Holiday Inn Express London Greenwich

The main downside during my three nights was that one of the two lifts was out for maintenance, so the other got crowded. They did warn me when I booked. Otherwise, this was a solid hotel for the price, handy for places like the O2 and Excel, and just a couple of tube stops from Comic Con. Reception were consistently friendly. They kept my bag in the cloakroom on day one, and arriving around 9pm after the event caused no problem. My room was cleaned daily and was spacious enough, with a comfortable bed, working shower and TV, plus a hairdryer and iron. It was all clean and in good order. The large window also gave me a nice view of the nearby skyline. I liked being able to get a pint in the lobby bar, open from midday until 2am, after a day at the con. Breakfast was included, which is a nice change from places that charge extra. It was the usual basic hotel spread, nothing special but perfectly decent, and the bacon was particularly good.

For one night, the clean, comfortable room did the job, though it was very cramped. This was a last-minute booking, and honestly I got what I paid for. Everyone at reception and in the restaurant was cheerful and friendly. We were on the sixth floor, with great views over Greenwich and the 02. Parking costs a hefty £25 a night, though that was what I expected in central London.

The team even put up the balloons and banners I sent for my friend's birthday, and Maddy & Miriam decorated the room beautifully. Thanks to them! We had a fantastic stay. The night shift worker who checked us in on the 29th of Jan was friendly and efficient. Breakfast was just as described and kept stocked, and the man at the breakfast podium was cheerful and polite. So was the man at the bar, even while I bombarded him with questions about the 02. Great team :)

The beds were seriously comfortable, and I had a fabulous night's sleep, even better than at Premier Inn. The hotel is clean, the rooms are a decent size, and the staff were friendly and helpful. It's about 10-15 minutes from the O2, too. I couldn't give it five stars because the hot breakfast stopped being maintained around 9.20. For the remaining 40 minutes, choices were sparse and items were only topped up a little. Also, only one of the three lifts was working during my visit, with no apparent maintenance happening on the other two. A good stay, but those things could be better.