OT: Premier Inn pricing.

[tim...]

I have never seem then - despite looking months ahead

do you stay at weird, out of the way places?

tim

[newshound]

Before I retired, I sometimes used them on business trips. After something and chips in the evening, plus several pints I always found I slept fine.

[michael adams]

Indeed. But their "guarantee" isn't limited to seasoned users who are accustomed to a big meal and a few pints before turning in, is it ? Without even looking them up, I'd imagine the statistics for the number of insomniacs in the UK is impressive/scary, depending on your point of view.

What Lenny Henry and his Purple Paymasters are promising there, is a "good nights sleep" to insomniacs who might not have had a good night's sleep in years. And that's in their own homes.

So how is this possible, I ask myself ?

michael adams

...

[Dave Liquorice]

Yep, I normally find the rooms too warm...

I "claimed" a couple of times, no problems what so ever. Unlike Travel Lodge which I stayed in on a Friday or Saturday night and got woken up in the wee small hours by a load of drunks coming back after a night on the piss. I was away working so not best pleased, it was quite a battle to squeeze a 50% *voucher* out of them. A voucher with a 6 month expiry that almost ran out before I had the chance to use it.

As a knock on from PI's Goodnight Guarantee is that they segregate those staying on business from those on the piss as much as they can so they don't end up giving full refunds...

[Dave Liquorice]

We always found our own accomodation. Being only a small crew, about

8 for cameras, vision and sound, some one would take on "booking the crew". Most hotels would drop their rates quite a bit for such a group booking. This is pre online systems, so one would be phoneing places directly and could negociate rather than just having to accept what a site offers.

I expect the "free" WiFi leaks out of the building... or as some one has said sit in the lobby.

Only a fiver down is what I'd expect on the night. The £29 rooms do exist but any given hotel and given date only has a very limited number of rooms available at that rate. Couple that with emails telling people that the next allocation has been/will be made available and they sell out very quickly.

[Huge]

[17 lines snipped]

I've stayed in the PI in Sheffield on numerous occasions, and it's a perfectly acceptable hotel.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The one I stayed in would have been acceptable at the 49 quid it said on their ad, but not at 89 quid.

[tim...]

they try that at TL

the problem is, this means the normal people get put upstairs, which given my dodgy knee and the lack of a lift is something I usually want to avoid

tim

[Dave Liquorice]

See above, can't say I've noticed...

Or lack of lifts, carrying bags in I'll use the lift and not having one would be a memorable minus. Otherwise I tend to use the stairs, excercise is good...

[F]

We use them often enough and they've always been good value.

We claimed on their guarantee twice with no arguments from them. On one, the fire alarm went off when some idiot thought it might be fun, on the other some drunks caused loud chaos outside the room and wouldn't be moved.

[F]

They clearly advertise that the lowest prices are online only. Ring up, or just turn up, and the price will be higher.

You will sometimes find that you cannot book a single night, but can book two. We book the two and then cancel the second at no cost when we arrive.

[michael adams]

Indeed. But that isn't actually guarenteeing you a good nights sleep, its merely guarenteeing you a refund if you don't get one.

Which isn't actually the same thing.

That's like selling parachutes that are guaranteed to never fail, and bereaved relatives explaining just how much compensation they'd got when one did.

What I was taking it to mean, somewhat mischeviously no doubt, was that no matter how many fire alarms went off, no matter how many drunks chose to party in the rooms next door, with maybe the occasional earthquake thrown in, they guarenteed that you'd sleep through it all. Waking totally refreshed in the morning.

michael adams

...

[F]

I appreciate the difference. But I also appreciate the refund! Similar disappointments in other establishments would probably have got me nothing. No argument if it's a Premier Inn.