In the Square

One of the greatest piazzas in the world is St Mark’s Square. I remember arriving there in a windswept motor launch from Venice airport on a cold March evening. The next morning we walked into a snow-covered square in bright sunshine, weather which revealed its full beauty.

Last I have took refuge in St Mark’s Square. Alas, not the one in Venice, but the new St Mark’s Square complex which is  home to Bromley’s Premier Inn.

With a busy week including read throughs of the television series and a hospital appointment, the last thing I needed on Sunday morning was Richard testing positive for Covid. Come to think of it, I think it was the last thing he needed as well. Having tested negative on the Friday and Saturday, I took another test which was also negative and decided that the only course of action to be taken was to seek refuge in the Premier. A few items flung into a suitcase and iPad and phone clutched in my bag, I set off for the delights of what many might consider to be Bromley’s premier hotel.

 I used to be a big Premier Inn fan. You know what you’re getting. Wherever you arrive in the country, the rooms look the same and you’re not disappointed or surprised. That is, until lockdown came along and we used Premier Inn on several filming expeditions. Or to be particular, we used the Premier Inn in Archway, the Premier Inn in Wandsworth, and the Premier Inn in Gillingham. Unfortunately, the experiences weren’t all they should have been. Beds propped up on bits of wood, lift buttons hanging on with Sellotape, light fittings hanging out, and some unfortunate brown marks on bathroom towels all reduced my confidence in the hotel chain.

  I haven’t stayed in one since and I cancelled a whole slew of bookings last year in protest at their response, which was “We don’t care”. A friend of the family works for Premier Inn and from what they have told me about how they have treated their staff since lockdown, I’m not sure it’s a business I want to patronise.

 However, needs must. So on Sunday afternoon, I checked into the Premier Inn in St Mark’s Square Bromley. It can’t be more than a few years old and spent nearly one of those closed. It’s a brilliant location within three minutes’ walk at Bromley South station in the town centre. The rooms are what you’d expect, including complimentary staining on the carpets and complimentary nonworking light fittings in the bathroom, but this week it has been a home from home.

 As I walked out through St Mark’s Square every morning with no sign of a gondola, I’m grateful for the refuge. I’ve paid for the privilege. Premier Inn may have reduced their level of service, but not their price. You need to ask for your room to be cleaned, which I’m sure is a measure to use less staff rather than safety purposes. Add to this the fact that hey have  increased their room rates, though I can’t criticise that too much as this was a last-minute booking. I find it hard to associate the term budget hotel with the brand any more.

But just for the moment I’m gratified to see the purple coverlet, the check in machines and the sellotaped lifts.

 In a cruel world where so many people have been so inhumanely deprived of a place to live, I realise just how lucky I am to have found a home from home.

CODA:

On the final morning of my stay in this Premier Palace in Bromley, I tested positive at 5 AM in the morning prior to making a trip to Manchester for work. Suddenly my hotel room became the loneliest place in the world. I did the second test to reassure myself that I wasn't seeing double, packed my bags and headed home. It was still before dawn, so leaving my suitcase in the hall I curled up on the sofa to let Richard finally asleep there just before 8 o'clock. Now with both of us infected, things didn't matter so I gratefully climbed into my bed at home to fight off the worst.

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