ibis Coventry Centre

For the price, it’s hard to fault. You get a simple, straightforward room that was surprisingly comfortable, and the bed was good too. The bathroom is a bit cramped, but the shower has strong water pressure. It’s a budget hotel in the city centre, with parking for an extra £6. Breakfast was fine for the price, staff were attentive when we needed them, and town is just a short walk away.

The location is handy, within walking distance of the city centre and near some parts of Coventry University. Staff were pleasant and did try to help, quickly bringing extra hangers and toilet paper when I asked. The rooms are basic, which wasn’t a problem on its own, but I found stickers under the blanket that weren’t mine, so I wondered if the room had been cleaned properly. My key cards kept having problems, although staff kindly reactivated them each time. The Wi-Fi was poor, and I ended up using mobile data. Housekeeping has to be requested through an online portal and booked for a set time. I’d assumed rooms would be cleaned by default unless you put out a sign, as happens in many hotels. The hotel only had a “skip the clean” sign, so this was something I hadn’t realised. After I booked a cleaning, someone came about three hours early while we were still in the room. We asked them to return at the scheduled time, but the room wasn’t cleaned. It could work for one night, but I wouldn’t stay longer.

The breakfast situation made me uncomfortable enough that I went into town for breakfast for the rest of my stay. While I was working at my table with coffee, I saw the staff member preparing and serving breakfast go outside several times, presumably for smoke breaks. Each time she came back without washing her hands and went straight to handling plates, clearing tables and bringing out food. A few times when she passed me, I could clearly smell alcohol on her. She didn’t seem professional or welcoming, which matters when someone is representing the hotel to guests in the morning. The room was also poorly maintained and uncomfortable. There were visible stains and cracks on the walls, a strong rotten egg smell from the sink, and stains and even hair on the mattress and pillows. I was very disappointed with the stay. I hope management takes the feedback seriously and improves cleanliness and staff professionalism, because this fell short of basic hospitality expectations.

Every staff member I dealt with was really lovely, kind and helpful. They even brought an extra cover on a cold night. The rooms are pretty standard, though, and I couldn’t switch off the electrical equipment at night, which stopped me sleeping as deeply as I wanted. I’d go back for the staff.