Premier Inn Manchester Trafford Centre (Premier Inn Manchester Trafford Centre South)

Member Name: Mrs-LT

Product:	Premier Inn Manchester Trafford Centre South
Date:	05/02/09 (48 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good location, clean, pleasant, well-equipped room

Disadvantages: None

We stayed here last week when we travelled to Manchester for a funeral and needed somewhere very last-minute. Rather than trawling through websites and looking for a hotel we decided just to go for the Premier Inn because despite the fact they are basic, because they are part of a national chain you know exactly what to expect. I am fussy with hotels because I am very picky about cleanliness (over luxury) and for a trip where we would be arriving late evening and leaving early morning quite honestly I would not want to fork out for an expensive city-centre hotel room...that money could be better used for a weekend away on a happier occasion.

The room cost £54 and breakfast cost £7.85 each for a full breakfast. You could pay a couple of pounds less and just get a continental one but we preferred the option of a cooked breakfast. Up to two children eat breakfast for free with every paying adult which is a bonus although the breakfast clearly does bump the cost up a fair bit and when you look at the total cost you can certainly get special offers in better hotels for the same kind of price if you are going off-peak and have time to shop around.

The hotel/motel is located just off the M60, directly opposite the marvel that is the Trafford Centre (which is where I spend the day before we checked in, hence our evening arrival!) which means that you have a huge range of cafes, restaurants, cinema, shopping and even a bowling alley across the riad. Ideal when you think about it. Manchester itself is a bit further away but because of the proximity to the Trafford Centre where there is a transport centre (for buses) public transport is always an option of you do not fancy taking the car. This is a rare option with a Premier Inn that is not in the centre - they usually tend to be inaccessible by any mode of transport other than car because they are normally located just off motorways.

Parking is ample and the car park is free and well-lit. I had no worries about leaving the car overnight.

I booked our family room with a cot online. The website was simple to use and all you need is a credit card to secure the booking which you can cancel for free up to 4pm on the day of arrival. This is very unusual with hotels and gives you an unrivalled degree of flexibility.

Check-in was speedy and hassle-free. The woman on reception was very friendly and helpful, asked if we wanted breakfast and how we would like to pay then got us to quickly fill out and sign a registration form (basically just car registration details), took card payment and handed us the room key. No messing around, just what you want really.

The room itself was very clean and smelt nice and fresh. The travel cot they provided was fairly old but perfectly adequate and they also gave us cellular blankets (in line with the SIDS advice from medical professionals, which is unusual in hotels) and even nappy bags. A very useful touch (although we had brought our own anyway).

The child's bed was a sofa-bed but it was the same height as a normal bed and also the same length - to all intents and purposes it was a fully-functional single bed, and it was properly made up.

There are lots of different lights and lamps in the room making it easy to get a workable light level after the children are in bed - light enough for the adults to see, but not too bright that the children are disturbed.

The bathroom was also fine and there were ample clean towels. Lux shower gel was provided in a dispenser on the wall next to the shower/bath. There was an over-bath shower which was really powerful and the temperature on the bath and shower was very easy to change and control.

The room was freshly decorated and furnished nicely with the trademark purple accents. Our bed was comfortable and the sheets were crisp.

There was a tea and coffee making set with kettle provided and also a hairdryer. There was a dressing table and stool in front of a mirror and a full-size mirror elsewhere in the room.

We had a restful night's sleep and heard no noise from the hotel or the motorway.

I would definately stay in this Premier Inn and other Premier Inns in the future.

Summary: Very good value for money