The UK’s largest hotel company, Premier Inn is launching two brand-new room rate products for those making future post-lockdown travel plans - to give its guests added flexibility and help them book with confidence.
Premier Inn is offering extra reassurance for future travellers by launching its new Advance room rate, which enables guests to amend their arrival date up to 1pm on the day of arrival or to cancel up to 28 days in advance if required.
It is also relaunching its enhanced Semi-Flex rate allowing guests to cancel up to 3 days before arrival, instead of the current 14 days. In addition, Semi Flex guests will also be able to amend their arrival date up to 1pm on the day of arrival.
While the majority of its hotels are currently closed to everyone other than key workers - and will remain so until it is safe to re-open in line with government advice – the new rate products are aimed at those planning post-lockdown travel, once restrictions ease.
The newly available Advance and Semi-Flex rates compliment Premier Inn’s existing Flex rate, which enables guests to amend or cancel up to 1pm on the day of arrival.
In what is believed to be an industry first, Premier Inn is proactively transferring all its existing Non-Flex and Semi-Flex bookings to Advance and new Semi-Flex respectively, at no extra cost.
The move, believed to be the first of its type among major hotel companies, ensures all Premier Inn guests can take advantage of the extra flexibility now being offered. Bookings are being automatically moved and customers with existing bookings are being proactively contacted to advise them of the new benefits these rate products now offer them.
Advance rates start at £35, and are available for customers who do their travel planning early. For those that book a little closer to their stay dates, they will be able to book Semi-Flex. For those who need the maximum flexibility, Flex rates are available all the time.
Premier Inn Managing Director Simon Ewins said, “We fully appreciate these are uncertain times for everyone and are pleased to launch our new Advance and Semi-Flex rate products.
'In the first instance, it was really important to us that all our existing booked guests were able to take advantage - so we’ve automatically transferred every booking to the new products. In particular, this is great news for people who were booked on Non-Flex rates and were previously unable to cancel or change their booking and can now do so within the new rate rules.
'Other than those supporting key workers, our hotels are of course currently closed, but we hope the new rate products will bring a new world of flexibility to all our customers and help them book with confidence”.
Premier Inn has over 800 hotels across the UK, 37 of which have been left open to support the NHS and other key workers. The hotel company has been working to support key workers throughout the crisis, including by offering free meals at selected hotels in partnership with Deliveroo and by negotiating discounted taxi services with third-party providers.
Teams at closed hotels across the country have been pleased to light up their windows in a show of support for the NHS and Captain Tom Moore.
Premier Inn is currently taking bookings from the end of May.