Premier Inn Bishop Auckland
Location: West Auckland Road,Bishop Auckland,County Durham,County Durham, Bishop Auckland, GB
Star Rating: 9 Stars
Property Type: Hotels
About this Property
Experience ultimate relaxation at the Premier Inn Hotel Bishop Auckland, your perfect getaway nestled in a historic market town just off the A1.
Prime Location
Conveniently located near Durham and Darlington, we're your gateway to a wealth of local attractions, including the breathtaking Raby Castle and the fascinating Shildon National Railway Museum.
Comfortable Accommodations
Unwind in our spacious rooms designed for your comfort, featuring big, comfy beds that guarantee a good night's sleep after a day of exploration.
Dining Delights
Savor delicious meals at our Brewers Fayre restaurant, offering a variety of hearty dishes to satisfy your cravings after a day spent touring or playing a round of golf at the nearby Bishop Auckland Golf Club.
Don’t miss out on an unforgettable stay—book your room today!
Important Information
100 spaces, 10 disabled bays, 5 spaces for coaches/lorries, No height restriction.
From the South: Leave A1 at J58, bear left onto the A68 Corbridge/Bishop Auckland. At 1st roundabout take the 2nd exit (A6072) signed Shildon. Continue on the A6702 over 4 roundabouts, following signs to Shildon/Bishop Auckland. Hotel is approximately 1 mile on the left. Next to the Tindale Crossing Brewers Fayre.
Policies
Check-in: N/A - Anytime
Check-out: N/A
Amenities & Facilities
- Parking
- Air conditioning
- Restaurant
- Electric vehicle charging station
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
Rooms Available
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Standard double
The same comfort you know and love, just with a modernised look and feel! Enjoy our latest design, mood lighting and more.
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- Hair dryer
- Desk
- Free WiFi
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Standard twin - double bed and sofa bed
The same comfort you know and love, just with a modernised look and feel! Enjoy our latest design, mood lighting and more. Our twin rooms with a double bed and sofa bed have a super-comfy double or kingsize* bed paired with a sofa bed, which can be arranged into a single bed.
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- Desk
- Free WiFi
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Standard twin - two single beds
The same comfort you know and love, just with a modernised look and feel! Enjoy our latest design, mood lighting and more. Enjoy two of our equally sized, super-comfy 3ft wide beds fuss-free and say goodbye to the awkward "no you have the bigger bed, it's fine, really" chat.
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- Desk
- Free WiFi
-
Standard family
The same comfort you know and love, just with a modernised look and feel! Our family rooms include a double or kingsize bed, plus a sofa bed and pull-out bed depending on the number of guests staying in the room. We also provide travel cots at no extra cost. Room size and set up can vary based on the hotel and the number of guests.
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- Hair dryer
- Desk
- Free WiFi
-
Standard double with a view
A great view, super-comfy bed, powerful shower and blackout curtains – our double rooms have everything you'll need for a great night's sleep.
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- Hair dryer
- Desk
- Free WiFi
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Premier Plus accessible
As well as more space, a double or kingsize bed between 480mm and 520mm in height, and wider entry bathrooms with a lowered bath or wet room, our Premier Plus Accessible rooms offer Ultimate Wi-Fi, a coffee machine, a mini-fridge, bedside USB ports, an iron, an upgraded workspace and more. At our hotels with 480mm height mattresses, our teams may be able to raise the bed for easier wheelchair access.
- Air conditioning
- Coffee machine
- Free WiFi
-
Standard accessible
Our accessible rooms offer more space, a double or kingsize bed between 480mm and 520mm in height, and wider entry bathrooms with a lowered bath or wet room. At our hotels with 480mm height mattresses, our teams may be able to raise the bed for easier wheelchair access. If you have any accessibility questions before your stay, please get in touch with our friendly team at pi.accessible@whitbread.com or call us on 0333 0919 817 between 9am and 5pm Monday-Friday (calls charged at local rate).
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- Desk
- Free WiFi
-
Accessible room
A large room with a 480mm-high bed, level access en-suite shower room with folding seat & wide-entry doors
- Shower
- TV
- Hair dryer
- Free WiFi
-
Standard family with a view
Our family rooms with a view include a double or kingsize bed, plus a sofa bed and pull-out bed depending on the number of guests staying in the room. We also provide travel cots at no extra cost. Room size and set up can vary based on the hotel and the number of guests.
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- Hair dryer
- Desk
- Free WiFi
Guest Reviews
- HONEST_TRAVEL_PLUS (2/5): Reception Staff and Management are Appalling. - The hotel location is great and you can park nearby at a discount.
The checkin staff are uninterested and unwelcoming, they have no personality and give the impression of not wanting to be at work.
I did not see any inclusive members of staff during my stay.
- rosannap818 (10/5): Short stay in Brum - Good location next to Brindley place with a 20 min walk into town. Restaurants and bars 5 mins walk away. Supermarkets 5 mins away. Comfortable stay. Parking easy. Greated by Jack on reception who was welcoming, friendly and efficient. Thank you.
- laurabT7712VZ (10/5): Great stay, would recommend! - We were very impressed with the hotel. Location was great and the price was good considering where it was. Got a discount of the car park which was just up the road with plenty of parking spaces. The room was lovely and quiet even though it was in the middle of busy blackpool. Shops were within walking distance of we needed anything and it was right next to the pier and sea front. The check in was quick and easy. The room was very comfortable and breakfast was delicious and easy to help yourself. Overall a very pleasant experience and we would definitely stay here again!
- Q8399EGsueh (10/5): Excellent stay - We had such a lovely stay and the hotel was spotless. Location was excellent (even if the weather wasn’t)! We slept wonderfully and actually bought a Premier Inn duvet online as it was so cosy, even the nightclubs around didn’t really bother us too much (apart from a constant beat until 4am) didn’t spoil our stay though. Will definitely be back next year.
- Ian-J-M-69 (8/5): Pleasant stay but room walls needs a good clean. - STAFF: Front of house staff greeted us with a warm welcome and assisted with us booking in electronically.
CLEAN: Communal areas were very clean.
Bedroom: Bathroom was exceptionally clean. Bed was clean although bottom sheet (not fitted) had a hole in it. Bedroom walls had various splatter marks on most walls as well as above the wall mounted tv. Units all clean.
FACILITIES: Kingsize bed with pull out bed underneath. There was also a sofa bed. Extra pillows available in open wardrobe. 1 bedside light did not work as well as the main desk light. We had a kettle, two tea bags, two coffee sachets and 4 small milk pots. There were no spoons or cups. These were collected from front reception.
Shower gels were in a Baylis and Harding bottle although did not smell of what was on the bottle and was quite dirty around the top seal suggesting these bottles are topped up. If this is the case and you have a skin complaint then best to bring own toiletries.
SLEEP: Bed was exceptionally comfortable. Blackout curtains ensure only small amount of light entered the room in the morning. Very quiet until around 8am
FOOD: There is a restaurant in the hotel but we did not eat there.
MISCL: 5 minute walk from Blackpool North train station, Sainsbury's and 10 minutes from Blackpool tower and other attractions.
- steveh030760 (6/5): One night stay - We actually arrived 90 minutes early and were lucky enough to be allowed to check in at no extra cost (usual check in 3pm). Our room was on the ground floor close to the hotel stairs. There was a low humming noise which we could not locate, but as only here for one night it wasn't too much of a problem. The room was clean if a little tired. The only downside was the extremely smelly shower curtain which really needs changing. You'd be wise to change to a shower screen or similar as is the case in many of your other hotels. The evening meal and breakfast were both very good. Jack was there throughout and managed to juggle his receptionist and restaurant duties with a smile, what a pleasant chap he is, and a credit to Premier Inn..
- AmandaB8287 (10/5): Great Location & Friendly Staff - This is by far one of the best premier inns I have stayed in!
The location is excellent, being just a few minutes' walk from Blackpool North train station and directly facing the North Pier. This makes it an ideal base for exploring Blackpool.
The staff are consistently friendly and go above and beyond to ensure a memorable stay.
This was our third year staying at this location, and we definitely plan to return again next year.
- L2584EIjn (10/5): Great stay - Great service from Jack and the other staff. Had a great time staying there and I would definitely stay again in the future.
- MandrakeProject (10/5): Birmingham Volbeat 2025 - Great hotel perfectly located.
Efficient checkin by Jack and team.
Excellent clean room with everything working well
Recommended location for any gigs at the Arena
- margaretcY3485RV (10/5): Lovely stay at Bishop Auckland cosy clean Premier Inn Hotel - Premier Inn Bishop Auckland really nice hotel. Very clean room and bed so comfortable. Snug and warm tea coffee milk in main reception fill up as much as you want. Bathroom clean and warm. Good value for 3 nights stayed. Staff very friendly and helpful. Would definitely recommend this cosy clean hotel.
- iaatkinson (8/5): A good place to stay - 10 minutes or so walk from the station, 5 minutes to the North Pier. Great location.
Its a typical Premier Inn, you know what you get so no surprises. There is a nightclub over the road which provides a bit of nighttime noise, but it's not too bad. Didn't really disturb my sleep, I just heard it when I woke for other reasons.
3 elevators, but only 1 seemed to be operating the whole time I was there.
- L7940ZAcarolet (10/5): Amazing - Brilliant hotel and location, great facilities and all the staff were amazing, so friendly and helpful and nothing was too much trouble for them. I would definitely stay here again.
- E1981JQianc (10/5): Comfortable stay - We stoped over here for a gig at the utilita arena. Which is great place to stop only a few minutes walk to the arena. .
We stopped in an accessible room.. Which was very good.. the staff were friendly and polite I'm very helpful..we will definitely stop here again..🙂👍🏻
- L9395BOAK (2/5): Terrible stay - This hotel is great for location in city centre but ad for rooms they are shocking things broken . One lift only working for a 5 floor hotel with hundreds of guests. I would not recommend this hotel would find a guest house to stay In . The prices they charge is not budget at all .
- sallyw983 (10/5): Great location - We stayed at this hotel as we were going to the Symphony Hall. Great location, comfortable rooms and great value for money.
- A7637YOmichelleb (2/5): Not the best - We have stayed at this Premier Inn a few times but from the moment we arrived and the welcome we received we wish we hadn’t booked it again.
Customer service of the daytime reception staff is the worst I have ever experienced at a Premier Inn.
- A9503VUjoanh (10/5): Brilliant stay - The hotel location is perfect. Nice friendly atmosphere and very secure.
Rooms are very clean and the staff are very friendly
- Freedom34371845277 (10/5): Pleasant stay, convenient location - Handy little hotel by the city centre. The tram was great for getting into the city for my meetings and very easy walk back. Trip down the canal was nice too
- 191JenniferC (10/5): Fabulous view from window - This was my 3rd solo visit to this hotel. I choose it as like to feel secure when travelling alone. I like the fact it was lots of security needing your key card to access the lift then into the corridor of the rooms.
I had booked an early check in as I was meeting a friend for lunch so was getting an early train. My room was ready at bang on 11am so I was able to drop my case and go out.
I was delighted with my room on the 5th floor the view of the tower was amazing. My room was clean and as you would expect from a premier inn.
I heard some corridor noise on my 1st night as a couple couldn't seem to find their room despite the clear labels!!! The 2nd night was quieter just some street noise
I didn't bother with breakfast but did enjoy a wine in the evening.
The hotel is perfectly situated not far from the train station and opposite north pier so near the tram stops. A quick walk to the shops and so much choice of places to eat and drink.
I'll definitely stay here again when visiting friends
- R9459QUtheresaw (10/5): Comfortable and convenient - Hassle free, comfortable stay. Exactly what it says on the tin. Only issue was wifi speed - did not pay for premium. Service at the restaurant was great and it met our needs perfectly. Good discount for the local car park too.
- chloebO5762GG (2/5): Disappointing Stay – Poor Communication and Accessibility Issues - Disappointing Stay – Poor Communication and Accessibility Issues
We stayed at Premier Inn Blackpool and were really disappointed with our experience. We paid for breakfast but were never told we needed to book a slot. With five children, all with additional needs, we used the self check-in machine and apparently missed a tiny on-screen message about this — even staff later admitted it was easy to miss.
The next morning we were told no breakfast was available until 10:15am, and no one mentioned we’d only have 15 minutes to eat. My friend, who is Type 1 diabetic, barely managed a piece of toast, and the food left was cold and limited. Staff began clearing up around us, which made us feel very uncomfortable.
On arrival, a travel cot we didn’t request was in the room — when moved, stale crisps fell out, which wasn’t pleasant. To make matters worse, in a hotel with over 500 rooms, only one of the three lifts was working, which was extremely difficult for my friend’s son who relies on a wheelchair.
Overall, poor communication, cleanliness issues, and accessibility problems made for a very disappointing stay. We expected far better from Premier Inn.
- kathrynsW3770ET (10/5): Staff were great! - Great two night stay as a family for a concert at the Utilita arena. Room was clean and modern. Staff were incredibly accommodating and efficient, particularly when we made a mistake when paying for parking and they dealt ably with an unexpected fire alarm. Really friendly and welcoming atmosphere. I’m afraid we didn’t catch any names but the two men on the front desk and at breakfast were doing a great job. Lovely reasonably priced unlimited breakfast. Location was very quiet despite it being half term. Legoland discovery, Utilita arena, sea life centre, canals, restaurants etc all within 10 minute walk.
- Yorky111 (6/5): Great location, otherwise not great! - So disappointed! Such a great location, unfortunately it felt scruffy. The staff on the Saturday were not helpful, dirty towels and pillows in the room. At night the waitress literally dumped condiments on our table and leaned in between us. The morning team were better but whilst we were having breakfast, we could hear the staff apologising that people who had booked breakfast would not get the full offering as items had run out. Needs looking at as we've stayed in lots of premier inns and this one was poor
- Twin_Town_1997 (10/5): Perfect for the Utilita Arena - Perfect location for the Utilita Arena and Broad street entertainment.
Nice and easy to get too with a descent car park.
- Compass549718 (4/5): Very disappointed - The room didn’t feel properly cleaned and had a very unpleasant odour, which made it uncomfortable from the start. I had paid for an early check-in, and it seemed like the cleaning may have been rushed to get the room ready. The room was also very cold, although there were instructions for how to turn on the heating, it didn’t seem to work. On top of that, the bed and pillows were both quite hard and really uncomfortable, so I didn’t get the good night’s sleep the hotel promises, which was disappointing given their guarantee. Later in the evening, I tried to buy a bottle of water from the vending machine, but it wasn’t working, and no one was at reception to help. Overall, it felt like there wasn’t anyone available to assist when needed, which was disappointing
- 280andrewa (10/5): Nice location clean hotel+++++ - I couldn't fault this hotel for location, price and cleanliness also it offered discounted parking at the multistory car park £12 for 48hrs great . Me and my family stayed sunday night, we didnt use the restraunt or bar so I can't comment on them but we all really enjoyed our experience here, I would stay again which ive never said when ive visited Blackpool in the past.
- moniquerO1519IS (10/5): Great stay - Really nice Hotel, clean and accessible, fully stocked. Amazing sleep. Staff are really friendly and helpful. Great stay!
- CARLSBERGFAMILY (8/5): Excellent staff but coukd be a lot cleaner - Room cleanliness could be better.
Only one working lift all week was a pain at times.
Staff are all excellent, especially at breakfast.
Room 404 Premier Room with a view would be great, apart from the cleanliness, good view of the Tower, and quieter than the lower standard rooms.
For the Premier rooms, you can ask for the complimentary water bottles and chocolates to be refreshed each day, just ask before midday.
Still good value overall.
With the Premier Room faster wifi is included, but the pain is you have to register a new code each day and not just one for the stay.
- NicolaStitt (8/5): Great location, just needs a few tweaks - Have stayed in most premier inns in Blackpool, first time at this location. Is well placed for the town centre, and the parking agreement with the local multi story is fantastic. We had a room on the 3rd floor, and although I was initially concerned regarding it overlooking a nightclub, we didn’t hear a sound. Breakfast was standard premier inn fare, and was plentiful. My son said they were the best scrambled eggs he’d ever eaten! Room itself was a decent size, and standard bathroom. The only reason I dropped a star was due to there only really being 1 lift out of 3 in operation, which lead to longer waits, and I had asked for extra pillows (there was 4 of us in the room and the pillows were quite flat). I was advised they didn’t have any extras to give.
- 384malcolmc (10/5): Excellent - The staff in this hotel and restaurant were all friendly, welcoming and helpful. Service was second to none. The food in the restaurant for both dinner and breakfast was really good and the value was off the scale!
The room was comfortable and very quiet.
Exceeded expectations.
- TravelmanCastleford (10/5): Excellent stay and looking forward to returning. - Absolutely faultless throughout our stay, in fact we are still in the hotel as I write this. Staff are exceptional and a special mention has to go to Blake who serviced our room. He was very thorough in his attention to detail and a really pleasant young man. He is a credit to Premier Inn.
- RGLiverpool (8/5): Great location, standard premier inn with friendly staff - The hotel is in a great location by the North Pier and just a short walk to the Tower. Overall our stay was really good, but there were just very minor irritations.
Check in was very busy at 3pm but was quick. The only issue was their was no key cards at the kiosk so everyone had to check in with a person.
Only negatives where the pillows, they where very flat and not the usual premier inn standard. But a staff member did give us extra when we asked. Additionally only one of the three lifts was working, often causing a wait for the lift, only a minor inconvenience but it was frustrating.
The free WiFi was completely unusable and wasn't even getting 1mbps speed.
- marilynbM5472VC (2/5): Cold Feeling Room. - The first two rooms I was given actual smelt of urine, it was very cold looking and I did not feel I would have a peaceful sleep.The third room i was given was to abetter standard, however, the room rate was very over priced £120.00 for one night. I researcher other hotels in the area and found that there were far better deals and comfier hotels. I would not stay at this hotel again.
- Forestdwellers6 (10/5): Overnight stay - We'd organised an early check in for Sunday 19th October. The receptionist that day was exceptional. We stay in a lot of Prem inns and she went above and beyond, recognising some adjustments she could make to the booked room for a disabled guest without being prompted or asked to. This is rare! She was warm, welcoming and an asset to the brand. The hotel itself is very clean, we had a really comfortable nights stay.
- Relax21824638352 (10/5): Great Stuff! - I was made to feel very much at home here for my recent stay, the staff were absolutely fantastic, I cannot say enough good things about them. The rooms were decent enough but the halls could do with a lick of paint but what actually do you want for a stay in a Premier Inn? Breakfasts were great, plenty of options - sausages were lovely! Evening food is good too, lots of choice if you're staying for a few nights like I did. The is a few parking spaces outside, maybe about 20 but no more, if you can't get there then I suggest parking at the Novotel through a Park and Go type apps as it's the safest car park round there by a mile just watch out for the bus line and turn left just before the hotel! Recommended for any stay in Birmingham!
- Bollox69 (8/5): Excellent - A warm and effient service throughout my stay. Comfy bed. I was able to go into breakfast early. Attentive team. Thank you.
- TraceyMK (8/5): Great Location - Location is great for Brindley Place, Utilita Arena etc. Staff at this hotel are wonderful. So helpful though short on the ground. Bar facilities are limited. Came back after the concert and you can get a drink but it's.not the normal sort of bar experience. Just a chap unlocking a fridge each time someone wants a drink.
Hotel is really clean inside, you can have as much tea and coffee as you like throughout the day in the restaurant area and its a nice little hotel.
- lincolnhatter (8/5): A bright light!! - Just the one night here on route to Northumberland, friendly welcome at reception, room as always clean and comfortable, decent shower, the one drawback was there was building work going on and our room overlooked the site and there was a security light on all night, this coupled with the bright light from a premises across the road made for not the best nights sleep.
Aside from that the hotel was easy to find on the edge of a retail park, had a restaurant for breakfast (other restaurants are available close by), we had no trouble parking unlike some, and there are bus stops close by to take you into Auckland.
Would I stay again, yes I would, in fact thinking about going to Kynren and I would use this hotel for that.
- rickw73 (6/5): Nothing special - but adequate. - There is nothing wrong with the Premier Inn at Bishop Auckland - but nothing special about it either. I paid £175 for two nights bed only. Good car parking, despite considerable building work going on. Bland welcome on reception. Adequate room with a bath and the usual Premier Inn facilities. But a glacial speed internet - absolutely useless unless you pay £5 for the 'ultimate wi-fi' . Also poor cleaning. I found somebody else's deodorant under my bed and a hair grip on the floor. The Brewers Fayre next door was a pleasant place to eat with very reasonable prices for breakfast and an evening meal.
- Tour08801897760 (10/5): Amazing Stay - Staying for 2 nights for the Pierce The Veil concert and we can’t fault the hotel or staff in any way. Any issues we have had have been very quickly resolved. Breakfast had a great selection of foods and the cooked breakfast was lovely. Samira was extremely friendly, helpful and knowledgeable! Helping out someone with minimal experience in a city like this massively. The room is comfortable, mattresses a little too firm for my personal liking but it’s impossible to get that right for everyone!
- leegraham2019 (4/5): Let down. - We stayed at this location as we had travelled 4 hours to see the Monster Jam event. Fair to say we will not be returning, Premier Inn is always my go to choice as I'm always happy wherever I have been. This one is rubbish. It's old and outdated, the room was terrible, tried to open the window....handle fell off. Desk/table edges were damaged/lifting/peeling. Dirty towel in the bathroom, and the single bed sheets had a stain of god knows what. Breakfast was a shambles really in terms of the efficency and the availability and restaurant cleanliness.
- Debbie_blonde (10/5): Good for access jewellery quarter and to centre - Great place for visiting friends and going to a gig at “Jam House “
Also great fur NIA and sea life centre
And a walk into the city centre
- A5520HImarkb (10/5): Great hotel in a handy location - Great location, and easy to get to the Utilita arena, 10 minutes walk away. Staff are very polite and helpful. The bedroom was spacious, with a TV, and a very comfortable, large bed.
- 308geoffreyt (4/5): Extended family trip to see Kenryn - Initial impression, difficult to see The Hotel as covered in scaffolding. Friendly receptionist, easy to check in. Musty smell and very dusty carpets, the lift out of order. We booked adjoining rooms due to our mobility needs. One family room and an adapted room. The adapted room had a full length cracked mirror held together with blue tape. While the toilet and hand basin were clean, the wet room tiles and shower legs were very mouldy. We were informed by receptionist that The Hotel was being renovated. We were not aware of this when we booked. At £163 per room per night this was not value for money.
- 550hazelf (10/5): Great accessible facilities. - The manager of this Premier Inn went above and beyond to assist the booking and to ensure I got the accessible room I required. I was very impressed at his caring and thoughtful attitude. Thank you so much. The Inn itself was ideal for getting to Kynren, the show we had come to see and the Beef Eater pub next door was perfect for breakfast and evening meal. Thank you Premier Inn Bishop Auckland. 😁
- karenwC2508BZ (10/5): Good experience - Staff were amazingly friendly, rooms are very spacious for a family room. Overall good experience. Also good they have ev chargers
- R1683IEsuej (10/5): Excellent overnight stay with evening meal and breakfast. - We stayed at Bishop Auckland Premier Inn to visit Kynren which was amazing. The Inn was very handy to get there and plenty of parking spaces., The Inn was very comfortable and clean and the staff were excellent. Very friendly and helpful reception staff and very efficient staff in the restaurant and great food. A lovely atmosphere in the restaurant too.
- Mizteeque (10/5): Great stopover - Lovely guy greeted us warmly and friendly. Room was clean and bed was comfy. Shower was amazing. Brewers fayre next door was good food and reasonably priced
- fazelg2024 (8/5): Great place to stay at - The place was clean breakfast was very good and nice choice. we had good night sleep,
Our room was clean and with. Working AC
- Shengxiu (10/5): - 除了宁静的环境让人舒适睡眠外,还有不错的早餐,值得选择。
- sleepertraveller (10/5): Excellent hotel - Spent a very comfortable 3 days here. Used it as a base to visit friends and family in the area.
Hotel is all I have come to expect at Premier Inn, very friendly staff, clean and comfortable rooms.
Car park was busy but managed to find a space each time I returned.
- 931lorrainet (2/5): Cashing In On A Saturday Evening Due To Kynren - Inflated Price on a Saturday evening due to the Kynren show
I mean £177 for 1 evening at a Premier Inn
Once Kynren is over a Saturday evening price is as low as £66
Cashing in and ripping people off
- G5033KSsandras (8/5): - As always when we have stayed at a premier Inn the room is very clean and functional.
I have to mention Stephen who went over and above to make our stay memorable he was so helpful and pleasant , thank you !!
- Wanderer54550359119 (4/5): Disappointing and dated - Me and my boyfriend booked to stay in Bishop Auckland Premier Inn as we were visiting family nearby and it was in an ideal location for us. We usually book a Premier Inn hotel when we stay anywhere away from home as we know what to expect, staff are usually attentive, the rooms are clean, etc, and most of them have been renovated somewhat recently, so they feel modern and looked after. However this was not the case during our stay.
We checked into the hotel after waiting ten minutes at the reception before anyone even appearing to help us, and were staying on the ground floor. The member of staff who saw us was least enthusiastic, and really only have one-word answers, which I understand people can have bad days, but it wasn’t a very warm welcome to somewhere that we’d paid not a cheap price to stay at. Safe to stay, the whole place felt dated and clearly hadn’t had the same renovations done to it as other Premier Inns that we had stayed in previously, but our bedroom especially felt dingy and tired. The small lights that were in the room were very dim and the one small window was covered entirely by a fence, meaning there was barely any natural light coming in to the room. We were definitely immediately disappointed by what we had turned up to, but tried to remain positive, and got on with our day.
We dropped our bags and headed back out quite quickly after checking in as we had plans with family, and didn’t return until a lot later into the night. When we came back to our room, we noticed that there was a damp and fusty smell throughout, but especially in the bathroom, which had a strong smell of urine. When I went to brush my teeth and get a shower, I noticed that the bin in the bathroom had also not been changed since the last guests that stayed here, as there was a nappy and some used teabags inside. The shower also had very weak pressure and kicked out some gunk before starting, and would only work with the bath tap running at the same time, however we didn’t report this at the time as we were so tired and it was late and we wanted to get some sleep, which I know is on us and our fault, however it felt as though the list of complaints just kept getting longer, and I just wanted to sleep and get our stay over with so that we could go home well-rested the following day.
Well-rested is definitely not how we spent the next day, unfortunately. The walls here are definitely thin, we heard the entirety of next door’s conversation / argument whilst trying to sleep, and it sounds as though the neighbouring shower / bath running is coming from your own bathroom, which led to us having a rather unsettled night. Our morning was then started abruptly at just before 9am, when we were awoken by a member of staff walking into our room saying they “were told we’d left”, which I understand was a human mistake, but followed by kids running up and down racing in the hallway and the family staying beside us being noisy, meant we barely slept during our stay. We also struggled to understand why, if checkout isn’t until 12pm, you would attempt to enter a checked-into room at 9am anyway, as people would be sleeping in the surrounding rooms, and surely cleaning would awaken your guests. We also couldn’t understand why / how anyone could say that we’d left when we hadn’t checked out, hadn’t spoken to or seen a member of staff, and hadn’t left the building since arriving back at night.
Checking out, no member of staff was at reception once again, and we had plans with family again, so didn’t have the time to wait around to speak to someone to explain our dissatisfaction or check-out in person, so used the self-drop box to leave our keys and left.
In summary, I would not stay here again. I’ve never had any complaints about our stays at Premier Inns before, and we’ve stayed in many across the country. I’ve never even reviewed a single place on here before, but I feel as though people booking should know what to expect, and when you are booking online it’s very deceiving. This place needs some serious TLC, and we are very disappointed with our experience. The location is probably all that is going for it, and the beds are obviously always great at these hotels, but that’s all I have to say about it positive-wise.
- W7000ZSnickh (2/5): Bathroom smelled of urine. - Worst premier inn experience.
Bathroom smelled of urine. Receptionist mopped it out and sprayed air freshener- without success.
No alternative rooms.
Would have given up if I could.
To be fair, breakfast was ok and I slept fairly well but I expected better.
- K9517BXpauln (8/5): All shook up - Usual good standard of accommodation, helpful staff, easy check in enough parking available.
Rooms were comfortable and clean.
TV reception was intermittent and programmes were prone to breaking up (in both rooms).
Outside there are major building works so anyone lingering in the hotel or back early afternoon were subjected to a pile driver which literally shook the hotel taking place from around 9.15 a.m. to 18.15 pm. Noisy and annoying. Many works vehicles in the car park so parking was at the furthest end of the car park.
- Seaside42296057560 (10/5): A great location and hotel if visiting Rail 200 - A fantastic little Premier Inn.
Whilst the rooms might be showing their age slightly - it is only slightly! The hotel is set in a really convienient location for visiting the town and the surrounding area. Particularly for places like Shildon, Darlington and even Beamish. All within easy access. Particularly if like us you are visiting with Rail 200 in mind.
The hotel is attached to the Brewers Fare restaurant which is very very good for both breakfasts and for evening meal. The £5 value meal available from 12-6pm is well worth it and the portions are still pretty big.
I cannot recommend this accommodation enough.
- A2791AZbrunac (4/5): Never to go again! - They made us pay £15for each room because we were one hour earlier, but then we had the room only half an hour earlier!!
In the room there was nowhere to put the luggage on to open it!
To find the hotel very difficult even with the GPS because of a lot of roadworks and closures around. couldn't see the hotel and find the entrance. We had to go around the main road twice!
I visited 87 countries for business and pleasure and this unfriendly, unnecessary, unprofessional way was the first time!!
- U1432HGdanr (10/5): Ideal Location Great Staff - Ideal location. Upon check-in Melodie was very friendly and made sure we had everything we needed, including extra coffee! A short walk in the morning to Brewers Fayre and breakfast was served!
The only big issue is parking. A local taxi company; Cables taxi bishop auckland.. "big enough to cope....small enough to care" has taken it upon themselves to take over the carpark, even some of the disabled spots.... Such a shame they dont care about hotel guests!
- C8814QRsophiew (10/5): Good - On arrival the receptionist was very welcoming and informative. When we got to our room there was some biscuits for us and the kids which was a nice welcome! Rooms were clean and very big! Unfortunately we had to leave a few hours after check in due to our little ones not settling.
- J5477CElizb (8/5): Good experience - Very comfortable room - great bed
Friendly reception staff. Good breakfast - cooked to order and recommend poached eggs - cooked to perfection - which some places have difficulty with! Overall a great experience would happily stay again👍
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