Holiday Inn London Brent Cross

I don't feel the local area is safe. Illegal migrants have occupied this place for years, and there’s rubbish and bikes everywhere. Just Eat drivers are around, as usual. I won't forget what Holiday Inn has done.

The hotel was clean and perfectly fine, and the staff were helpful and friendly. Our double bed was OK, but the sofa bed was pretty awful. We knew the location wasn't right by central London when we booked, and it was 15-20 minutes by tube to Leicester Square. The shuttle drivers were great and could take you to the nearby mall or tube station, though the service only ran for a few hours a day, and you had to call to arrange a pickup. There wasn't a bar, cafe, or convenience shop immediately nearby, but the hotel did have a bar. A good place to stay, recommended. We're from Toronto, Canada.

The bar is the main drawback: £3 for a pint of diet Coke and £6 for Jack Daniel's and Coke, though I suppose that's what city hotels charge. Otherwise, I enjoyed my stay and would return. The food was good quality with plenty of choice, including options for vegetarians, and you could serve yourself as much as you liked. The room was a good size, with a full bath and shower, toilet, and sink. It also had tea and coffee making facilities, a hairdryer, a desk/dressing table with a large mirror and a nearby power point, a full-length mirror, and an easy chair. The beds and bedding were top quality, as were the tea, coffee, and milk. It felt clean and comfortable, with the usual limits of a chain hotel, but had those home comforts.

The food was very good and there was a nice selection, but otherwise this felt like a pretty average Holiday Inn that needs some paint. Rooms weren't very clean, with what looked like months of dust and rubbish under beds and sofas. Housekeeping didn't seem to clean properly. Reception or office staff also failed to follow instructions, even after two different people were asked not to reassign rooms because of a late check-in. Bring valuables into your room. The hotel is known for break-ins, particularly vans.