I recently stayed at the Pentahotel Derby for a total of 3 nights, split across 2 stays. On both occasions, I didn’t feel very welcome checking in. On the second occasion, I was allocated a room with two single beds, with an accessible bathroom. I wasn’t given the option of a double bedroom and had to go down to get this changed, as there was availability. In addition, when I first checked in, I had to leave my credit card details in case I went over my company’s meal allowance, but on the second visit, I didn’t have to – inconsistent if you ask me. The public areas (reception, restaurant, and corridors) are nicely decorated. The food in the restaurant during the evenings is good; a special shoutout to one of the female waiters. She was always bubbly, and proactive, and nothing was too much of an ask for her. It was initially a tad unclear if you ordered food at the bar, but it turned out there is table service! Keeping on the topic of food – breakfast, which was mediocre. It was very disappointing that the coffee machine was still out of order on the last morning of check-out (Tuesday wasn’t working / Friday wasn’t working). Moving on to the double room. The decoration is minimalistic, and I was satisfied with the room’s cleanliness, although my room wasn't cleaned on the second night's stay. It is probably one of the better hotel rooms to stay in, in Derby – by the limited selection of hotels in Derby, not necessarily by choice. I found the bed comfortable and the bathroom acceptable. There was blood on one of the towels, which was slightly concerning though! One thing that lets Penta down (same in Reading) is that they don’t have an iron and an iron board in their rooms. Instead, you must collect one (if there is one available) from the corridor. Not only is this very annoying, but the irons also have buttons missing, and are in urgent need of repair. I stay in a lot of hotels with work, and I found the following things irritating: Tap placement doesn’t allow great hand placement in the sink / No soft close toilet seats / No master light switch near the bed (for all lights) / On floor 2 facing the car park, loud conversations can be heard, but not clearly / Room doors don’t soft close and slam (can be heard from the bed) / Having to use a key card to access the room floor during the day was irritating / No fast check-out option / TV remote was missing backing on both occasions / TV system is clunky and a nightmare to use I rate this hotel… a bit… meh! I think the rooms are a lot better than the Jury’s Inn, and if you can deal with the general shoddiness, I’d stay here rather than at a Jurys / Premier Inn.
105 Reviews