New Premier Inn, Bridlington

The last time I went to Bridlington was last summer, it was the first time in years and like many British seaside resorts it looked like it's glamour had faded. It might not be glamorous but the new build Premier Inn has definitely given Bridlington a huge boost.

Built on the site of some tennis courts the hotel has a prime position on the sea front with the majority of rooms having a sea view. Although it is new build the style of the hotel fits in with the surrounding buildings. They have a large car park too which costs £5.00 to park there for 24 hours.

The whole place looks and feels new. Automatic doors open into the large reception area. Why they have a montage of Blackpool Tower amongst other seaside resorts and not of Bridlington is a mystery to me. There are 2 automatic check in desks too. I always like to have some interaction with the hotel staff and was pleased to find a welcome and friendly check in from the young receptionist.

Ok , it's a Premier Inn so you know the standard you are going to get. The rooms are always clean, the beds always, to me at least, provide a good night's sleep, large TV with more channels you could wish for and an ample sized bathroom.

A nagging issue for me is that there is never anywhere in the bathroom to plug in an electric shaver and the Bridlington Premier Inn is no exception, however there is a plug in point with a facing mirror just opposite the bathroom door, though you will need an adaptor.

What we found unusual was that the hand towels looked like they had been washed and used too many times: they were very thin in places and frayed around the edges, so much so that my partner said that they would make good dusters for home! I've never experienced this before in a Premier Inn.

There is a pub/restaurant, Cookhouse and Pub on the ground floor of the hotel which serves daytime meals and also where breakfast is served. It is bright, modern with a bustling atmosphere.

The menu has some very descriptive choices that do not always live up to their expectation. The drinks menu is extensive that lent to the considerable wait for our drinks to arrive from the bar - it took 15 minutes from ordering to the drinks being brought to the table. Yes, it was busy but there were plenty of staff on duty.

I decided upon the Steak, Ale and Cheddar Suet Pie for my main and chose chips instead of the recommended mash. Tasty and filling it ticked all the boxes. I'm not a greens lover so didn't touch the seasonal vegetables.

My partner went for the Seabass Fillet. The menu describes it as served with parsley and dill butter, oven baked in parchment paper with cherry tomatoes, courgette, seasonal vegetables and sliced potato. At £12.99 the anticipation was high.

It appeared to have been overcooked as the Seabass was dried up, the seasonal vegetables were described as limp, leathery and lukewarm. This was mentioned to our server but at this point half the meal had been eaten.

I would be careful what you choose - the steak served on the next table looked delicious though they did forget to add the cheese to the young guests cheeseburger.

Things picked up with desserts - my Black Forest Sundae was a guilty pleasure: gooey and full of calories I enjoyed it immensely. My partner's Thatchers Gold Cider Apple Crumble served with custard was hot though not too sweet.

Breakfast the following morning was much better, buffet style for continental and hot English breakfast cooked to order, everything was top notch. Mind you, with lots of young guests present, they might do well to wipe over some of the seats which were food stained - don't put on your favourite white dress or shorts!

The best thing though above all of this is the hotel's location - you can walk out on the long promenade within seconds of leaving the hotel with beautiful views of Flamborough Head to the north and the town centre south, with the beach literally in front of the hotel.

On a sunny summer day Bridlington shone and the new Premier Inn will be a success I'm sure.

Premier Inn Bridlington, Albion Terrace, Bridlington YO15 2PJ
www.premierinn.com