Premier Inn Chelmsford - Boreham

Review The Premier Inn, Boreham, Chelmsford, Essex

Looking back, perhaps the biggest challenge when staying at The Premier Inn in Boreham was negotiating the three roundabouts when leaving the A12 to reach the entrance to the hotel in Main Street, Boreham. Traffic was fast/challenging and so too were the road signs that were numerous and confusing for first timers. On Main Street there’s a sign board directing you to the hotel (and another to the Grange public house which shares the same site/car park). The car park is large (and contains six charging points for EVs).

Once in the car park, however, everything about the hotel worked like ‘clockwork’ …. there’s location, friendly staff, a clean room with comfortable bed/facilities, an elevator to the second/third floors and an attractive/convenient café on the ground floor next to reception. These highlights feature in many of the reviews (and result in an overall value hovering around 4 – ‘Excellent/Good’). Our review will be much the same. What more can you ask.

There are also a handful of negative reviews on file - reference to rowdy late-night-comers keeping the rest of the corridor awake, issues of dirty towels, reference to the slow WiFi available, etc. Fortunately, we faced none of those issues.

Park in the large carpark within the L-shaped design of the hotel and the entrance is to one end of the building. You need to negotiate 3-4 steps up from the pavement to reach the entrance door into reception. There is a slope alternative, but access is not immediately clear to those parking out front – it is better to park around the side of the building to gain access.

The woman behind the reception counter was classic – friendly, informative, helpful (two or one e-keys?) and had us processed in <5 minutes. She pointed out the café, elevator and the use of the e-key for accessing the main door should we be out late at night. We had a couple of heavy suitcases, and the elevator was a cinch. You also need the e-key to gain access to the corridors/rooms. Ours was room 128 which overlooked the car park. Later that evening you could count the cars parked - around 30 - so the place was comfortably empty.

The room was sufficiently spacious for two – large bed/duvet with headboard to the wall and facing the TV mounted on the wall opposite and above a long desk/bench. At one end was an electric kettle and a small selection of teas/coffees/sugars/sweeteners in a plastic box. There was a heater mounted on the external wall above and to one side of the window. It may have doubled as an air/con, but we did not explore it further – setting the air/blow for 19 degC to bring the bedroom temperature down.

The bed was really comfortable. We had a great night’s sleep.

The ensuite shower/bath unit/washbasin/toilet was in one corner of the room. Lots of hot water. You need to step up and over a fairly high-sided bath to gain access to the shower head. Then there’s no wall-mounted hand hold at the shower end of the wall, although there is one at the other end of the bath. There was no separate anti-slip mat for use in the bath – only shallow raised stud-markings set in the base of the bath where you stand to shower. The shower unit may challenge some guests - older, less agile, less confident, disabled, etc. people.

We had a couple of hours available before catching the train in Central Chelmsford the following mid-morning, so plentiful time in which to enjoy the café in the hotel …. except, there was no light ‘coffee & brioche/cornetto/croissant option’ at reasonable prices. On offer were two ‘all you can eat’ options: 1. Full English (i.e. cooked) breakfast for GBS10.99/person and 2. Full (non-cooked alternatives) cereals, toasts, croissants, spreads/condiments, etc. for GBS8.99/person. Instead, we opted to drive into Chelmsford, park near to the station and find a café nearby and enjoy the pleasure of coffee/brioche on the pavement in the morning sun. Three of us sat outside a 19thC. building next to the rail bridge that had once been a public house. We had the outside seating to ourselves. We paid GBS15.00 for the pleasure of an hour’s exchange ‘putting the world at rights’ before the train arrived.

Premier Inn downsides? Well, apart from a handful of relatively small issues already mentioned, there was that first/unfortunate image presented to guests stopping over – delipidated images/peeling paint/unkempt paintwork around the entrance porch/framework/door and, equally, the carpet of cigarette dog-ends (empty packets too) that littered the gardens everywhere within a couple of metres of the entrance door. You can’t smoke within the buildings but, clearly, the smoking zone begins a few centimetres outside the front door. New sign boards? And, where’s that vacuum cleaner when you need it?

Peter Steele
17July25

This is the nicest premier inn we stay in, mainly due to the professional and friendly staff. We visit a few times each year and have never had a bad experience. We stayed 2 nights this time and were welcomed by Ann on reception who was friendly and efficient. We had breakfast both mornings. The first morning chef Jo and Jasmine looked after us, the second morning chef Dom and Jasmine. Food was delicious and Jasmine was so cheerful and welcoming to everyone, making a lovely atmosphere in the breakfast area. All guests left with a smile. The housekeeping staff always greeted you with a smile and were very helpful. We have stayed in 4 star hotels around the country and some of the staff aren't nearly as helpful and pleasant as the team at Boreham! We slept well both nights, room was clean and comfortable. Excellent value for money and a good location with free parking which is always a bonus. Highly recommend a stay here. We will be back!

Huge thanks to the staff, the receptionist was ever so kind to us. For example calling me to let me know we had left our baby blanket in the room, and upgrading our breakfast free of charge when there was an issue.😊 the staff at breakfast were also very friendly and helpful. I could hear the guests in the room above me stomping around at night time but I am a light sleeper so I wouldn't generalise this hotel as "noisy". Thanks for a good stay and great food!

Great hotel, big rooms, comfy beds, very clean, amazing breakfast and lovely staff. Very happy customer! I will definitely return!

Yes all were good. Nothing special at the hotel. It is a place to put your head down.

The hotel was in a perfect location for visiting family as well as getting to some Nature reserves we like. There is plenty of free parking and EV charging, if needed. Although there is no restaurant or bar in the hotel building, there is a large pub next door where breakfast can be served and a good choice of food in the evening. The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful, which is always appreciated after a long journey. There room we had was large, clean and comfortable for our 5 night stay.

overnight stay 24/10. Have stayed at this hotel many times over the years The interior is looking very smart and welcoming.The first set of doors used to enter the main building need to be replaced or given a coat of paint as they are scruffy and not in keeping with the inside.Our room was quiet,clean and as a Premier Inn should be.What makes this Premier Inn stand out is the staff. We always receive a warm welcome from friendly smiling staff.This visit it was the Clare on duty who smiling, friendly, professional and had time for a chat.The lady who was on duty when we checked out was also friendly and wished us a safe journey . We will be returning at Christmas

We stayed at this Premier Inn for a three week period during our daughter’s inquest in nearby Chelmsford. Having spoken to the hotel staff prior to our visit, they accommodated us in a quiet room and showed us extraordinary understanding and empathy. Whilst we were there, nothing was too much trouble and they were sure to check in with us whenever they saw us coming or going. The room was comfortable and clean and the bed was super. It certainly felt like our Home from Home during a difficult period for us. On returning to the hotel for the inquest conclusion, we were greeted like old friends, even with wine and biscuits in the same room that we had previously been in-a most thoughtful and welcome touch.

The Boreham Premier Inn in Chelmsford was a great place to stay. We found the staff helpful and accommodating. The rooms were up to the usual cleanliness standard. There were however a few signs of wear and tear, at the back of the bed the wall had been scraped and the paint had come off and a grab handle was missing in the bathtub. But apart from that which wer minor things we had a great night's sleep in the beds and chose a continental breakfast which was really good. I was made some porridge fresh by one of the staff and I have to say it was the best I've ever eaten 😋

A usual Premier Inn experience, good value for money, what make it stand out for me is the staff team, friendly/engaging, always want to help/advise without been patronising

We had a wonderful stay! The reception team were so friendly and helpful from the moment we arrived. The restaurant staff were also very welcoming and informative, and the chef was fantastic — she made lovely eggs to order and even brought them to our table. All the staff went out of their way to make our stay enjoyable. We would definitely recommend this hotel and look forward to returning.

The staff made this place the stay that it was! Welcoming, cheerful and very helpful. Nothing was a problem and they carried it with a smile.

I often stop at this Premier Inn with my grandchildren on my way out to day trips we stop for breakfast. There’s plenty of Premier Inns we could stop along our way but we always come here. why? because the service is fantastic. breakfast is great. It is always well stocked and the staff are really really friendly and helpful particular shout out to Jasmine Jo the chef Dominic the chef and Anne on reception who have all been fantastic every time we’ve been here. We go to a lot of Premier Inn and I have to say this one is my favourite for food and service

Upon arrival there was a warm and welcoming greeting from Clare on reception a lovely charming lady made the booking in effortless. Absolute pleasure to deal with.
Rooms clean and tidy.
Breakfast we were greeted by the lovely staff Ann and Jo who made us welcome and catered for us . The food was perfection all cooked fresh and the addition of asking what eggs we'd like and the poached eggs were a dream perfectly cooked with a lovely runny yolk thank you to all for looking after us . Would definitely recommend anyone who is on business or pleasure to stay here .

Karl and Paul
Pressure Force

My Wife and I would like to thank Jasmine,Jo ad Dom for their excellent service.This was experienced at breakfast this morning. Best regards John and Barbara Cole.

We had a lovely overnight stay, family wedding & our anniversary combined we saw a lovely helpfully bubbly lady at reception Ann who went above and beyond bringing us a bottle of wine too our room for our anniversary, thank you Ann

The staff and the hotel were immaculate and the restaurant breakfast was wonderful there chef does amazing poached eggs 🥚 and the lady that welcomed us was very attentive and kind
Thank you all so very much ❤️

Stayed here a couple of time in the past year. Okay, its a Premier Inn, so there are limits to the services available, BUT, the essentials are all there....eg rooms are very quiet (despite being near the road) and have all you need for a good nights sleep! Clean, comfortable, air-conditioned and good value. Breakfast a big bonus - The team deliver a great home-cooked spread served in a spotlessly clean eating area. Jasmine, Dom and the others are clearly proud of their breakfast and the results of their enthusiasm and hard work are clear to see.
Recommended!

Stayed in a lovely big room during the heatwave and the air con was a blessing. Lovely pleasant staff especially Jasmine in the dining room who made my family feel like the most important people in the room. She was very attentive, caring and willing to go out of her way for all who she came into contact with. Jo and Dominic were also very friendly, pleasant and welcoming. Thank you all for a lovely stay.

Had a very comfortable stay. Room very clean. Staff very friendly and helpful. Breakfast was nice. Location was perfect for our party at the Lion Inn.

The parking was very easy and free. The Receptionist was very friendly and efficient. We had a carpark facing room which was quieter than the main road side. Comfy bed. Good bathroom facilities.