Holiday Inn Express Kettering

We were happy with our stay from beginning to end. The bed was really comfortable, the room was spacious and tidy, and everywhere looked clean. Staff were friendly from check-in right through to checkout. For the room price, having breakfast for two included made this one of the best value hotels we’ve stayed in. There was a good range of continental food, along with what looked like freshly cooked hot options.

The room was really comfortable and very large, and the staff were friendly. Breakfast was really good, and the included internet was pretty fast. Everything inside feels new and fresh. The hotel may be new and still finishing construction, so if you have an electric car, you might want to check ahead since I’m not sure the chargers are fully set up yet. Nice place.

I paid around £130 for a cold, sterile room, with traffic from the A road all night. First I was sent to room 230, but the key didn’t work and I could hear noises inside. Reception said nobody else was staying there, then moved me to room 130. Later they admitted someone was in room 230 after all. The thermostat in 130 was broken. Reception said they were short staffed and fully booked, so they couldn’t fix it or move me. After my update, staff somehow found another room with working heating, but by then I’d hauled all my things up and down three times and couldn’t relax after a long drive. There weren’t any mugs in that room either, so I had to go to reception again just to make a cup of tea. Please hire more staff. The staff are lovely, but they’re stretched and stressed, and it leads to mix-ups and indecision when guests need help. This was unbelievably bad and just not acceptable.

My second-floor room was very spacious and clean, though traffic from the A43 and A6183 was noisy. Keeping the window shut helped. The morning staff weren’t friendly: they seemed caught up in their own conversations and just stared at me. I got there at 1:20 p.m. and was told check-in would take about an hour. There’s a £30 early check-in charge. That might make sense if I’d arrived at 9:00 a.m., but I’d hoped to get in at 2:00 p.m., so I waited. I suspected they were giving me the impression my room wasn’t ready, but the official check-in time is 3:00 p.m., so I couldn’t really complain. This was probably my first stay at a Holiday Inn. Check-in times seem to be getting later and later. I’ve seen hotels packed with students and families with small children waiting around, especially in summer. Being stuck in a queue on a beautiful day at the start of a holiday is frustrating. Hotels need to do better.