their hotels have been overwhelmingly positive. Mercifully it is unlikely that we'll need to use this particular one again because I have absolutely no intention of ever coming back.

It's all a great shame because the room was clean, comfortable and modern, perhaps a little on the small side but otherwise very good, and although it's not in a pretty location it was very convenient for what we wanted. I just wish businesses like this wouldn't cut corners on staffing. I can think of at least one example of an otherwise really nice restaurant near to where we live that we've stopped going to, not because the food isn't excellent but because it takes forever and a day for it to turn up. It takes all the enjoyment out of a meal.

Simon S.

I stayed at this hotel for a total of ten days the rooms are very clean and ever adequate . All of the staff were very friendly and helpful however there was not enough of them, the staff that were there were run ragged and my understanding is they get very little recognition for the hard work. |Now the issue I had was the restaurant, the very first evening I ordered a prawn cocktail for my starters and it came with an added caterpillar. The manageress was horrified and offered me a free dessert which was a laugh as I was on a meal deal anyway and I was given the alternative to starters. The second night I ordered a starter and a main course, the main course arrived after half an hour , there was no sign of the starter and when I mentioned it I was offered the starter at the same time. I opted for the dessert instead and was given a sticky toffee pudding. This arrived cold again I had to complain and it was returned molten hot or the hottest the microwave can heat it. |Day three and the grill was apparently broken so nothing from the grill for dinner. Day four the toaster had broken for breakfast, the manager did their best but the 4 slice toaster took ten minutes to even give it a slight change of colour.|Another p take is if you have the meal deal you can have a salad for around ten pounds but if you want chicken you have to pay 2.99 extra where as you can have an alternative meal which is more expensive on the menu and don’t have to pay any extra. What a joke! Anyway the restaurant was clean on the surface but the carpets and seats were dirty and stained, there was not enough staff to deal with the number of guests and services was all over the place. Would I return , no! I don’t even think Lennie H would eat there and he is one of your celebrity ambassadors. Was the hotel convenient? Yes, we’re the staff good ? Yes , would I recommend this Premier Inn No! I am now in a struggle with customer services to sort this out.

Gareth C.

A nice modern premier inn - literally everything you would expect. It is a more modern premier inn and this was reflected in the condition of the rooms. Everything was clean, tidy, and in good working condition. Don't let the property being on a main road put you off - you can barely hear it inside. There is plenty of parking, a children's park directly outside, walking distance to a tesco express, a burger van, a good Indian, and pizza hut takeaway. If you are going into cambridge the park and ride is only a couple of minutes by car.

The surroundings are a nice modern estate and at no point did I have any concern about the safety of my car (parking is plentiful and free).

There is a restaurant and bar in the hotel but I didn't use these so can't comment really.

When visiting cambridge in the future, I would definitely use this place again.

Miroslav T.

Halfway through my 6 day stay and I must say that so far it has been a very pleasant surprise. Usually Premier Inn hotels are ok but not much to mention, the difference here is the STAFF we had the pleasure to meet. At arrival we were pleasantly greeted and from there it was a pleasure dealing with them. |Great service, a smile and a laugh goes a long way.||Jinu, Ada, the tall slim guy (did not got his name yet) and the rest of the team - Well done!|You made our stay a pleasure

Adrian

Excellent location.
Bar facilities not really advertised, but good selection and prices.
Room and staff excellent.
Tesco express, pizza express and few stalls nearby.
Only neg was in a large van and limited spaces available for tall vans

Edit
Breakfast was below average for me.
Bacon was cooked like the yanks love and fried egg could of caused injury if thrown across the room as both solid.
1st time I've left most of my Breakfast for years, so dropped a star.
Due to location, will visit again and can hopefully give the 5, it did deserve

Agilefrog

Gang of children running riot throughout the hotel, parents drunk in the bar, wife was verbally abused by a teenager when she asked them to be quiet, reported to reception but they said there was nothing they could do. Left at 9:30pm without staying the night as it was obvious no rest would be had. Tried to claim on the "good night guarantee" but despite the claim meeting their terms exactly it was refused. They also billed for 3 breakfasts that we never had! Wont be staying here again.

Kevin H.

Disgusting Customer Service. Booked for two nights weeks ahead. Got woken up after first night with banging from building work going on that shook the building. Not seen my mum for nine months and arranged to meet for lunch so very stressed when I got to her. Complained before I left hotel for lunch. Got back to hotel after lunch and was told it was going to carry on for a few more days as having a refurbishment. They offered me a different room but I would have got woken the next morning. I had to phone Customer Service who said I would not get a refund because of "the rate I was on". They were very condescending, no empathy and their promises are broken with their adverts of a good night sleep, request for script of phone call, the enjoyment of my room for the whole 48hrs that I had paid for. As I was packing a guy was hoovering outside my room. I will under no circumstances use WHITBREAD and PREMIUM INN when spending my hard earned money and valuable holiday time. I look forward seeing the collapse of The Company.

David W.

We chose to spent a couple of nights here as I had to visit Addenbrookes Hospital for a day of tests and treatment. We had stayed in this Premier Inn before, but many years ago. The room was average and clean. There were 3 chairs in the room - 1 at the Desk, and 2 'comfy' chairs which were far from comfy. They were very squidgy and a job to get up from. The Desk Chair was UNSAFE - it was falling apart, and creaked with every move and could easily fall apart at any minute. The bed was comfortable, but very high making it difficult to get into.||We had Dinner in the Restaurant on both nights. There was a reasonable choice on the Menu, but expensive. The first night we waited over 45 minutes from Ordering our Main Course before we received the food. The service on the second night was quicker for us, but one other table near us in the Restaurant waited over an hour for their meal and had to ask the waitress to chase it up. It then arrived almost straight away at their table so it must have been sitting in the kitchens for a long time. So don't expect fast food if you eat here.