Holiday Inn Express Preston - South

Don't miss breakfast here. There's a fantastic spread, from lighter choices to cooked food, and even a fresh pancake maker if you fancy it. Everything was fresh and delicious, and it was still being served right up to the cutoff for latecomers. The unlimited breakfast helped make this good value, and yes, I did mention breakfast! We stopped at Preston South during a longer family drive. It's easy to find and perfectly placed for that purpose. We regularly use Holiday Express, and this one is a great example: the rooms were clean, comfortable and spacious, with plenty of communal areas. The team were prompt, courteous and helpful. There's generous parking and several high-speed Tesla chargers, open to all models, at a reasonable price for a major travel route. The menu has a fair amount of choice but is a little pricey, so we ordered through Deliveroo instead, which was quick and offered lots of options. A clean, comfortable place in a good spot, and I'd recommend it.

If you're driving an EV, take care with the Tesla chargers here. Tesla navigation and ZapMap send drivers to the site, but the chargers don't have clear signs saying you need to register your vehicle at reception. At night in particular, it's easy to plug in and start charging without knowing. I've had several ParkingEye charges for this exact reason. The hotel says EV charging customers are allowed, but the process isn't obvious or clearly signposted. Lots of similar reviews have raised this, yet the hotel keeps replying with the same generic claim that the signs are adequate instead of making improvements.

The staff were excellent and the hotel was very comfortable. Food was okay. It's handy for the motorway, but that can make the room quite noisy at night if you like to sleep with the window open. There is air conditioning in the rooms.

Just off the M6 near Preston, this hotel made a very good impression. The large bedroom was comfortable and had what a business traveller needs: a desk, chair, light and charging ports. The bathroom felt five-star, with a beautiful shower. There's a restaurant with a limited menu, but it works fine for a quick dinner. I'd highly recommend the hotel.