Premier Inn with a baby

Premier Inn has more than 800 hotels across the UK, and it's one of the easiest places to stop for a night with a baby: the travel cot is free, children stay free in family rooms, and reception is open around the clock. There are a few things worth knowing before you book, though, especially about cot bedding and the smaller hub and ZIP hotels.

Everything below comes from Premier Inn's own FAQs, family page, booking terms and cot guide, and the Lullaby Trust, checked October 2026. Prices and facilities vary by hotel, so check your hotel's page too.

Quick answers

Family rooms and who can stay

Premier Inn's family rooms have a kingsize bed for the adults and two pull-out or sofa beds for children, and Premier Inn says it will get you a travel cot if you're travelling with a baby. A small number of rooms have twin-double or single beds instead of a kingsize (Premier Inn: family friendly hotels).

The booking terms set the limits (Premier Inn: booking terms):

• The maximum occupancy is two adults in a room.
• Family rooms (where available) take two adults aged 18 or over and two children under 16.
• Up to two under-16s stay free with one full-paying adult in a family room.
• You must not go over the maximum occupancy, and Premier Inn may check. It can also ask for photo ID and proof of age for guests on your booking.
• You must be 18 or over to book, and under-18s can only stay if a parent or guardian is staying in the hotel too.

The terms don't say whether a baby sleeping in a cot counts as one of the two children. If you'd be over the limit with your baby, for example travelling with two older children as well, call the hotel before you book. Some hotels have interconnecting rooms, which you arrange with the hotel directly; Premier Inn's reservations line is 0333 003 8101.

The travel cot

The cot guide's safety warnings ask you to:

• Not use the cot if any part is broken, torn or missing.
• Use only the mattress Premier Inn provides, and only one of it.
• Check the side of the mattress can't be lifted by your child.
• Keep the cot empty apart from your baby, and away from anything that could be a foothold or a suffocation or strangulation risk.
• Keep duvets and pillows out of the cot.
• Keep the cot on the floor and away from radiators and heaters.
• Use it for sleeping only, not as a playpen.
• Keep your child in view and never leave them unattended.
• Ask the team to help if you take the cot down, so it goes back up correctly.

Because Premier Inn's guide says not to use any other mattress in its cot, don't add your own travel-cot mattress to it. If you'd rather your baby sleeps on a mattress you know, bring your own travel cot instead (see best travel cots).

Checking the cot when you arrive

The Lullaby Trust recommends that a cot mattress provided by your accommodation is still firm and flat, with no rips, tears or sagging, has a waterproof cover, and has been cleaned after each use with fresh bedding. It suggests bringing antibacterial wipes and possibly a waterproof cover if you're not sure, and contacting the hotel to check its policy on cot mattresses (Lullaby Trust: safer sleep on holiday).

It also says the safest place for a baby to sleep is their own separate sleep space, on a firm, flat mattress clear of toys and pillows, and recommends a room temperature of 16 to 20°C. Premier Inn says not all of its rooms have air conditioning, so check your hotel's page if you're travelling in summer (Premier Inn: our rooms).

hub and ZIP by Premier Inn: no cots

Premier Inn runs two smaller hotel brands, and neither is set up for babies:

• hub by Premier Inn: compact city rooms with a double bed. Premier Inn says the rooms aren't designed with space for a cot and it doesn't provide one. There's also no kettle in the room (hub by Premier Inn: my room).
• ZIP by Premier Inn: rooms of about 8.5 square metres with two single beds. Premier Inn says they aren't designed to fit a cot and there are none on site (ZIP by Premier Inn: my room).

If you search a city and see a hub or ZIP result, pick a standard Premier Inn for a stay with a baby.

Breakfast and food

Every Premier Inn has a restaurant, but Premier Inn says some hotels don't serve the Premier Inn Breakfast, and at some locations breakfast and dinner are run by a separate restaurant next door. The restaurant and menu options are on each hotel's page. If you're buying the lighter continental breakfast instead, check whether the kids' offer applies, because Premier Inn ties it to the full breakfast or a Meal Deal.

Booking, check-in and cancelling

• Rates are per room, per night, including VAT, and meals aren't included. You can book up to 12 months ahead, and stays of more than nine nights by phone only (Premier Inn: making a booking).
• Check-in is from 3pm. Early check-in from 11am costs extra, is subject to availability and isn't offered at every hotel. Checkout is by 12 noon, or 2pm with paid late checkout where available. Reception is open 24/7 (Premier Inn: arriving and departing).
• Luggage storage is available at most, but not all, hotels. There are no pools or gyms at Premier Inn hotels (Premier Inn: hotel facilities).
• Which rate? With a baby, plans change. Flex can be cancelled for a full refund up to 1pm on the day you arrive; Semi-Flex up to three full days before; Advance up to 28 full days before. Standard is non-refundable but can be moved at the same hotel, and Non-Flex can't be changed or refunded (Premier Inn: room rates).

Checklist before you go

• Book a standard Premier Inn, not hub or ZIP.
• Choose a family room if there'll be more than two of you, and call the hotel if you're unsure whether your baby counts towards the limit.
• Ask for the travel cot when you book or call the hotel, then check it when you arrive.
• Pack cot bedding: a fitted travel-cot sheet and a baby sleeping bag, plus wipes and a waterproof cover if you want them.
• Add breakfast for the adults if you want the kids' free breakfast, and reserve a table at check-in.
• Bring photo ID for the adults, as Premier Inn may ask for it.
• Pick a rate you can cancel if your baby is unwell close to the date.

A greener Premier Inn stay

• Borrowing the hotel's cot means one less bulky thing to buy, carry or check in.
• If your hotel is near a station, a train plus a short walk can replace a long drive. See pushchairs on trains and ferries.
• Bring a refillable bottle and reusable bibs. See sustainable baby travel essentials.

More on staying away with a baby

• Hotel cot policies compared: Premier Inn, Travelodge, Holiday Inn and Hilton side by side.
• Holiday parks compared: Center Parcs vs Haven vs Butlin's.
• Packing light with kids: what you can borrow instead of bringing.

Sources

• Premier Inn: our rooms FAQs (free travel cot, padded base, no blankets, bring baby bedding; air conditioning)
• Premier Inn: family friendly hotels (family room beds, interconnecting rooms, kids stay and eat free, no baby mattresses or bedding)
• Premier Inn: baby cot guide (PDF: safety warnings, 15 kg and 86 cm limit, one child under 3 per cot, cellular blankets and nappy bags at reception)
• Premier Inn: booking terms and conditions (section 5 occupancy, kids stay free, section 8 meals and kids eat free)
• Premier Inn: making a booking, arriving and departing, hotel facilities and room rates
• Premier Inn: breakfast and breakfast FAQs (prices, kids eat free)
• hub by Premier Inn: my room FAQs; ZIP by Premier Inn: my room FAQs (no cots)
• Lullaby Trust: safer sleep on holiday (checking a provided cot mattress, separate sleep space, room temperature)

Back to hotels and stays.

Last checked and updated: 18 October 2026 · Kiddieko · How we check facts