The Palace Hotel

Nesr Southend Central Station and main shopping area
I had a sea view room on floor 3 ovelooking the pier.
It was clean with Coffee and tes
Lovely cooked breakfast bought to you (not a buffet). The waitress was very pleasent

the security was a bit too much but you can never be too careful. the room was alright the floor was quite dirty but it was fine the bed was nice the toilet was good and the breakfast was amazing

I've stayed at this hotel twice in the past month for work and on both occasions, there has been both good and bad bits to the stay.

The first stay was in December and after arriving slightly before check-in time, I was able to check-in there and then because the room was ready. It was a huge room on the second floor and had a decent area in which I could work.

The bathroom was also spacious and the shower excellent. However, the carpets in the room were very dirty and either need replacing or a good clean.

Breakfast was buffet style and pretty standard. On one of the mornings, you had to order sausages and bacon along with your eggs as they were quiet. There was little wait time and the food served was good.

On this occasion, I travelled by car and was advised by the hotel to park in the shopping centre opposite. Although convenient, it is £25 per day so for two nights £50.

The second visit in January I took the train and the main Southend Central Station is just five minutes flat walk to the hotel - no need to worry about car parking this time.

Again, another second floor room, which was similar to the first but with much cleaner carpets. Breakfast was similar to first time round too.

One major issue on my second visit was the wi-fi connection which after being good in December, was horrendous a few weeks later.

When you need wi-fi for work and the hotel advertises free, high-speed wi-fi, it is very frustrating. When raised with reception staff, they didn't seem interested at all and just said someone was looking into it.

We had a sea view room, the view was beautiful. Great to watch the new years fireworks from. Many people complain about the dirty carpets, which in fact is true. There was dirt on the ceiling, walls and curtains. Don’t waste your money on the breakfast it was shocking!!!!! Unfortunately parking isn’t included in the price of the hotel stay. It’s an additional £25 for 24 hours, located in the shopping centre car park, across the street from the hotel. Staff were friendly and there was a beautiful fragrance throughout the hotel. We were only provided with 1 pillow each, however a quick phone call to reception and 2 additional pillows were brought up in less than 5 minutes. Seeing as we were there for New Year’s Eve, we decided to head to the bar as there was a New Year’s party. One of the bartenders didn’t know how to make cocktails. We ordered mojito’s and they tasted like floor cleaner, not what you’d expect for £8.95 a pop!!!!!!!!!!

Stayed for 4 nights over Christmas with disabled family member. Accessible room was excellent as was our superior double with sea views. Enjoyed our stay very much - a lovely hotel with lovely staff.

My alarm goes off at 0700 and, after my morning routine I wander down to floor 1 where everything happens, and my breath is taken away with a beautiful sunrise glistening across the mud flats of a tide- out Southend. I’m back at the Radison Park Inn for a conference and we’ve hit a crisp November morn. In truth, I’m looking forward to the whole thing. Last year was great and I reported just as much on this forum. Ok, folks talk about carpets and bits of decor that need a freshen up. I’d refer more to the wobbly lifts, only because I’m claustrophobic and never want to be stuck in a lift. But we’re just nit picking.
Bedroom is clean, comfortable and, with its own little electric radiator, warm as toasties. Toilets are like wise clean and well equipped, but the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Last year I said the food was scrumptious, well balanced and loads of it, but I talked down the main evening meal. This year, considering there’s 36 of us, I can’t put anything but praise. I went the pate, which came with a gorgeous cranberry chutney. Then the creamy chicken with a sweet fennel and onion side ( I don’t do pud so gave my roulade away but it looked great). It was all delish. All the food across our stay was great. Well done the chef and team. You won’t go hungry.
And the conference bit was fine too, bolstered by much needed pastries and coffee and tea on tap 24/7.
Staff are great, view across the sea front theme park is outstanding (we hit really great weather ) accommodation great - food ticked very positively above. What more can you ask for at these prices. Great value. Well done the Radison.

Good location - just steps from side entrance to The Royals shopping centre. Some rooms (like mine) have a nice view of the estuary. Friendly welcome from Reception staff. Room was spacious, clean and comfortable. Downside was that the carpets (both inside and outside room) were stained.

Arrived on site to be told that parking would be £25 for the night, room ok bit tired. Restaurant paid for food and waited for more than 50 minutes with other customers being served before me even when ordering after. Gave up asked for refund and walked out

Second time I’ve stayed in Southend for work but Never again. First time hotel was worse (different)
Southend seems to be trading on life 100 years ago. Time to wake up before your closed down

The place is a bit run down. The room was big and spacious, the bed was comfortable, the bathroom was way past a full renovation with dirty grout, broken tiles and stained counter top - really quite disgusting. The carpet was absolutely covered in stains and marks. It looked like somebody had murdered there, really shocking it felt dirty and I was uncomfortable in the room. I was with a large group of people in all we had about 20 rooms between us and they all said the same thing..

We stayed at this hotel for 2 nights and we stayed in a sea view room with a balcony. We were happy with this room and loved the view. The rooms were spacious and had everything you needed, such as iron and ironing board, kettle, and hairdryer.
The staff we encountered were very friendly and helpful and dealt with any issues or queries. The location of this hotel is brilliant. Right on the front and within walking distance to the pier, high street, and Adventure Island. It's within walking distance to the Southend Central Station and Victoria Train Station. We did go to the Cliff Pavilion, and from this hotel, it's around 15-20 mins walk, depending on mobility.
We didn't have any breakfast or food in this hotel and therefore can not comment. We were informed that the restaurant and bar were on the first floor.

Overall, we had a great stay and would definitely book a sea view room with a balcony again.

The staff and location are good. The beds and pillows were quite uncomfortable.

Spacious room with sea view, excellent toiletries. Comfortbale bed. Friendly and helfpul staff. The double room had only one arm chair plus one upright chair. Minimal hanging space and no wardrobe or drawers. No small fridge. Poor heating controls. No hotel information or information on "What to do in Southend and area". Zero car parking facility.

We stayed around the 23rd August weekend at this hotel. At first we were not sure what to expect after reading several negative reviews however our stay was wonderful.
Up on check in we were allocated a room on the second floor and I asked the front desk if we can be moved to the upper floor. Dani at the front desk was very professional and this request was not a problem for him so we were moved the 5th floor. Very quick check in and great first impression. We had a family room which faces the ocean and my family were so excited. The condition of the room itself were fine, as all the facilities in the room were in good working condition. The room was clean and we did not ask for our room to be serviced so we were fine with our impression of the cleaning standard of the hotel. The next morning we went to have breakfast and it was one of the best experience. The breakfast room, the buffy and the selection of the food were excellent but what made our experience so special is how we were made to feel. We were welcomed by Morgan who was very exceptionally welcoming, helpful and professional, not only explained to us where the buffy food and drink section is also took us around and showed us all the breakfast choices on the buffy. Also happily informed us to ask her if we need any thing from kitchen and she will ask the chef to prepare it so I asked for mushroom omelette and it was delicious.
Thank you Morgan, Georgia with all the breakfast team that made our experience pleasant.
Prior to our arrival after making our reservation I made few out of hours calls to the hotel to check on my booking and I want thank Yana who answered my calls in a polite and helpful manner and assisted me with all the questions that I had. My advise to anyone plan to stay at this hotel is that if you have a request speak to the hotel staff and they will do their very best to make your stay pleasant. Give the hotel a chance to do something while staying there to make your stay pleasant which may help to avoid unpleasant stay.
One main facility for me was the use of the gym, unfortunately the gym closed for refurb but it was nice to go out for a run on the sea side. I hope the hotel owners have a refurbishment plan in the near future. Great location and wonderful staff. I know I can give a 4 star review as the gym was closed not use all the hotel facilities however I give 5 star review mainly on the professionalise and helpful of the hotel staff we encounter collectively. We will definitely stay again and recommend to anyone as well.

Carpets and flooring filthy and sticky! Bar still dirty in the morning
I expect to be contacted over this

Basic budget hotel, clean with large rooms and friendly staff.

No parking and nearby parking over expensive. Used NCP car park next to station but bit of a walk if you have mobility issues or lots of luggage.

Fabulous

Had a great short stay, the hotel is in a great location, the staff were friendly and accomodating. Breakfast was good and the hotel is nice, but the carpets are tired and could do with replacing in some areas. Apart from that, i liked my stay.

Brilliant. Comfy bed. Clean, spacious room. Water and coffee facilities available. Southend was brimming with street artists painting on buildings, Penguin statues scattered about the town and a treasure hunt! Best weekend ever. The Park Inn right on the sea front easiky accessible to all of it. Great fun.

On Wednesday the 27th of August we arrived for our 2 night stay. We were placed on the 5th floor which was a floor in very poor condition. Room 503 that our Son's were to stay in was inhabitable & should not be used to accommodate any family in its current stay. The room window was full of dirt, the carpet was not just stained it was blackened. The bathroom toilet had filth stains on the toilet seat, hair in the sink & the window was broken with a piece of wood holding it in a open position!

With just a 2 night stay we wanted to drop our luggage & head straight out; instead we had to wait for the handyman to come to which he advised that the family placed in there the day before had also complained & he wasn't able to fix it as he would need to take the whole window out! We obviously could not let our sons stay in that room & the room we had been given (Room 501) was also terrible with a old rusting bathroom shower plug & base; a less so (in comparison to 503) but nevertheless stained carpet & bird poo on the INSIDE of the window.

Again instead of going out to enjoy ourselves we had to move all the belongings to 501 & go to reception for a second time to deal with the depressing issue. The first time the assistant Tommy looked me straight in my eyes & lied & said that there was no more rooms with a Seaview that we could be moved to. It was not until the handy man came & said he could not fix the issue that Dorcus (I assume the team leader) came to give us another room - I asked both Dorcus & Tommy for a room with a sea view & they both said they didn't have one. Dorcus showed me a room but it was a double & not a twin which was needed for my one adult son & one child. after letting them know that we did not want to stay there & asking what the process was if we were to leave - we were showed another room on the 3rd floor. Low and behold it was a room with a Seaview! My partner & I had to sleep on different floors to our children with the understanding that we would be moved to another room in the morning, the bird poo inside our room was to be cleaned & we were given 4 vouchers for a drink to be used in their restaurant (no one came to clean the poos & we didn't dare to touch the window at all).

Reluctantly we stayed in the room that night. We heard noises in the night but assumed birds were making noises outside & tried to sleep anyway. In the morning we went to check on our sons when my partner when back to the room he noticed bird poo on the carpet!! He looked under the bed & a bird was under the bed!! We had slept with a bird!!!! Under the bed the whole night!!!!!! He raced out of there - brought all of our belongings from the 5th floor to the 3rd & We had to send our sons out of their room in order to shower as we had no room.

After expressing our shear dismay at sleeping in the room with a Pigeon!! & the dismal stay so far we were told we would be given another room. & the room for the night would be refunded. We moved all our belongings again to the new room & tried to put all the problems aside as we needed to try & get some enjoyment from the well needed short getaway. When we got to the so called superior room the fan had food marks on the plug. The iron didn't work (we had to borrow the one from the boys room) & low & behold the wind blew & the window pooped open & wouldn't shut!!!! My partner spent all of 25 minutes trying to get the window to stay closed. The window handles we unstable, rickety & just came off in his hand. He somehow managed to get it to hold in a place & we just had to keep hope that it stayed closed.

The toilet seat in our son's room broke!! We went to the restaurant to use the vouchers to appease some of the dishearten. The cocktails on the menu they not longer made them & had a poor offering as a replacement. The voucher could be used for house wine, a bottled drink or soft drink or beer. They didn't have bottle drinks in the restaurant. The food was poor.

I made comment to a member of staff how poor the hotel was & that it was a getaway from hell. The staff member said they knew the hotel was in deep trouble & they had been working a 17 hour shift!! (I will not describe the person to protect their identity)

I had read the reviews before coming & I had anticipated that were not going to be the best that we stayed in & thought I had fully prepared my family by ensuring we brought slippers for the possibility that the carpets would have bleach stains but be hoovered & clean. I NEVER ANTICPATED THE INCREDULOUS DISREPAIR, FILTHYNESS, RUSTY, BIRD PROBLEMS & more importantly the UNSAFE position this hotel places its customers in.

I believe the 5th floor is a place that it places people they deem to be of less class & that the room 503 should be decommissioned with immediate affect.

Someone there is knowingly responsible for putting indecent, scrupulous & ill gotten gained revenue - masking this hostel level offering with a side of unsafety, pigeon infestation & a clear lack for cleaning - under the guise of a 3 star hotel, Infront of decency & care for others!!

No matter the class of a person - no one should need a break & get the problem filled, deceiving & disgusting experience given to us by Park Inn Radisson Palace at Southend. This was the worst stay we have ever experienced. We would not stay there again even if it were for free!

This is not a service but a nightmare. Please if you decide to go & they treated you like this. Take photos! I could have shown far worse but we got caught up in the shock of it all.

If there is any good to say. Some of the staff was polite & the hallways smelt nice but it was ruined by what was done to us

You need to drop the palace name. Defo not palace but ok for a 3 star