Express By Holiday Inn London - Victoria, London

I've stayed regularly at Holiday Inn Express hotels over the last few months and have always found them to be clean, tidy, well maintained with pleasant staff - all at a bargain price of approx £50.00 per room per night including breakfast - good value for money.

The Holiday Inn Express Victoria must be the exception to this rule.

It was gloomy - in a bedroom on the ground floor, it was dark - pokey little windows overlooking the neighbours, the room was not set up as ordered with a sofa bed stuck in the middle of the floor area. Both the hotel areas and the room were grubby and tired - too much use and in dire need of redecoration. The taps in the bathroom didn't work and there was no maintenance available on duty. To top it all the shower only produced a trickle of cold water.

To say I was underwhelmed and disappointed is an understatement.

It was not cheap either, £135 was the rate when I booked it and it had gone up for casual callers to £145.

Can't complain about the breakfast - standard continental with a good choice and the staff were pleasant enough for a hotel in London.

I would not recommend it to anyone unless the only alternative was sleeping in a gutter.