Holiday Inn Express London Swiss Cottage Hotel

I keep choosing this hotel for my stays in the capital because the prices are fair, the service is excellent, and the staff are cordial and kind. The rooms are clean and modern, and there’s a kettle for a decent cup of tea or coffee. Breakfast could offer a bit more choice, but my overall impression is still very good.

The room is small but laid out well, and the staff were kind and helpful. My main complaint is that there wasn’t a dresser to unpack my clothes into. Breakfast was delicious, and I’d gladly stay again. The location is great for getting around London, with a fairly quiet street at night, a mall across the road and a tube station just a block away.

The friendly, helpful staff were a bright spot, and the location worked well for my work trip. It’s in Zone 2 on the Jubilee line near Finchley Road station, even though the hotel is called 'Swiss Cottage'. The room needed improvement: it was very dated, the TV was small and didn’t connect easily to other devices, and the bed was springy and creaky. Bathroom water pressure was poor, sound insulation was lacking, and the slow WiFi frustrated me at times. I might stay again, but it won’t be my first choice.

Breakfast was the highlight: fresh ingredients, good coffee, no one rushing us, and they let us take a second coffee upstairs. The staff and breakfast get five stars from me, while the room and bed get two, about a 3.5-star average overall. This wasn’t up to the standard of other Holiday Inn Express hotels I’ve visited. Our first room had a collapsed mattress that would have aggravated my sore back, but they moved us to another room with a somewhat better mattress. The carpet was badly aged throughout, and I wouldn’t walk on it barefoot.