Holiday Inn Express Kettering by IHG

There are a few nearby places to eat, including a decent chip shop and pub on the adjoining estate, about a 15-minute walk through the trees. There’s also a Miller and Carter pub in the same block as the hotel, unfortunately. Breakfast was decent and there was lots of bacon this time, but the coffee tasted awful. The hotel looks smart and clean, just outside Kettering and close to the A14. The rooms are comfortable and fairly spacious, and there’s a large free car park.

Everything inside looks fresh and very new, as if this hotel might only just be finishing construction. If you have an electric car, check ahead, since I’m not sure the chargers are fully set up yet. The room is really comfortable and very large. The staff are friendly, breakfast was really good, and internet is included and pretty fast. Nice place.

Reception staff were amazing, but the overall stay wasn’t great. The rooms are comfortable, though the lighting is really bad, and the toilet was almost impossible to flush. We stayed two nights and chose not to have the room cleaned after the first night. After the second, housekeeping had barely thrown the blanket onto the bed. They emptied the trash but left the dirty dishes, didn’t clean the toilet or wash out the dirty sink, and replaced just one of four towels. On the second morning, breakfast was sparse, with hardly any food out and no plates or flatware. Everything was dirty, even though there was still an hour and a half of breakfast time left.

The room was clean, modern and surprisingly spacious, just right for a comfortable night’s rest. From arrival, the experience at the Holiday Inn Express in Kettering felt warm and straightforward. Check-in was smooth, and the staff stayed cheerful and attentive. They were especially thoughtful about offering to have our vegetarian sausages ready for us when we came down for breakfast.