Budget hotels discussion

[jon81uk]

I haven't been to one for a while, what do they do about breakfast if the restaurant area is closed? Or does that just mean closed for dining, open for breakfast?

From https://www.theguardian.com/busines...with-loss-of-3800-jobs-premier-inn-owner-says

Dominic Paul, Whitbread’s chief executive, said: “We plan to convert all our remaining branded restaurants to an integrated food and beverage offer that is preferred by our hotel guests and will unlock the addition of more highly profitable extension rooms....."

They should be converting restaurant spaces to integrated ones for hotel guests only to use for breakfast.

Also from https://www.whitbread.co.uk/for-gue...ead-branded-restaurants-are-open-and-trading/

This change will involve exiting all of our remaining branded restaurants, which trade under brands including Beefeater and Brewers Fayre, a number of which will be converted into approximately 600 additional Premier Inn rooms, with the remainder expected to be sold as going concerns.

“The proposed changes announced today build on the success of our Accelerating Growth Plan, announced in 2024, which involved the conversion of over 200 branded restaurants to additional rooms, and the creation of an integrated restaurant in each hotel. This format has proved highly popular with guests and under the proposal, it would be rolled out to all hotels where there is currently a branded restaurant.

So some pub-restaurants might get sold off to other pub-restaurant chains, but those hotel sites will convert an alternative space to restaurant use.

 

[Gareth1990]

I don’t understand why they’re excluding walk in guests to their restaurants, literally every hotel I’ve been has a restaurant that non staying guests can use, even Travelodge has cafes where anyone is welcome (Not that you would want to but still…)

 

[Djgr]

In terms of the John Lewis one, that also makes sense to me, housing is generally a growth area and the country does need a reliable high-quality landlord offering well-maintained rental properties.

Probably worth having a look at the John Lewis financial results then!

It's the kind of idea that would come up if you were asked to brainstorm and not eliminate anything straightaway.

John Lewis pulls out of housebuilding business

The retailer began expanding into housebuilding in 2020 but it is scrapping those plans to focus on retail instead.

www.bbc.co.uk

Retailer John Lewis is closing down its housebuilding business, scrapping plans to build 1,000 homes across three sites.

It cited higher borrowing and building costs than when it first started expanding into residential development in 2020.

It is also pulling out of property management, and will close that business when its contracts with four residential buildings end.

The employee-owned firm said it is instead focusing on its retail brands, John Lewis and Waitrose, to simplify its business and strengthen its balance sheet.

I mean it probably didn't help that their boss lady had zero retail experience but hey...





== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jul 2026 ==

I don’t understand why they’re excluding walk in guests to their restaurants, literally every hotel I’ve been has a restaurant that non staying guests can use, even Travelodge has cafes where anyone is welcome (Not that you would want to but still…)

Probably need to ask Dominic Paul with his cunning plan. I daren't google Mr Paul's relevant experience!

 

[BuhSnarf]

I don’t understand why they’re excluding walk in guests to their restaurants, literally every hotel I’ve been has a restaurant that non staying guests can use, even Travelodge has cafes where anyone is welcome (Not that you would want to but still…)

I would imagine it's purely logistical. Having the restaurant open to walk in guests likely adds complications to the business that yield little benefits.

If they are only allowing hotel guests they know fairly far in advance exactly the staffing/food/resourcing etc. that is required, everyone on site has a reason to be there and they already have everyone's payment details. Also, the hotel restaurant is likely to have much more restricted hours - i.e. Breakfast 7-10 and then dinner 5-8 or similar so they only have to staff it for 6 hours.

Walk in business is obviously much less predictable so could end up with the restaurant sitting empty for the majority of the day but still requiring front and back of house staff to be there just in case someone walks in.

My educated guess is that the extra overheads for opening all day restaurants probably didn't break even in many sites and required quite hefty staffing, whereas adding an extra 10 rooms will generate guranteed income and not require any more staff.

 

[The exile]

I would imagine it's purely logistical. Having the restaurant open to walk in guests likely adds complications to the business that yield little benefits.

If they are only allowing hotel guests they know fairly far in advance exactly the staffing/food/resourcing etc. that is required, everyone on site has a reason to be there and they already have everyone's payment details. Also, the hotel restaurant is likely to have much more restricted hours - i.e. Breakfast 7-10 and then dinner 5-8 or similar so they only have to staff it for 6 hours.

Walk in business is obviously much less predictable so could end up with the restaurant sitting empty for the majority of the day but still requiring front and back of house staff to be there just in case someone walks in.

My educated guess is that the extra overheads for opening all day restaurants probably didn't break even in many sites and required quite hefty staffing, whereas adding an extra 10 rooms will generate guranteed income and not require any more staff.

Not that walk-in has to equate to open all day. I wonder, though, if you’ll start to get dual pricing with the ability to order online in advance at a lower rate (that is actually the “going rate”) with an increasingly large premium for only ordering at table (and then finding that half the menu is unavailable).

 

[BuhSnarf]

Not that walk-in has to equate to open all day. I wonder, though, if you’ll start to get dual pricing with the ability to order online in advance at a lower rate (that is actually the “going rate”) with an increasingly large premium for only ordering at table (and then finding that half the menu is unavailable).

True, it can only open for limited hours - but if you know the restaurant is only open certain hours then you're less likely to just pull in for a quick bite on a whim as you're not sure it's open and so you'll pick the Wetherspoons that you know will be open.

 

[Djgr]

I would imagine it's purely logistical. Having the restaurant open to walk in guests likely adds complications to the business that yield little benefits.

If they are only allowing hotel guests they know fairly far in advance exactly the staffing/food/resourcing etc. that is required, everyone on site has a reason to be there and they already have everyone's payment details. Also, the hotel restaurant is likely to have much more restricted hours - i.e. Breakfast 7-10 and then dinner 5-8 or similar so they only have to staff it for 6 hours.

Walk in business is obviously much less predictable so could end up with the restaurant sitting empty for the majority of the day but still requiring front and back of house staff to be there just in case someone walks in.

My educated guess is that the extra overheads for opening all day restaurants probably didn't break even in many sites and required quite hefty staffing, whereas adding an extra 10 rooms will generate guranteed income and not require any more staff.

Although the numbers PI quote in their statement suggest that only a minority of locations are scheduled to have additional rooms as a result of the restaurant closures.

 

[jon81uk]

Not that walk-in has to equate to open all day. I wonder, though, if you’ll start to get dual pricing with the ability to order online in advance at a lower rate (that is actually the “going rate”) with an increasingly large premium for only ordering at table (and then finding that half the menu is unavailable).

There already is dual pricing in a sense, book the meal deal via Premier Inn and you get breakfast plus a two course dinner with a drink for £25 but turn up at the Beefeater restaurant and you will likely pay £25 just for dinner.

 

[route101]

If you’re driving in from anywhere south/southwest of Manchester Airport, and on a budget, Knutsford Travelodge is a bit grim but can be very cheap.

No car on this trip but I can see how that's a handy one.

Nearly booked Premier Inn at Manchester Airport and looked at the map, theres two of them quite a walk away from the terminal.

 

[paul@skegby.org.]

I

No car on this trip but I can see how that's a handy one.

Nearly booked Premier Inn at Manchester Airport and looked at the map, theres two of them quite a walk away from the terminal.

Heald Green Premier Lodge is handy for Manchester airport.
Station is next door, trains to airport.

 

[Kite159]

The thing is all these closed restaurants make Premier Inns look derelict

Agreed there, the older one at Salisbury which had a "Table Table" restaurant closed a couple of years ago when Premier Inn started with the program to reduce food options, whenever I drive past it, looks like nothing at all has changed inside, just the weeds getting longer on the outside. Similar to other pubs in this area which have closed and remain untouched.

Although from memory the Premier Inn itself wasn't the best looking as it seemed to be an old building, which I'm surprised they haven't closed when they built a new hotel on the A36 near Tesco (which has a Maccies)

(Shouldn't the talk about Premier Inn get split to a new thread considering it is unlikely they will disappear)

 

[BuhSnarf]

Although the numbers PI quote in their statement suggest that only a minority of locations are scheduled to have additional rooms as a result of the restaurant closures.

I believe in the ones where they are not converting the restaurant to extra rooms they will be selling the site to another restaurant owner. I believe Wetherspoons have taken some, as have Mitchel & Butlers.

 

[Djgr]

I believe in the ones where they are not converting the restaurant to extra rooms they will be selling the site to another restaurant owner. I believe Wetherspoons have taken some, as have Mitchel & Butlers.

and by the sounds of it also creating dereliction

 

[BuhSnarf]

and by the sounds of it also creating dereliction

As most people are likely booking the hotel room via online banking and it's likely PI's own website doesn't show the derelict pub restaurant buildings I doubt it's doing much damage to the PI sales.

 

[The exile]

As most people are likely booking the hotel room via online banking and it's likely PI's own website doesn't show the derelict pub restaurant buildings I doubt it's doing much damage to the PI sales.

Yet. Depends how much of their business is repeat bookings and whether it materially impacts on the experience (how I hate that word!) once there.

 

[daveo]

route101 said:
Was looking at Booking.com for hotels around Manchester Airport

Should have checked Trivago!!!

 

[johntea]

Very happy to report Premier Inn were more than willing to store my (very heavy!) couple of luggage items after checking out until I popped back for them later in the day

 

[Andyh82]

I’ve just been staying at a nice new build Premier Inn and the associated Beefeater, that only opened 2 years ago. The restaurant was pretty busy the night I ate, and on the Saturday I’m sure there were lots of walk in Breakfast takers as well as hotel guests.

It’s always a shame when decisions are taken nationally, as no doubt some restaurants do well, and some like this one, are nice and modern, but it will be lumped in with all the unprofitable tired ones.

Unusually most of the staff were ‘of an age’ so provided a better service than you might often get with surly teenagers

 

[Russel]

I’ve just been staying at a nice new build Premier Inn and the associated Beefeater, that only opened 2 years ago.

It’s always a shame when decisions are taken nationally, as no doubt some restaurants do well, and some like this one, are nice and modern, but it will be lumped in with all the unprofitable tired ones.

I stopped in the Weston Super Mare Premier inn a year or two ago and ate in the on site restaurant, Brewers Fayre I believe, the food was mediocre and the service was simply awful, probably why it was empty and now presumably closing.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I stopped in the Weston Super Mare Premier inn a year or two ago and ate in the on site restaurant, Brewers Fayre I believe, the food was mediocre and the service was simply awful, probably why it was empty and now presumably closing.

Generally they seem to offer little above Spoons quality at a somewhat higher price, so it's no great surprise most aren't making a fortune.

 

[317 forever]

The Bar and Block in Milton Keynes appeared to have a good number of non guests dining.

At the Premier Inn Cambridge North, there was a good number of persons dining in the Thyme restaurant. We made the effort to go into Cambridge.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Jul 2026 ==


They do put the £1 drinks in fridge but often sell out. I would rather have no drink than a room temp drink apart from water perhaps. I wonder why shops put the 500ml drinks on a on non refrigerated shelf, fridges cost money of course.

I stayed at a nearby Premier Inn, Cambridge A14, a few weeks before Christmas last year.

Due to the shortage of takeaways in the area, and because I'd had a pizza at home the previous evening, I went for the PI meal deal.

I caught the train to Cambridge North and walked from there, albeit a 40 minute walk. This way I kept the delights of the buses and Cambridge city centre to my daytrip.

 

[Forty29]

I disagree about brewers fayre having food of dubious quality. The one in my town is always busy( probably thanks for the PI next to it)and surrounding eateries expensive. The food is always hot, served quickly, staff friendly ( always have banter with the carvery team) maybe not as good value as it used to be but will miss it when it closes next month. Plans are for more rooms.

 

[Sleepy]

The Norwich airport Brewers Fayre/PI does very well with non-resident diners (partially due to adjacent large suburb with just 1 pub with a debatable food offering) Many of the staff have been there 10 years plus which makes a big difference.

 

[cactustwirly]

I disagree about brewers fayre having food of dubious quality. The one in my town is always busy( probably thanks for the PI next to it)and surrounding eateries expensive. The food is always hot, served quickly, staff friendly ( always have banter with the carvery team) maybe not as good value as it used to be but will miss it when it closes next month. Plans are for more rooms.

The last time I dined in one it was not cheap, but the food was fairly expensive.

Their competitors like Mitchell's and Butlers do a much better job at pub food. It may be a bit more expensive but at least it is freshly cooked and a varied menu

 

[route101]

I stayed at a nearby Premier Inn, Cambridge A14, a few weeks before Christmas last year.

Due to the shortage of takeaways in the area, and because I'd had a pizza at home the previous evening, I went for the PI meal deal.

I caught the train to Cambridge North and walked from there, albeit a 40 minute walk. This way I kept the delights of the buses and Cambridge city centre to my daytrip.

We caught the buses to and from Cambridge and left the car at the hotel. We had a drink and ordered chips as we were hungry later on. I think most people who eat there are on the meal deal, the member of staff was a bit funny about the order we had.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

There's been yet another instance of a Travelodge key being just handed out without the proper checks being made:

Couple woke to find shirtless intruder in Dundee Travelodge room

Kim Hutchison says she was "petrified" to see a man in just shorts at the end of her bed in a Dundee Travelodge.

www.bbc.co.uk

A couple woke to find a shirtless man in their hotel bedroom after he was mistakenly given a key card to their door, BBC Scotland News has learned.

Kim Hutchison, 60, and Harry Grieve, 57, from Buckie, Moray, were staying in a Travelodge in Dundee when the early morning incident happened last month.

Hutchison said she was "petrified" before the man - wearing just shorts - left after about a minute of arguing over who was actually in the wrong room.

Travelodge apologised to the couple and said room access security policies were not correctly followed. It is the latest in a series of similar incidents at Travelodge hotels reported to the BBC.

 

[brad465]

There's been yet another instance of a Travelodge key being just handed out without the proper checks being made:

Couple woke to find shirtless intruder in Dundee Travelodge room

Kim Hutchison says she was "petrified" to see a man in just shorts at the end of her bed in a Dundee Travelodge.

www.bbc.co.uk

This business could in real trouble financially at this rate: the more reported incidents, the more sustained active avoidance of it will be. My organisation already brought in special dispensation to book a more expensive hotel if the member of staff feels safer as a direct result of earlier incidents.

 

[TheSmiths82]

Staff training seems to be the biggest issue here. There is also an issue with NFC cards failing (I've had it twice this year at TL hotels) and then not enough questions are asked when they renew the key.

 

[Russel]

There's been yet another instance of a Travelodge key being just handed out without the proper checks being made:

Couple woke to find shirtless intruder in Dundee Travelodge room

Kim Hutchison says she was "petrified" to see a man in just shorts at the end of her bed in a Dundee Travelodge.

www.bbc.co.uk

Yet another case that has gained media attention, I'd be interested to know how many more slip under the radar.

 

[Gareth1990]

This business could in real trouble financially at this rate: the more reported incidents, the more sustained active avoidance of it will be. My organisation already brought in special dispensation to book a more expensive hotel if the member of staff feels safer as a direct result of earlier incidents.

I doubt they’ll be in financial trouble anytime soon, and if bookings do fall off a cliff Travelodge will just do what Britannia Hotels do and fill up with council tenants/asylum seekers