Holiday Inn Express Bristol - Filton by IHG

The family room worked for the four of us, and breakfast was good, though busy, as is usual for Holiday Inn Express. Reception and restaurant staff were friendly. We stayed two nights over New Year’s Eve to visit Bristol and Bath. The location suited us well: the Observatory and Clifton Bridge were under a 15-minute drive away, and Bath was about 40 minutes away. The pub on site was excellent, with a homely feel and great staff. I’d use this hotel again when visiting Bristol.

The staff were excellent and very helpful. Breakfast came with the room and had the usual essentials: bacon rashers, sausages, hash browns, scrambled eggs, beans and grilled tomatoes, though there were no mushrooms. There was fresh fruit, cereal and fruit juice, plus both regular and soy milk, which was nice to see. The coffee station was satisfactory, but the bread was just okay and the croissants and muffins seemed stale or very low quality. For the price range, the Filton Holiday Inn Express was about what we expected. We were pleasantly surprised to be asked which floor we preferred. The room was cozy but a little cramped, with only the bare essentials provided. The shared shower and toilet door was odd: using one left the other wide open, like something from tiny-house Instagram reels. The bin liner was too small for the bin, so rubbish kept overflowing. I know it’s a nitpick, but it bothered my OCD. Parking cost £6 a night and there were plenty of spaces, though the closer bays went first, as usual.

The check-in lady was friendly, and the girl at breakfast was lovely too, explaining what to do and showing us to a table. But the hot food was cold. The bacon was like cardboard, and the toaster burned bread to charcoal if you didn’t watch it closely. We left without eating and went to McDonald’s. When I asked at reception if we could bring it back, the man said we had to eat in our room, which was fine. I then told him the breakfast had been cold, and he laughed. That was rude, to say the least. We stayed one night as a family. My partner and I had a double bed, while our 15-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son were expected to share a sofa bed. I asked reception whether there was a room with twin beds for them, but was told that this was the family room. Since the booking asked for the children’s ages, I didn’t think that arrangement was acceptable. The sofa bed also dipped in the middle and was very uncomfortable. We tried sitting down for coffee, but the cutlery was filthy and the kettle was full of limescale. Our stay wasn’t pleasant, and we won’t be back.

I slept really well during my two nights there. The room was clean and spacious, and the beds were comfortable. There was plenty of parking, and the place was easy to find. Staff were friendly and polite. I can’t thank the hotel manager enough for how well the place is run.