Delta Hotels Preston — Hotel in Preston

Hotel Review: Delta Hotels by Marriott Preston

Having spent the past 18 months exploring Marriott properties across the UAE, we were eager to experience the Delta brand during our stay in the UK. Delta Hotels by Marriott Preston provided a warm and comfortable base for our family, blending business-hotel functionality with some family-friendly features. While it met many expectations, there are areas that could benefit from refinement.

First Impressions and Arrival

The hotel’s modern design and well-maintained grounds create a welcoming first impression. Free parking is a great perk for families and business travellers alike. However, the absence of assistance at the entrance was noticeable. Managing luggage and children through the dual doors was challenging, especially during busy times. A doorman or porter service would make the arrival process smoother.

Family-Friendly Features and Dining

Though primarily a business hotel, the property has several family-friendly elements. The pool area includes a family changing room and allows children to use the whirlpool, a nice touch for those travelling with little ones.

The restaurant also caters to families with a kids’ menu. Our children enjoyed the pasta, but the chicken tenders were dry and could use improvement. A more consistent quality in children’s meals would make dining more enjoyable.

Room Types: Our Stay

We stayed in three room types during our visit: Family Room: Clean and functional for a short stay, but limited in space for a family of four. Superior Room: Slightly more spacious than the family room but without the added conveniences of the suite. Suite: Ideal for families needing extra space, with added amenities like a Nespresso machine and a fridge, which made the stay more comfortable.

While the rooms were generally well-maintained, some areas lacked attention to detail. For example, drying damp clothing on the radiator revealed a layer of dust, and we had to request fresh towels and linens multiple times. On a positive note, the hotel’s shift to canned water instead of plastic bottles is a commendable effort toward sustainability.

Breakfast and Service

Breakfast offered a good selection, with self-serve options and cooked-to-order items like poached eggs. The porridge was a standout for me and became a daily favourite.

Staff at breakfast were friendly, with one team member being particularly attentive and helpful. However, in other areas of the hotel, staff interactions felt more transactional than proactive, with the exception of Ritah, whose warm, genuine service stood out. Her dedication to guest satisfaction elevated our stay.

Facilities and Improvements

The gym was well-equipped and met expectations for a business hotel. However, the property would benefit from: • Housekeeping Improvements: More thorough cleaning and better communication to reduce the need for repeated requests. • Guest Room Amenities: Suites and superior rooms should include slippers, dressing gowns, and weighing scales. All rooms should have basic toiletries like toothbrushes and face towels readily available. • Lounge Facilities: A business hotel of this calibre would benefit greatly from a lounge for added convenience. • Arrival Assistance: A porter or doorman would streamline the check-in process. • Social Media Presence: The hotel’s Instagram appears inactive, missing an opportunity to engage with potential guests and showcase its offerings.

Conclusion

Would we return? Yes. Despite some inconsistencies, the Delta Hotels by Marriott Preston provided a warm and comfortable experience. With better attention to detail and a few enhancements, this hotel could truly excel as both a business and family-friendly...

The short summary is that this was the worst "Marriott" hotel experience I have ever stayed at.

As a preliminary note, I acknowledge that the hotel is trying to manage opening during a pandemic, but this does not justify just how shocking an experience it was.

We had booked through Booking.com and selected the option for paying upon arrival (rather than in advance). However, we were surprised to find that the total cost had already been charged from the account before arrival. A sign of things to come...

Upon arrival at 4:30/4:45pm on 29 May 2021, the queue to check-in went right to the door (with no social distancing between people). By the time we made it to the reception desk (5:00pm), we were told by the receptionist that our room was not yet ready because of a late checkout earlier the same day. For context, we had informed the hotel that we would be arriving shortly after 2:00pm. After asking for a manager, the receptionist was able to locate a room (family room) for us which we then found our way to.

Upon entry into the room, we noticed (i) the TV was not working; (ii) the decor looked like something out of the 1980s; and (iii) the bathroom door was unable to shut unless you used the lock. Not quite what you would expect from a Marriott hotel.

As a side comment, you have to book usage of the pool/gym in advance of using it because of the ongoing pandemic restrictions. This is, of course, understandable. While I did not see the pool, the gym's equipment was hardly reflective of a top-hotel - it looked like second-hand equipment that had been collected over a number of years from the 1980s.

For the next morning's breakfast experience, we selected for our slot at 10:00am. Upon arrival downstairs at the breakfast location, we found a queue (no social distancing) that worked its way around the entire entrance-way. We eventually were seated after 10:40am (40 minutes after arrival). There was a passing "sorry for the wait" while you were taken to your seat. Once seated, the breakfast staff had no time for us and couldn't disappear fast enough. They said they would return to take orders. After about 5-10 minutes they did return, only to say that they would again return to let you know when it is your turn to go up to collect your hot breakfast. When I tried to ask them a question about it, they had already walked away. In the meantime, we flagged down a staff member (Dan) to order the cereal option. It is safe to say that his attitude was not fit for working in hospitality. He was rude and abrupt and only took one person's cereal order at the table. When we brought him back, he did not apologise. The meal quality itself was acceptable (as you would hope for given the cost of the hotel). However, the cutlery had food marks still on it and had not been properly cleaned. Dan did not apologise when he replaced it.

As we returned to our room to pack up, we overheard another guest complaining to the head receptionist that their room had mould and was unsanitary. We were not surprised!

Overall, a terrible experience and we would not recommend this place to anyone! By way of a summary, terrible staff attitude, extremely slow service (accepting the pandemic conditions), average food and horrible rooms. Welcome to the...

It depends what you’re looking for, and how much money you have.

If you have more than £350, don’t come here. For your own good.

It’s old, it’s small, there’s not much to do and chances are they’ll overbook guests in and leave little to no breathing room for you to use the facilities. They can’t even guarantee there will be room for you to use the gym or spa. Because they literally let everyone in.

I booked this thinking the spa was free. Nope just the pool. The tiny pool. It had 2 jacuzzis but try and get in when all the other people wanna get in. Kids screaming their heads off and splashing around like crazy. If only they just made the space a bit bigger. I wouldn’t have minded the rest.

They have lots of green space outside but did nothing with it. Can’t even take a walk around. Didn’t even have a play area for the kids.

Good luck trying to get a beauty treatment/ spa appointment booked. Let me tell you what we’re dealing with: you can come to this place and not have to stay in the hotel. Maybe just for the spa, the hair salon or even the gym. But that’s the main problem. You’ve got people who come to the hotel to stay overnight and try and enjoy the amenities too. Only there isn’t enough room or capacity. Then you’ve got people who only use the gym for half an hour. God forbid that’s your half an hour as well. All these machines but no room to work out. Too many people in at once. There is no order and no sense to this concept.

Staff is beyond overworked and they were short in several departments.

The food was just sad. Overpriced. No wonder they put the prices even higher on the drinks.

They pride themselves to be this fancy kind of resort type of place but it’s small and cheap.

I can’t say it’s good value for money. There is no value. I feel for the staff! Jesus Christ, the things they’re probably asked to do.

The weird thing is, there was this weird smell in the hotel yet the staff was constantly cleaning. Just a strange atmosphere.

The rooms are placed so awkwardly. If you don’t already know your way around, you will be like me and all the other guests I came across and you’ll 100% get lost in this maze.

I feel disappointed and overall sad that I let my expectations get so high based on photos and fake reviews. Are they paying you people?

Won’t come back. Was gonna bring someone here with me, given how praised the spa was but in a way it’s better I got to experience it first and find out the truth.

I’d say the managers/ executives or whoever put this concoction together got so money hungry, they threw everything at the walls to see what sticks. And here I was thinking I’d avoid a travesty by coming here rather than your average premier inn or something else.

Joke...