Situated on a corner site – Lombard Street/Quayside in Newcastle Upon Tyne, this Premier Inn is just minutes from Newcastle Central Station and the city centre.
I booked a one night midweek stay at this hotel at fairly short notice at their flexible rate (so I could get a full refund if I needed to cancel up to 1pm on arrival day). As I have some mobility issues I booked an accessible room and I paid £70 for the night.
Car parking: Limited car parking available which costs £7 a car per night and must be pre-booked with the hotel
Although just a short walk from the ciy centre, it is a hilly walk up with a steep downhill walk for the return journey. However, there are good transport links from the quayside to the city centre (and beyond). The Q3 bus stops virtually outside the hotel (both outgoing and return), it runs every 15 minutes and takes just 5 minutes to take you into the city centre.
The Premier Inn is housed in a large, stone building. Four stone steps without rails take you from the pavement to the main entrance, then through a door to Reception.. Immediately next to the exterior steps is a separate disabled access which contains a stannah lift.
Inside the hotel, the ground floor areas have high ceilings with decorative plaster work. The ground floor is mainly Reception, Bar/Lounge Restaurant with views over the river. As the hotel is on a corner sight, not all bedrooms have river views, (some rooms face other properties).
Reception staff were friendly, cheerful and welcoming (all the staff I encountered during my visit were pleasant and helpful) I took the lift to my second floor room. As this is an old building there were a few turns along the corridors before I reached my mid corridor room. I did wonder how well a wheelchair user would cope with these twists and turns so I would recommend wheelchair users telephone the hotel before arrival to not only ensure the most suitable accessible room with the right facilities for them is provided but that the room location is also right for them.
My room was spacious with two large sash cord windows. It contained twin beds, supplied with soft and firm pillows. A TV was placed above a small writing area, there was a chair and a separate armchair, space to hang clothes, tea and coffee facilities,hairdryer and unusually for Premier Inn’s a landline telephone with “how to contact Reception” clearly marked. As it was an accessible room it contained emergency assistance pull cords and press button alarms. The bathroom had a standard shower over a fairly shallow bath with full length horizontal grab rails along the bath as well as vertical grab rails. Grab rails were also provided around the WC and sink area. The bathroom also contained emergency press button alarms and pull cords. There was a good supply of towels.
I found the free, unlimited wifi acceptable in speed and connectivity and did not need to upgrade to the ultimate wifi which would have incurred a charge.
When I first entered the room I noticed it was cold. Looking at the temperature control it read 15c, but the room felt colder than 15c. I pressed the increase button, one hour later the room temperature read 16c but it still felt much colder. I picked up the phone, telephoned Reception and asked for an additional heater. Very quickly I was brought an oil filled radiator, once plugged in the room soon warmed up.
I did not eat dinner at the hotel as i ate out locally. I did purchase the continental breakfast £6.99 as much as you can eat.The service was reasonable, the choice perhaps a little more limited than what I am used to for a continental breakfast at a Premier Inn, but nevertheless it sufficed. Breakfast is served in the restaurant which involves a step down, however there is a ramp for wheelchair users.
I used the free luggage store area for my overnight case after check out, whilst I went shopping. I was issued with a receipt which I presented on my return to get my case.
I had an hour to spare before my journey home, so I enjoyed coffee in the lounge, relaxing at a window seat, watching the boats on the river. Service from staff was good.
The Quayside area of Newcastle contains a unique blend of ancient and modern architecture which is pleasing to the eye and houses the venues that make it a thriving art, theatre and music area. Many hotels line the quayside, mostly large chain hotels. There are also restaurants, cafes, bars, law courts, offices and a few specialist shops. The good transport links provide easy access to the city centre as well as over the river to the huge shopping and entertainment complex Gateshead Metro Centre.
The Quayside is flat and river side is railed. In the space of one mile there are seven bridges including one of Newcastle’s famous landmarks – The Tyne Bridge. The newest bridge is the tilting Millenium Bridge which offers easy cycle or pedestrian access (including disabled access) over the River Tyne to the Sage Theatre and Baltic Arts Centre. The Premier Inn is close to the Tyne Bridge, faces The Marina and looks out towards the Millenium Bridge and over the river towards The Sage Theatre and Baltic Arts Centre.
The city of Newcastle Upon Tyne has excellent shopping facilities, a good supply of museums, art galleries, theatres cinemas, sports facilities an abundance of restaurants. Outdoors, parks, denes and the riverside provide walking opportunities.
In summary, this hotel has a good location, nice views and is close to the heart of the city. On its doorstep are theatres, art galleries, museums,and restaurants. I feel the hotel would benefit from a bit of a refurbishment but the staff are good and I would stay there again.
