Holiday Inn Norwich by IHG

My accessible room had no working radiator, even though it was -5° outside. I hadn't realised at first, and was told it would warm up, but by morning I was freezing. The caretaker came in, hammered at it, and said it was clogged with limescale, so I had to move rooms to get warm. I just didn't know what to do. They brought me warm vegan porridge, but the staff member who delivered it didn't seem to know what vegan meant and poured full-fat dairy milk into it. I eventually managed to have vegan porridge and warm vegan tea from my flask, then left as soon as I could to warm up. I was later told they could offer only a 25% refund as a goodwill gesture. That night had been a small bit of respite after I'd spent so long struggling with my brain injury. I told the woman I knew it wasn't her fault and that she needed management's permission, but the money was a birthday gift and Christmas money people had given me. I regret coming here and won't come back. The whole building felt freezing, even reception, where staff were saying how cold it was. There are drafts all year, the building is old and falling apart, and it needs renovating. They've added some nice touches, like a café, perhaps to make money. Maybe people are so cold they'll pay anything to warm up and eat something nice. Management needs to do better. I wouldn't recommend staying until the building is updated and made fit for guests. If you're disabled, please don't come here.

The location was great and the hotel did the job for our two nights visiting family, though I wouldn't hurry back. Reception were lovely, and the cleaners were really friendly. The young women at the bar were busy chatting with each other and the bar manager about their social lives. They were still polite once we got their attention. Our room was clean but tired, smelled odd, and had a sink that wouldn't drain properly and didn't fit the basin area, with missing sealant. The TV was very dated and hard to get working with the universal controller. Breakfast was okay, but the food was cold.

The room was clean, roomy and comfortable, and the staff were friendly. I liked the spin class, but the gym itself felt cramped and dated and could use an update. I wouldn't eat in the restaurant next time: both meals I had there were really poor and very overpriced, even by today's standards.

The superior room was a good size, with a clean design, and it was quiet. But the drinks fridge kept buzzing, noticeable enough to bother us. The bathroom looked recently done, though the paint on the door was bubbled, and the shower pressure was weak. The pool and gym were nice. The steam room was out of service, and the sauna was tiny. Breakfast was alright, but at 9 there were no pastries left. They came back about 20 minutes later. The single coffee machine was painfully slow, kept stopping for a minute to heat up, and left a queue. Some people gave up and had tea. The coffee itself was fine. The place feels tired overall. It's okay if you get a good price, but for such a big hotel not having car charging feels very backward.