91 Aparthotel Jesmond Road

It's handy for town and fine for a place to sleep, but I wouldn't choose it if you need to work on a computer. The WiFi is unreliable: some laptops won't connect, and some banking apps won't let you log in over it. ChatGPT wouldn't work for me either. Maybe the WiFi setup is old and insecure. Also, some hotel guests may refuse to use Holiday Inn's car park and take your parking spot in front of the apartment.

The staff at reception and breakfast were lovely, friendly, and really helpful. Breakfast at the main hotel's bar was great too, and we had a relaxing evening there with drinks and pool. The apartment had a decent amount of space, and the kitchenette is a good idea. It's also a simple walk to the Metro, with good service and a convenient location. Getting in was a mess, though. There was no sign at the door, or information on Booking.com, saying to check in at the Holiday Inn next door. We called and were told there was no record of our booking, then went to reception, where they eventually found it. We weren't the first to run into this, so please sort it out. The flat was freezing. The heating is rubbish, and I saw it had been reported eight months earlier, so it clearly hadn't been fixed. The shower head wouldn't stay up, and the door leaked badly onto the floor. There were loose and cracked bathroom tiles, which could hurt someone. Cleaning wasn't good either: the sink was blocked, and there was visible mould around the edges that I could wipe away with a finger. The bathroom is clearly not getting a proper clean. We were on the first floor and could hear people outside, as well as the loud traffic racing along Jesmond Road. If you sleep through noise, it may suit you. Better windows would have helped; the cheap UPVC ones didn't keep the sound out.

The one good thing was the Holiday Inn staff next door. They were friendly and helpful when we called about the internet, which kept playing up. The WiFi was patchy and had to be reconnected every day. During our six-night stay, we asked three times for the room to be serviced. The sheets were changed just once. On the other visits, the bed wasn't even made, or things were only tidied without changing the bedding. When we arrived, there were empty glass bottles and plastic packaging left from the previous guests, even sticking out from under things. It looked like a quick clean without checking properly. You can hear everything outside your room, so there's very little privacy. We had so many problems that we were glad when the stay was over. I wouldn't recommend this over a regular hotel.

The rooms are a good size, the facilities are decent, the Metro is close, and the location is excellent. But the air conditioning is outdated, and the main road is loud. During the extreme heat, we had to open the windows for air, and the nearby traffic made it hard to sleep. Updating the air conditioning could easily have avoided that. Reception is in a separate building, and it was difficult to reach them without going over there. No one answered the phone.