Holiday Inn Leamington Spa

We had a brilliant weekend with our group of 40, thanks largely to five staff members who were warm, lovely and working incredibly hard. Tyrees, the manager-in-training, seemed to be everywhere, from reception and the bar to the kitchen and room service, and even came to fix someone’s toilet. Carol kept us well fed while also clearing tables, Abby raced around multitasking, Charlie worked hard in the kitchen, and Amira moved between serving at the bar, vacuuming and waiting on tables. The hotel was in a good location and was what we expected, but it was disappointing that so few people were covering so much. We could have complained, but didn’t because these five did so much to make the stay enjoyable. They’re a credit to the hotel.

The room was reasonably clean and the bed was fine, but the rest of the experience was pretty bare bones. The lobby felt like a cramped jumble of the kids’ area, bar, breakfast space and reception. Service was almost entirely transactional, and staff seemed either uninterested or on edge, as if waiting for a complaint. Breakfast felt arranged for easy cleanup rather than for guests to enjoy. I also had to go to reception three times before I got a key that actually opened my room. Keep your expectations very low.

The rooms were good, but the service was probably the worst we’ve had at a Holiday Inn. The bar was a letdown: hardly any choice, no Guinness, no ice, and very high prices. They need some older staff who can offer a smile.

We were left hungry and freezing, and I woke up in agony after sleeping in the cold. I’m disabled and have neuropathy. Dinner took two hours to become available, so by then we couldn’t eat. The barman was having to move back and forth between the bar and reception, and told us the other Holiday Inn had all the staff. The hotel seemed more focused on people attending a party than on its own guests. Our room was freezing and the bath tap was broken. They were short staffed, and this was the worst Holiday Inn we’ve stayed in. We use the chain throughout the year, but won’t again. A waste of money. Not great.