Holiday Inn Chester - South by IHG

We used the gym and pool during our stop on the drive from Essex to the Lake District. The gym has cardio machines, several machines for legs, chest and adductors, plus a multi-workout setup. The dumbbells only went up to 25kg, which was a bit limiting, but fine for most people. The pool and jacuzzi were a decent size for travellers. The staff were a real credit to Holiday Inn, from reception and breakfast to cleaning and the fitness centre. Everyone was friendly and helpful. Breakfast was excellent in my opinion, with a reasonable choice, and all three of my sons and my son's girlfriend enjoyed what they picked. We got a good rate for two rooms with breakfast, so it felt worth it. The hotel is close to the main roads, and its inside feels like a maze, a bit of a Tardis. We stopped to see friends in nearby Holt, and the relaxed stay made the long drive much more pleasant.

After travelling from Reading with our child, we reached Holiday Inn Chester South by IHG at around midnight for our booking on 28-29 May. We were told there was only one room available, and it had no power. The staff offered it to us at half price, but it wasn't properly usable, so we couldn't accept. They asked us to cancel and assured us we'd get a full refund because the problem was on their side. With a tired child after a long late-night journey, we had to leave and find another hotel ourselves. It caused our family a lot of stress and inconvenience. A very disappointing stay and a badly handled situation.

After the wedding, we arrived around midnight to check in and were told there was a room issue and no curtains. We'd already been unable to check in before the wedding, which was fair enough since it was before check-in time. We just wanted to sleep, but the room at the other end of the hotel smelled damp, had mould growing, and broken curtains strewn over the bedding. There was also toilet paper in an unflushed toilet. Absolutely disgusting. I wish I hadn't been drinking so I could have driven us home. For £89, I wouldn't bother.

The staff were really nice and friendly, but the food was awful. Honestly, if you stay here, don't eat in the restaurant. The soup had chunks of some strange material, and my well-done steak order came out like new car tyres. Dessert seemed straight off the cheapest Lidl shelf, drowned in tasteless custard-like soup. Breakfast was the standard tasteless, dry, overcooked kind. The hotel left me with a strange aftertaste. From outside, it looks like a 1930s barracks with a modern lobby, while the corridors and rooms felt like a 1960s Soviet Union Relaxation Centre “Romashka.” The swimming pool looked like it had last been updated sometime before I was born. Would I stay again? Hopefully not.