Destination: Hilton Swindon, Swindon, England

Swindon is a vibrant, lively town situated along the M4 corridor in the South of England. Entertainment, History, and Shopping can all be found in this bustling town, with such delights as the McArthurGlen Designer outlet store, Museum of the Great Western Railway and a beautiful countryside surrounding the town.

Swindon Hilton Hotel

Entering the car park becomes slightly confusing as the narrow turns, and busy area makes it slightly difficult to navigate into the parking spaces, but with this eventually down its easy to cross the car park and enter the main foyer of the hotel.

After checking in we waited in the seating area for a while, before being asked to move to the dedicated business floor. This has been provided by the Swindon Hotel, to allow privacy and space for business customers using the premises for meetings, conferences etc. We had been allocated a large meeting room, which consisted of standard chairs and tables, a projector, a nice welcoming supply of coffee, tea and biscuits. The room was air-conditioned and had a rather spacious feel to it.

Despite it being a smoking room, there was no unpleasant smell within the room, and had obviously been cleaned only a few hours earlier. Standard accompaniments were provided, such as a bible, hairdryer, glasses, ashtray and several small brochures on the surrounding area, as well as information on the hotel itself. Also included was interactive television, Playstation games, high speed internet access and refreshments.

We paid GBP 75 per person, per room for our accommodation, and at the time were entitled to a 10% discount for a block booking. This was arranged directly by our companys personal travel agent. This also entitled us to a buffet breakfast in the morning, although despite my best efforts, the allure of the bar the night before prevented me actually making it to breakfast.

Situated to the left of reception is Minksys Bar. A small, well contained bar ideal for relaxing after a long day. Seating is plentiful but there is just about enough room in the surrounding areas to be comfortable. Drinks are quite expensive, as are most hotels, and we were paying upwards of GBP 2.50 for the majority of our alcoholic drinks. The service was very good and drinks were bought direct to the table once they had been ordered. As mentioned above however, the bar staff will not serve cash paying customers after 11pm, this is hotel policy, and designed to prevent non-guests abusing the bar privileges.

The meal was reasonably priced, and came to around GBP 200 for 15 persons, although this soon increased when we approached the bar for a couple of after dinner drinks. I believe if memory serves correct, that I actually staggered into bed around 2am that night.

If you are attending the Swindon Hotel for a social visit then you may wish to enquire into their Living Well Facilities. Here you are provided with indoor swimming pool, steam room, sauna and spa. Several of my colleagues ventured into the pool, and came back feeling refreshed and rejuvenated and actually commented on the warmth of the indoor pool.

The hotel has around 170 car parking spaces, but unfortunately these are chargeable, after 2 hours (GBP 3.00), up to a maximum of 12 hours plus (GBP 24.00), however those attending the hotel as a conference delegate or hotel guest pay just GBP 3.00 per day/night.

The Swindon Hilton is a reasonably priced, conveniently located hotel, well placed for surrounding business needs. Although accommodation is standard, it is warm, clean and comfortable and provides the basic amenities for all concerned. I was pleased with the comfort of the bed and the room I was allocated, and although I didnt want to get up and leave, I think that was more due to go to bed around 2am that night.