I booked on-line, due to my work, I travel a lot, and always stay in the Holiday Inn chain, so I am a member of their Priority Club, which gives points for stays. This stay was basically free, because I used my points. The on-line booking process is really easy, and took about 2 minutes.
** Getting there **
The directions given on the web site are really easy to follow, with all the relevant contact detail (just in case you get lost!)
** Parking **
The car park is laid out around the front of the hotel, and is secure in the sence that there are security staff who patrol this area and the adjacent
Pub. The hotel is next door to large park, so if you need to stretch your legs you can go for a nice walk.
** Checking in **
The reception was really light and airy, and the staff incredible friendly. As I had booked on-line through the Priority Club, my resevation was there waiting for me, I just signed for it.
The reception area is actually quite spacious, and doubles (I guess should be trebles) up as TV longue (with Bar) Breakfast area as well.
** Rooms **
The rooms are really well appointed. There are separate smoking/non-smoking rooms (I don't smoke, so can't vouch for the smoking rooms!) The entry to rooms is from a key card, which you then put into a socket on the wall to turn on the power to the room. (In the winter you can request an extra "key" to keep the heating on if you go out.
The rooms all have a TV with the usual channels + Sky and some pay to view channels, which can be blocked if you want. I never look at them, so I'm not sure how much they cost, there is also a direct dialtelephone, I tend to use my mobile (unless I need to check e-mail) so I'm not too sure of the rate, but I seem to think they are not too expensive.
The bathroom, contains a sink, a power shower, and a loo. They always leave plenty of soap and shampoo, and it the Holiday Inn policy that if you have forgotten anything, such as a toothbrush, they will give you one free!
They are also heavily into the environmental thing, so if you stay for any length of time, they ask you to hang the towels up, if you want them changed, then leave them on the floor!
If you have a baby, they can supply cots as well! For no extra charge
** Eating **
The Express doesn't generally have food, but they generally have a pub or two in the same development. The one I stayed at had a pub called "The Bandstand" They did a really good selection of food and drink, and they knew how to pour a guiness!!
Breakfast is a continental type buffet, where you serve yourself. You can if you want take you breakfast back to your room. There is a good selection to eat and drink, cereal, yoghurt, fruit, bread, tea, coffee, fruit juice etc, and the staff keep refilling, so even if you have a late breakfast, you will still get good food.
The good thing about this chain, is that every room, in every hotel is identical, so you will always know what you are getting for your money.
The chain is expanding all the time, so you need to keep checking to see if there is one where you are going to be going.
I have stayed in about 10 different Express by Holiday Inn, and I can say that the standard is consistent across the country.
I will always stay in this chain through choice.
Postscript 29/10/03
Last night I stayed in the Express at Crawley in West Sussex. The hotel was identical to all the others I have stayed in, located on a roundabout with an American style diner, and a pub.
I was given a disabled room!!
The facilities in these rooms are ideal for people who have difficulties, or are in maybe a wheelchair. The room is on the ground floor. The shower room is all on one level, so you don't have to climb into the shower. There was also an emergency pull (just in case)
I also noticed 2 spy holes on the room door, one at high level, and one at low level. So if you are wheelchair bound, you can check who is knocking at your door.
Breakfast in this hotel was the standard "continental" type
This hotel was slighly more expensive than other ones, I guess because of the location near an airport. As i've mentioned before, at least you know what you are getting.
Postscript 21/12/03 I had to stay in the Holiday Inn Express in Crawley again. One thing they now do, is to give residents a 25% off voucher to "spend" on food at the pub next door. I had already eaten, so didn't need it, but in the need of research I went to the pub!! It seemed to be a standard "chain" pub, with a good selection on the menu, at reasonable prices (even better with the 25% off!)
I'm not sure if all Expresses do this, certainly the one in Manchester from my original op didn't, so it must be a local thing.
Thanks for reading this.
Larry
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nice one!! I am a bit of a HI EX fan myself and have stayed in ones from Inverness to Luzurn!! Cheap and you get loyalty points. There not all quite the same, they are mostly franchised. The one in Bris Temple Meads is an old office building. The newbuilds are mostly the same When they do not perform they dispose of them, examples I can think of are Shipley and Crick nr Northampton. Breakfasts vary, usually very basic. In Europe you sometimes get cold meat which is very rare here. mark
nickjj78 26.12.2003 13:16
I've stayed here and tehy are good value for money, helpful op!
Mickie26 21.12.2003 23:45
I used to have a guiness and black and it was my favourite drink. I don't drink much anymore, but I tend to favour wine.
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Aug 12th, 2003
(Dec 21st, 2003)
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