Kegworth Hotel & Conference Centre

Rooms are very cheap and pretty Spartan, and the place has a few rough edges, though nothing too serious. There's loads of parking and the location is decent. Everyone on staff we dealt with was pleasant and very helpful. I'd happily stay again.

After getting back late from our holiday, I asked the man at reception about my changed card details. He said it was no problem and he'd scan the new card too. That was really reassuring, especially as it was past midnight. The hotel was clean, warm and had good facilities, a welcome change after coming from a holiday in 35 c. We slept well. In the morning, a very helpful woman showed us where to go for our pre-booked breakfast, and the fry-up went down a treat. She also explained that next time we could leave the car here for a reasonable price and stay overnight. It's only 10 minutes from East Midlands airport. I was impressed, and would definitely consider staying again.

The staff are the best thing here: super friendly, welcoming and helpful. The location is really convenient, and the big car park has lamps with two sockets and a USB port beside the bed, which is a small detail I appreciate after staying in so many places with only one socket. There are lots of parking spaces, although the car park is very dark, has no lighting, and the ground is uneven, so watch your step. The hotel is confusing to get around. There are no clear signs to reception or the rooms, the floors aren't labelled, and the gym is down a maze. Inside, the whole place feels like a maze. The gym itself is terrible, with Soviet-era equipment piled up. The rooms look very dated. The shower head doesn't suit the water flow and sprays everywhere; I had to turn it down until it stayed put, but then the jet was very narrow. Breakfast was low quality. I've only stayed at one other hotel nearby, Novotel, and it was much better. Unfortunately, it was sold out this trip.

Our room was clean, and the bedding and towels were fresh. The food was plentiful and nicely presented, but the hotel advertised several dishes as gluten-free when they clearly weren't. Even after I specifically asked for one item to be left off, my salad arrived covered in wheat-based couscous. Staff seemed to know nothing about allergens. After our main course, they ignored us for the rest of the evening, leaving us surrounded by dirty dishes for three hours. There were also serious safety and maintenance problems. Fire doors were propped open with extinguishers, one door guard had a flat battery, and electrical equipment and junk were piled in the corridor. We weren't told where to go in an evacuation. There was no hot water in the room, the bathroom grout and sealant were mouldy, and the shower rail was rusty. With the water temperature problems and their associated risks, we chose not to shower, and a cold bath wasn't appealing. Even at a budget price, the hotel fell below an acceptable standard for fire safety and dietary needs.