Hub by Premier Inn, A modern stay in London, Kings Cross.
The Hub By Premier Inn is a brand that’s been around longer than you may think. Since 2014 they have been popping up around London and Edinburgh but maybe only recently gaining traction. Are they better, or even different to the brand known for sleep quality and value? Should you stay in one? Read on to find out.
Check-in - easy and full of connectivity.
Arriving at the Hub by Premier Inn, London King’s Cross, I was greeted by a row of consoles as above. As you’d except the concept is minimal need for staff intervention and check-in, go straight to room style hotel. However, there is a reception desk just to the left and staff were on hand if needed.
Early check-in or late check-out is available upon request and according to the Premier Inn website, at the time of writing, this is £10 for each option.
Using the console was easy, about 4 steps in total, even making the key card active yourself.
The hotel is modern and vibrant, giving a slightly more classy look and feel than a standard Premier Inn. The toned down grey and green colours also add to this but look carefully and you’ll see hints of purple in the corridor carpets.
Hub by Premier Inn - Kings Cross Bar & restaurant area - “The Lounge”.
Location & Food
This Hub is in a great location, 5 minutes walk from King’s Cross station where you can connect via National Rail and with 6 Underground lines. It’s also around 5 minutes to the newly developed Granary Square which hosts numerous bars and restaurants, including the fabulous Dishoom (see our review on trip advisor).
However, if you’d prefer to eat onsite then you can eat in the restaurant or even order dishes to take back to your room. I did not have dinner in the restaurant or use the take to room options as I ate out but drinks seemed reasonably priced - a large glass of wine around £7-8 depending on choice.
Breakfast is £7 per person and includes pastries, toast, tea & coffee and the option of a full English. I found the coffee not bad - it was a bean to cup machine where you can get espresso, latte & cappuccino. Two types of juice and water available at the bar.
The bread for toast was good, both the brown and white options. You could also add jam, butter or Nutella as a topping. The cooked breakfast was ok - not poor but nothing great. For the price in London it was certainly good value.
Hub by Premier Inn Breakfast
The Room
The room was a standard double - compact but perfectly adequate for one. It does accommodate two adults and would do in terms of space but just hope you don’t need the bathroom during the night. You can opt for a larger room where the bed has space either side but this comes at a cost.
The bed was very comfortable as were the pillows and with the connectivity panel within easy reach, you can control the room temperature, lights and do not disturb options. The lights have 3 different settings - a reading light, dimmed lights or all on.
The rooms come with a large TV which does support casting. However, for some reason my room did not come up. Rooms either side of me were available on the casting menu but not mine. I don’t know if this was just a different model TV or there was just a glitch but I tried over both days and it wouldn’t work. A good option if it does though.
At the bottom of the bed there is a pull out desk with chair if you want to work. It’s not the most accommodating space but good enough for a laptop. Under the bed there is a large storage drawer and space for a suitcase. These are good additions as the room is compact.
The bathroom was large enough and very clean. Everything worked. The shower was spacious and had two shower heads - a rainfall and detachable. It was powerful and the water was hot.
Hub by Premier Inn - Bathroom - Standard Room.
Final thoughts….
Good service and value for a convenient base location in London. Perfect for solo travellers and couples. I would stay here again.
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