Holiday Inn Express Chingford North Circular

The staff were friendly and did try to sort things out, which deserves credit. Still, sharing two duvets between three people made bedtime a bit of a contest. Breakfast felt like a psychological experiment, with items disappearing quickly and guests left to share the disappointment. The windows wouldn't close, so we had a breeze and plenty of city noise, rather like urban camping. Then there was the unforgettable drain smell in the bathroom, an “authentic London” touch no guidebook mentions. Holiday Inn Chingford certainly gave us a stay we'd talk about later, preferably from another hotel.

The staff made this place stand out from other Holiday Inns, with a lovely welcome at check-in and great service. Parking is £8.00 a night, which feels very reasonable for London.

We booked as a family, two adults and kids. The adult bed was good, but the other beds were sofa beds and weren't comfortable. There wasn't much room either, so it wasn't suitable for a family stay.

The whole experience at Holiday Inn Express London Chingford was horrible. I booked two rooms, one using IHG rewards points and one at the employee rate, and got confirmation that only the employee-rate room would be cancelled. We arrived at 4 AM after a long journey, but the front desk refused to check us in and said our confirmed booking didn't exist. I asked several times for them to contact the Duty Manager, and they wouldn't. When he eventually came out, he said he'd been on break and hadn't arranged cover, leaving the desk unattended. Staff also refused to give us a room because I was “rude,” despite my repeated apologies. It felt as though their egos and breakfast duties came ahead of guest safety and service. We had to drive back exhausted, which was unsafe and unnecessary. As an IHG silver elite member, I'm shocked by the lack of professionalism and failure to follow IHG standards. Management should investigate and retrain the staff immediately.