Holiday Inn Luton South M1, JCT.9

My wife was stopped as she entered the building and asked what she was doing there. The staff came across as really unfriendly, and the whole interaction gave visitors a very odd, threatening vibe.

The room and bathroom were both clean, and the cleaning team deserves credit for keeping the hotel in good shape. Staff were welcoming from the moment I arrived, and there’s plenty of off-street parking, including an electric vehicle charging bay powered by BP pulse. I didn’t eat at the hotel, but they explained how to get food if I wanted some. I ordered through user eats, collected it from reception, and would happily recommend the hotel for a short stay nearby.

Breakfast was enjoyable, with a cooked buffet and continental options too. We only stayed one night, and the room was a little small, but it suited a couple and had what we needed. The bed was very comfortable and I slept well. Check-in was quick, and checking out was easy and stress-free. I’d come back. :)

The pool, gym, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi were all clean and well looked after. Staff were friendly and polite, the service was good, and the bed had enough pillows and was comfortable. Those were the better parts of the stay. Room 106 was cramped, even compared with the space I had at the travel lodge, and the wallpaper was peeling or missing. I couldn’t work out the shower’s hot and cold settings because there were no clear instructions. Ordering from the room was also confusing at first, as staff didn’t know about the menu’s “take in” option where you order in your room and get a call when the food is ready. Once someone understood, I ordered the burger listed as their “signature dish.” I went down less than a minute after the call, but it was dry and tough, and the cheese and ketchup didn’t help. The smartphone accessory in the room seemed like a nice idea, but I tried using it to go to the supermarket and it lost signal, so it was useless. The room was still quite tight. I’d rate the stay 3.5, as the food keeps it below a 4, but I would stay again.