Holiday Inn Express Portsmouth - North by IHG

This was an easy hotel to find, and the arrival itself was fine. Parking costs extra, as I knew when I booked, and Holiday Inn gives a discount for the length of your stay. But there’s only one terminal to enter the details, and with its unreliable touchscreen it feels like a gamble whether you’ve pressed the right option. I also didn’t like that asking for an emailed receipt displays it prominently for everyone nearby to see. Check-in otherwise was fine, nothing notable either way. The family room was as expected, with the kids sharing a pull-out sofa bed. We were short one towel and had no spare pillows, so I asked reception. They brought the towel, but said the hotel was full and they’d see what they could do about pillows. None came that day. My wife had better luck the next day and got some, which I really appreciated. Breakfast was fine, and the staff were working hard. The layout felt awkward, especially with the breakfast bar in the way when someone sat there. The regular toasters only handled eight slices at once and didn’t always toast properly, though the cooked choices were generally good. It wasn’t a bad hotel, just my least favourite Holiday Inn visit so far, and I’d rate it as okay.

A typical English three-star place, not much to look at outside, but the hotel and rooms were fairly clean and the staff very helpful. Breakfast was the usual English buffet. It worked perfectly for what we needed, and being by the M27 made it easy to get around Portsmouth.

The hotel was clean, comfortable and well maintained. Getting there could be difficult without a car, though, since public transport options are limited. Having a car would make a stay here much easier.

For the price, it’s a good hotel, with modern, stylish rooms and plenty of space. The shower pressure was weak, but breakfast had decent options, including a fun pancake maker. Parking costs extra, although you get a code for half off.