Holiday Inn Darlington - A1 Scotch Corner

The room was clean and spacious, and the bar service was good. I had a steak burger and it was lovely. The location is easy to reach, right off the motorway and near a service station, though I didn’t think there was much parking. There were some frustrations. I waited about five minutes at reception before anyone checked me in, and the explanation was, “Sorry, I was over there and didn’t see you.” There should perhaps always be someone at reception for check-ins and questions. My room was outside by the hotel bins, where I think staff hang out during breaks. It was very noisy, with people talking and laughing. In the evening I called reception to book a dinner table and was told it was fine, but when I went down five minutes later, I was told the restaurant was closed and I could eat in the bar.

The food was delicious, but the service was dire. We waited 45 minutes for the main plates to be cleared and dessert to arrive, and the portions were small enough that we left hungry. The restaurant was quiet, so I’ve no idea how they’d manage when busy. The rooms were lovely and clean, but the package didn’t match what was advertised. We paid for a room, breakfast, and a three course meal. They don’t offer three courses here, just a fixed amount toward the meal that barely covers two. Nice hotel, but you don’t get what they advertise.

The cooked breakfast was good, but the continental options were poor. The bed was too soft, and the curtains wouldn’t close properly, leaving a constant draft. I wouldn’t recommend it. The location is the only reason it gets two stars.

We were both really stressed by the experience, especially as we suffer from anxiety and PTSD. We drove nearly four hours for a family wedding at Middleton Lodge Estate, just 1.5 miles from the hotel. At reception we were told that water damage meant our booked executive large room with a kingsize bed wasn’t available. They moved us to a small standard room with a double bed, tiny bathroom, and very small toilet. It felt claustrophobic to us, as we’re both disabled. We were offered another small, very dark ground floor room with the curtains shut because people could look in. They gave us some free drinks as an apology, then moved us to a hotel 14 miles away. That room and bed were bigger, but the distance cost us £100 for two taxi rides to the wedding instead of £15 to £20. The manager said they had emailed us about the change, but we never received anything. We also never got the promised refund. We felt the water damage was an excuse because they never showed us the room, and we think they sold ours to someone else. We weren’t happy at all. We’ll contact the hotel about the complaint and the refund they promised for the inconvenience.