Premier Inn Oxford Cowley hotel - Oxford

Julie M.

I chose this location as I have used it 5 or 6 times previously but this was the 1st time since COVID.
When we arrived at 1pm it was understandably too early to check in but we were able to at least park and go in and tell the receptionist we were going out and would not be back until about 10.30pm she confirmed that the room would be kept for a later check in.
Tbh alarm bells started to ring when we saw the state of the place on first parking up. The whole of the outside area was filthy rubbish everywhere including the Beefeater linked to it.
On our return back that evening about 10.15pm.after being at the theatre we checked in and was directed to block c. Have only ever stayed in block a before and was unaware previously there was a block c.
The paths to it were unkempt and full of rubbish and cigarette ends. They were mobile refrigeration units running in the car park.
The corridors and stairs were dark and dingy and out room was icy cold. That cold the sheets felt damp. The bathroom was at least clean but that was about it. The heating did not work but there were 2 oil filled radiators in there which we immediately plugged in. The worse was yet to come ....all throughout the night it sounded like the all night traffic was running through our room from the road running parallel and immediately outside our window.
This was definitely not a "Premier" and certainly not an "Easy Sleep" experience. We had no sleep whatsoever.
I have taken recordings of the traffic noise in our room and have attached photos of our experience. So sad I have used this particular Premier Inn for a number of years but never again.
On departing the young receptionist asked me if our stay was okay and I had to tell her how dreadful it was. She simply said" sorry" not her fault. There was little she could do about it. In fact I felt sorry for her as the staff must find it quite depressing.
In the car park as we were leaving another gentlemen parked next to us asked us what we thought. He explained that he had been using it for many years as a central location for meeting annually with old school friends of
60 years but he too said never again and was disgusted with the state of the place. First impressions are so important clearing your car park bins etc would be a good start so the rubbish isn't flowing out into the car park.
See my pictures on trip advisor please don't waste your money there must surely be somewhere nicer to stay.

shane

I stay in about 6 to 10 different premier inn's a year and this is the worst one i've been in for a long long time - to start most the reception and overall look of the place is very tired and dirty, lifts are not working and was not advised about this until the climb up to the top floor.
To start:
All Hallways where dirty and dusty.
Room was missing sofa/chair so half the room was empty
dirty floors.
dirty walls.
dirty shower.
only one towel for two people two nights?
marks on all walls and dust everywhere.
visible dirt on all surfaces.
Overall damp smell throughout
2/10 overall the worst premier inn i have stayed in for over 5 years.
Staff were polite though so i would say this is a management issue and poorly run.

Helle R.

Great location - both for central Oxford and for family in surroundings. Nice and friendly staff and a really good size room. You kind of know what you get with Premier Inn as there’s not much change between locations. ||And it includes a brilliant bed! BIG and with a really comfy mattress.

ianmel1969

Booked a Premier Plus room on the 2nd floor. Perhaps not really worth it anymore. They have stopped doing the bars of chocolate! Just a packet of crummy bourbons instead. It was nice and quiet even though the hotel is next to a major road. Staff were friendly and helpful. I had the continental breakfast which unfortunately seemed to be much reduced in choice. No sponge blueberry cakes or pain au chocolat. Advertised but not available. Don't know how they get away with that. Should be knocking off a £2 on the cost in my view. Bus stop, back into the City can be found opposite the hotel or more frequent services are a 10 min walk away at the Original Swan Pub. Be careful if arriving on foot as there is no pavement leading up to the reception, just the entrance for cars. Of course we all travel by car don't we Premier Inn?

John K.

Must be honest have spent a lot of time travelling and staying in premier inns over the years with work. This one has to be up there with one of the worst. No heating in the room, it also smelt of damp. I reported this to reception and they managed to change my room, staff communication wasn’t the best. I definitely will not be booking this place for a work related stay again.

James C.

Ok Premier Inn with a good location and that's about where the praise ends.

What is the most frustrating is the addition of paid car parking on what used to be a free service. They have the audacity to have the payment machine outside, so when it's raining, you have to brave the elements to line their company's pockets with an extra £3 per night.

Why not just charge me an extra £3 on my bill rather than waste my time? Feel like a greedy cash grab for an average hotel priced as an up market hotel with no standout features.

David T.

Just wanted to highlight how excellent Taylor was in sorting out a problem with the heating. His courtesy and professionalism absolutely shone. Due to his efforts we had a very enjoyable stay and wouldn’t hesitate in using the hotel again due to these standards.|Thank you Taylor.

Nigel D.

As always we had a very pleasant stay at the Premier Inn Cowley. There is plenty of parking, although there is now a charge of £3 per 24 hour stay. In the past parking was free.|| The stay experience was exactly as you would expect at Premier Inn. The staff are all friendly, helpful, and very courteous. The site cleanliness is good, and the rooms are clean and comfortable. The accessible rooms are well laid out, and the staff are always on hand if you need any assistance.