Holiday Inn Express Newcastle Gateshead

The welcome was warm and friendly, the room was clean, the beds were comfortable and breakfast was good. A couple of staff were smartly turned out, but others could do with making a bit more effort. The lad serving breakfast especially looked like nobody had even run a comb through his mullet.

We stayed for two nights and the room was good, but breakfast was the main problem. We’re vegetarian and don’t eat eggs, meat or fish, and the vegetarian options were really poor. The hash browns were rock hard and the baked beans weren’t hot. We’ve never had such a bad breakfast anywhere before. I’ve since read the reviews praising breakfast and don’t understand them. Maybe the non-vegetarian choices were better, but I can’t say. I definitely wouldn’t recommend staying at Holiday Inn next time.

The price was excellent and the front desk staff were top class. For the value, there’s not a thing to fault. Some of the negative reviewers seem to expect the Hilton on a Holiday Inn budget.

Breakfast was lovely with plenty of choice, though the coffee machine was acting up. They were quick to respond when the hairdryer was broken and brought us another one. The rooms are tired and need proper repairs, with holes in the door, wall and curtains. Evening meals were sparse and the kitchen closed early, so one night we ended up having a bag of nuts for tea. It’s about a 15-minute walk or a three-minute Uber ride to the Metro Centre, which has a great range of shops and places to eat.