Comprehensive guide to your WiFi options at Premier Inn
Wi-Fi |
Free (£0) |
Ultimate - £5/24hr |
Max speed |
0.5 - 1 Mbps |
4-8 Mbps |
Device limit |
No limit |
Max - 3 |
Data limit |
1GB / 24hr |
Unlimited |
The Premier Inn WiFi service is provided by Virgin Media and is available throughout all of its UK hotels. Premier Inn offers two versions of WiFi for their customers, Free WiFi and paid for the option of Ultimate WiFi. This is a comprehensive guide to the full service available along with possible alternatives during your Premier Inn stay.
The free version allows you 24/7 access and has no limit on how many devices you can connect but the downside is that the speed is slow and there is a fairly low data limit of just 1GB per 24 hr. This free version is going to be sufficient to check on emails, update Facebook or browse your favourite sites, and like most hotel chains Premier Inn now offers this basic free WiFi service in all of its hotels. The connection speed offers you an average of just 0.5 Mbps and is only practical for checking emails and browsing social media. You will not be able to stream movies at this speed and for this you will need to upgrade to the Ultimate service, read on and we will tell you everything you need to know about the paid-for Premier Inn Ultimate WiFi service.
How fast does your internet connection need to be to watch movies and how much data will it use?
Internet speed is measured in mega bits per second - Mbps with 1Mbps meaning 1 million bits per second. Standard definition movies require a minimum of 3 Mbps and high definition will require 5 Mbps. In terms of data needed this is measured in Gigabits (1GB = 1000Mb). An average high definition movie lasting 2 hours on Netflix will require about 4GB of data and in standard definition you will use 2GB. To achieve even standard definition movie watching you will require the paid for Ultimate WiFi version to meet both the speed and data requirement, however before you buy the Ultimate package you might want to read our quick guide on using your mobile as a hotspot and see if this might be a better alternative - see below.
Is it safe to use Premier Inn WiFi?
The following information details the risks and a possible solution for connecting your devices to the Premier Inn WiFi service but it also applies to any unsecured WiFi network. Premier Inn is not alone in using unsecured networks and most hotels and free public WiFi uses an open WiFi network to provide the free service.
Premier Inn free WiFi uses an unsecured connection between your device and the internet access point. This is a security weakness and leaves them vulnerable to attacks by hackers looking to steal information. There is not likely to be any problem if you are using the WiFi to simply browse the internet or watch movies but there is the potential that if you are accessing anything that requires you to input passwords then these could be vulnerable to being stolen.
We would definitely not recommend using the WiFi connection to access mobile banking services unprotected.
Premier Inn Ultimate WiFi is a safer option because you will be given a username and password to log in to the network although the level of security is still not 100% secure.
Premier Inn is not unusual in using an unsecured connection for WiFi, in fact most hotels do so, as do most public access WiFi networks such as train stations and hospitals etc.
What about using MAC address randomisation / Private Address on Apple devices?
Premier Inn WiFi does support this functionality which helps to conceal your data while browsing the internet however Virgin Media who provide the Premier Inn WiFi service recommend that this feature is not used when you connect to thier Ultimate WiFi service because you will quickly use up your allocated device limit which is set at only 3 devices. This completely cancels out all of your security advantages which is very frustrating.
How do you know if any of your passwords or sensitive data have been stolen?
Generally you don't know, criminals steal your data by intercepting the unsecured WiFi network but leave no trace for you to see. Cyber criminals then often sell on your passwords and data to other criminals who use it to access your various accounts from emails to banks
Can you secure the Premier Inn WiFi connection against possible hacking?
Yes, you can by using a secure VPN (virtual private network) connection to encrypt your connection whenever and wherever you connect to the internet giving yourself a very high level of security. This makes it the best way to protect yourself from any hacking attack.
Using a VPN stops anyone from being able to see any of your data including any password or login details, nor can anyone track any websites you visit and your exact location is hidden so your physical position cannot be tracked. It is the most secure way to access the internet even if you are in your own home.
Once you have a VPN service you can use it anywhere you like and ensure your internet connection is secure from Hackers.
The free version allows you 24/7 access and has no limit on how many devices you can connect but the downside is that the speed is slow and there is a fairly low data limit of just 1GB per 24 hr. This free version is going to be sufficient to check on emails, update Facebook or browse your favourite sites, and like most hotel chains Premier Inn now offers this basic free WiFi service in all of its hotels. The connection speed offers you an average of just 0.5 Mbps and is only practical for checking emails and browsing social media. You will not be able to stream movies at this speed and for this you will need to upgrade to the Ultimate service, read on and we will tell you everything you need to know about the paid-for Premier Inn Ultimate WiFi service.
How fast does your internet connection need to be to watch movies and how much data will it use?
Internet speed is measured in mega bits per second - Mbps with 1Mbps meaning 1 million bits per second. Standard definition movies require a minimum of 3 Mbps and high definition will require 5 Mbps. In terms of data needed this is measured in Gigabits (1GB = 1000Mb). An average high definition movie lasting 2 hours on Netflix will require about 4GB of data and in standard definition you will use 2GB. To achieve even standard definition movie watching you will require the paid for Ultimate WiFi version to meet both the speed and data requirement, however before you buy the Ultimate package you might want to read our quick guide on using your mobile as a hotspot and see if this might be a better alternative - see below.
Is it safe to use Premier Inn WiFi?
The following information details the risks and a possible solution for connecting your devices to the Premier Inn WiFi service but it also applies to any unsecured WiFi network. Premier Inn is not alone in using unsecured networks and most hotels and free public WiFi uses an open WiFi network to provide the free service.
Premier Inn free WiFi uses an unsecured connection between your device and the internet access point. This is a security weakness and leaves them vulnerable to attacks by hackers looking to steal information. There is not likely to be any problem if you are using the WiFi to simply browse the internet or watch movies but there is the potential that if you are accessing anything that requires you to input passwords then these could be vulnerable to being stolen.
We would definitely not recommend using the WiFi connection to access mobile banking services unprotected.
Premier Inn Ultimate WiFi is a safer option because you will be given a username and password to log in to the network although the level of security is still not 100% secure.
Premier Inn is not unusual in using an unsecured connection for WiFi, in fact most hotels do so, as do most public access WiFi networks such as train stations and hospitals etc.
What about using MAC address randomisation / Private Address on Apple devices?
Premier Inn WiFi does support this functionality which helps to conceal your data while browsing the internet however Virgin Media who provide the Premier Inn WiFi service recommend that this feature is not used when you connect to thier Ultimate WiFi service because you will quickly use up your allocated device limit which is set at only 3 devices. This completely cancels out all of your security advantages which is very frustrating.
How do you know if any of your passwords or sensitive data have been stolen?
Generally you don't know, criminals steal your data by intercepting the unsecured WiFi network but leave no trace for you to see. Cyber criminals then often sell on your passwords and data to other criminals who use it to access your various accounts from emails to banks
Can you secure the Premier Inn WiFi connection against possible hacking?
Yes, you can by using a secure VPN (virtual private network) connection to encrypt your connection whenever and wherever you connect to the internet giving yourself a very high level of security. This makes it the best way to protect yourself from any hacking attack.
Using a VPN stops anyone from being able to see any of your data including any password or login details, nor can anyone track any websites you visit and your exact location is hidden so your physical position cannot be tracked. It is the most secure way to access the internet even if you are in your own home.
Once you have a VPN service you can use it anywhere you like and ensure your internet connection is secure from Hackers.
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How do you know if any of your passwords or sensitive data have been stolen?
Generally you don't, until you are the victim of an online crime. Criminals will steal your data by intercepting the unsecured WiFi network but they leave no trace for you to see. Cyber criminals then either use the data themselves or often sell on your passwords and data to other criminals who use it to access your various accounts from emails to banks. This type of threat has increased exponentially over the last few years and hotel WiFi has become one of the criminals favourite targets simply because it is so easy for a criminal to check into a hotel, then use a hotel room undisturbed giving them hours to harvest as much data from guests as they wish with virtually no risk of being detected or caught. There are several commercial VPN providers available but our recommendation, and used by ourselves if we ever access unsecured WiFi is to use either Google One VPN which is supplied free on Google One accounts or NordVPN. Nord have been around for a long time, offer the fastest connection speed and just one account is enough for a whole family to use. They don't cost a great deal with prices starting from just under £3.50 per month which in our opinion is not much for complete peace of mind when accessing the internet with all the threats cyber-criminals pose. They also offer a full 30 day money back guarantee so we would recommend that you trial them the next time you stay at a Premier Inn and access the hotel's WiFi, if you don't think the service is worthwhile or good enough then simply get your money back with no questions asked. |
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Here is a useful alternative to using the Premier Inn WiFi service
Most modern mobile phones can now be set up to act as a WiFi hotspot and will then share your phones mobile data with your other devices like a laptop (on your mobile go to settings - connection/sharing - portable hotspot).
This might be a viable option for you assuming you have the following:
Remember that you will need to check the signal strength indoors with the checker and even if you get a strong signal showing on the checker, the position of your room within the hotel may still reduce the actual signal strength you receive. UK city centre Premier Inn's will all have good 5G mobile coverage outside.
Most modern mobile phones can now be set up to act as a WiFi hotspot and will then share your phones mobile data with your other devices like a laptop (on your mobile go to settings - connection/sharing - portable hotspot).
This might be a viable option for you assuming you have the following:
- At least a 4G enabled mobile (even better if you have 5G)
- An unlimited data contract or a large allowance you can afford to use
- Strong mobile data signal in your chosen Premier Inn - this is how to find out:
- First you need the hotel's postcode, find this by using this link to the Premier Inn hotel directory
- Now use the postcode to check the signal strength both outside the hotel and indoors using this link to Ofcoms official data signal strength checker
Remember that you will need to check the signal strength indoors with the checker and even if you get a strong signal showing on the checker, the position of your room within the hotel may still reduce the actual signal strength you receive. UK city centre Premier Inn's will all have good 5G mobile coverage outside.
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How to login to Premier In WiFi (Free or Ultimate version)
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Premier Inn Ultimate WiFi
If you need faster Wi-Fi then you can upgrade to Premier Inn Ultimate Wi-Fi for a charge of £5 per 24 hours.
- This will give you 8 x faster speed which will be between 4 and 8 Mbps.
- Your access is measured in time as soon as you first login irrespective of how much data you consume and will end 24 hours later.
- If you have any paid-for access leftover at the end of your stay then you can use it at any other Premier Inn hotel.
- Ultimate WiFi is limited to a maximum of 3 devices so be careful you select carefully, two smartphones and one laptop will reach you device connection limit.
- You select your devices when you activate your account and devices can only be changed every 30 days by contacting Virgin Media.
- As an example of the internet speeds required for movie streaming, watching Netflix in standard definition requires a minimum of 3 Mbps and high definition requires 5 Mbps.
- To purchase Ultimate WiFi simply select 'Premier Inn Ultimate WiFi' from the list of available networks then follow the online instructions to make payment using your debit or credit card - Visa/Mastercard/Amex/Paypal or purchase a hotel voucher available from reception.
- To top up your account with extra credit just follow the instructions once your current credit expires.
- If you forget your password or username for your WiFi account these can be reset by simply following the 'forgotten password' link from your login page.
- If you are staying at the hotel for an extended time then you can purchase a discounted rate for Ultimate WiFi at the rate of £15 per week or £35 per month.
Getting help if you have a problem with Premier Inn WiFi
The Premier Inn WiFi service (both the free version and the Ultimate paid for option) are provided by Virgin Media.
You can contact them 24/7:
email: [email protected]
phone: 0330 660 1028
You can contact them 24/7:
email: [email protected]
phone: 0330 660 1028
Discounted Ultimate WiFi cost for longer stays
Length of stay |
Ultimate WiFi Cost |
day |
£5 |
week |
£15 |
month |
£35 |
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