I recently stayed at the Liverpool Albert Dock Premier Travel Inn as I was attending a conference at the nearby ACC (Liverpool Conference Centre). My review is based on a 2 night stay (which consisted of a Thursday and Friday night).

As my job requires many over night stays during the course of a year, I do tend to favour a Premier Travel Inn. Yes - they can be boring and bland and they are all the same - but I do like the fact that you know what to expect in terms of standards, cleanliness and price. I also like their policy towards women who are staying in a hotel alone - they tend to either put you in a room very near to the 24 hour manned reception, or they don't put you on the ground floor. They also never say your room number out loud when you are checking in - which makes the hotel chain more appealing as they do take safety and security seriously. I also like the fact that you can't access any of the guest areas of the hotel unless you have your key card which means that people who aren't staying there can't come and go!

The Booking Process
I booked this accommodation online - the website is incredibly easy to use and if your hotel of choice is not available on the dates you require - the nearest hotels which are available are offered as alternatives. I also received a text on the day that I was due to check in, which just confirmed my booking.

Location
For me this location was ideal, not only was it right opposite the venue where I was attending the conference but it was also situated on the Albert Dock. This area offers plenty to do, including the Beatles Story, the Maritime Museum and a Tate Gallery, as well as numerous shops, cafes and bars. The Liverpool One area of the city is only a ten minute walk away which offers high street shopping.
As the hotel is also situated on the River Mersey it offered a very scenic view for a city centre location.

The main negative regards hotel location was that there wasn't a car park attached to the hotel. There is a pay and display outside which is quite expensive or there is a multistory car park which is a five minute walk away. The hotel had a deal with the multistory which meant I could leave my car there for £10 over the 2 days - much cheaper and convenient then if I had paid and displayed instead. The main problem with the multistory is that it may be inconvenient if you have a lot to carry.

Hotel Room
The staff at reception were very polite and quick as I checked in. As the hotel was situated in a renovated building there was a lot of character to the place including in my room which had red bricked walls and a sloping ceiling. The room was very clean with basic furnishings and a flat screen television. However, I was very pleased that I had a very large floor to ceiling window - as the lights in the room were just rubbish! Even with all the lights and lamps on the room was still too dark. Also the air conditioning unit was very loud so even though the room was quite cold, you couldn't have the heating on through the night as it was too loud. The control to turn on the air conditioning unit was also very high. I had to stand on tiptoe to turn it on and I am 5 feet 8 inch - so anyone shorter would have struggled! The key card which also activates the electricity in the room was also slightly problematic. As soon as the card was removed from its slot the (already poor) lights went out - which meant navigating you're your way to the door in total darkness. There was also a lack or plug sockets (only one I believe) so I couldn't charge my phone, use my lap top and have the television on at the same time (which was a bit annoying!)

Bar/Restaurant
This was the most disappointing aspect of my stay. The hotel has a bar area which serves evening meals, breakfast and drinks. I went with a colleague for tea and even though the restaurant was practically empty, we were told that we have to wait for 15-20 minutes as they were too busy!
At the bar, the bar maid had a till problem and then left us stood there for another 15 minutes whilst waiting to pay for our drinks.
When we eventually ate, the food did arrive quickly and it was pleasant enough. Breakfast was a much better experience - a help yourself buffet including a great selection suitable for all (full cooked English, cereal, fresh fruit, croissants, yoghurts, toast.)

The main problem with the hotel was the noise. As I had to stay there on a Friday night it was full of stag and hen do's. It was very noisy within the hotel itself until the early hours and outside on the Albert Dock itself. I had noisy people on either side of my room until the early hours of the morning - which spoilt the stay for me.

As a budget price of £65 a night - this would be an ideal hotel for any visits to the Albert Dock, Liverpool ACC, and surrounding areas -however be aware that it may be very noisy on a weekend.