Holiday Inn Barnsley M1, JCT.37

After a tiring 394 mile drive on my own, it was a relief to find the hotel right at J37 of the M1. There’s a huge, well-lit car park with lots of spaces. The staff had that friendly, chatty Yorkshire manner, and the bright, clean hotel uses glass in its decor to reflect the local industry. My third-floor room looked out over the north side of J37. The traffic noise was oddly restful, and the glazing and thick curtains kept it muted. The wet-room shower was decent, breakfast had plenty of variety, and the spacious dining and lounge areas were clean and bright. I also liked that guests can bring their dogs. It makes the place feel very civilised.

The woman who greeted us when we arrived was lovely and welcoming, and seemed happy to help with everything we needed. Later, the TV remote stopped working, so I went down to ask for batteries. The staff in the function room were congratulating each other and seemed not to listen to me, as if they were looking straight through me. The batteries they gave me were dead. When I went back, they handed me the same ones I’d brought down, then went outside to smoke and ignored me. After about 15 minutes of trying to get their attention, an older man came down with two more batteries, but those didn’t work either. He eventually brought a new remote to our room. The whole group had a strange, immature, almost school-party feel, and the night staff were completely baffling. I wouldn’t recommend them.

Breakfast was really tasty. The staff were friendly and the hotel was lovely in general, but room 201 needs attention. There were water marks on the ceiling, as if there’d been a leak above at some point, and lots of mould in the bath sealant. The lights attached to the bed surround were also very loose.

There were signs of problems with the plumbing, with what seemed like waste water occasionally appearing in the toilet bowl. It made using the bathroom uncomfortable. The hotel also needs some maintenance: one lift was out of order, the other had a missing control-panel button, and cracks ran across the ceiling from the bathroom into the bedroom. Around 1am, music from the restaurant downstairs made it hard to sleep, and when I tried calling reception at about 11:30pm, I couldn’t get through. I’d paid around 20% more than nearby options because I trusted the hotel’s reputation and expected a comfortable stay. I left disappointed, and based on this experience I’d consider other places until these issues are addressed.