Holiday Inn Luton South M1, Jct 9

The staff were really unfriendly. As my wife entered the building, they stopped her and asked what she was doing there. It gave a very odd, threatening vibe to visitors.

There’s plenty of off-street parking, the place is clean and tidy, and staff are friendly from the moment you arrive. My room was neat and the bathroom very clean, so credit to the cleaning team for helping the hotel run well. There’s also an electric vehicle charging bay powered by BP pulse. I didn’t eat there, but staff told me how to get food if I wanted some. I ordered through user eats, had it delivered to reception and collected it myself. I’d highly recommend this hotel for a short stay in the area.

The breakfast was a nice setup. We both enjoyed the cooked buffet, and there was continental food available too. Check-in was quick and simple, and checking out was easy and stress-free. I really enjoyed our one-night stay and would return. The room was on the small side but worked perfectly for a couple and had what we needed. I would have liked another plug socket, but it was fine. The bed was really comfortable and I slept well. :)

My room was tight for space, even smaller than the Travel Lodge room I’ve stayed in, but the bed was comfortable and there were enough pillows. The room also had a smartphone accessory, a nice touch for smart technology during the stay. I tried using it to nip to the supermarket, but it lost signal and was useless. The main problems were in room 106. Wallpaper was missing and hanging off the wall, and the shower was hard to adjust because there were no clear hot and cold instructions. The staff didn’t know about the “take in” option for ordering from the room and getting a call when food was ready. Eventually someone understood what I wanted. I ordered the burger listed as their “signature dish”, but despite going down straight away when they called, it was dry and tough, and the cheese and ketchup did nothing to moisten it. Those were my only issues, to be fair. Staff were polite and friendly, service was very good overall, and the gym and pool facilities were well managed and maintained. The sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, swimming pool and gym were all clean. I’d give it 3.5, since the food keeps it from being quite a 4, but I would stay again.