HOLIDAY INN

Holiday Inn Colchester Located outside Colchester convenient for Colchester Zoo and trip into Colchester to visit the castle. Room Number 2026. A standard double room. Adequately furnished  but no fridge which is only available in Premier rooms. Nearby railway line and road(s) mean there is noise. Air conditioning in room but not in the gym! I could not use that facility given the temperatures during my short stay. For parents with very young children be aware the pool depth means they will not able to stand up unaided even at the shallower end. A children's play are to the rear of the restaurant. Adequate but no more. Restaurant -  buffet style breakfast with good range of foods on offer though serving any tinned fruit is unimpressive given the cost of the room. Evening menu, again good range although vegatarian/vegan options are limited. Service - staff were welcoming and accommodating of our needs in the restaurant with three, young children. The standard of maintenance/cleanliness in some areas was less impressive. Food trays left overnight in corridors, food left overnight on the floor in the restaurant and blocked, general access toilets adjoining reception. Overall impression - mixed.

Needed to be in the area for a few days and chose to stay here - we were not disappointed. Made extensive use of the pool, steam room and hot tub, all of which were very good. The spa did have a minor issue with electricity but they had made arrangements to keep open although the Male changing did have a 'mood lighting' feel! The ground floor room was very nice, having all the main things needed (bed, hanging space, bathroom, etc.). The car park was extensive but did get a bit busy later on, mostly by business users but always got a space each of the days we stayed. Due to our itinerary, we did not eat at the restaurant in the evening but we did enjoy our breakfast each morning - lots of choice and help yourself. Just one drawback, which didn't affect us, was the fact the room was on several levels so once you got a table you may have a few steps down (and up) to access the buffet - may be an issue for wheelchair users, etc. There is a wheelchair lift to the highest level but it would be a challenge to get to the buffet this route each time.

This hotel is 10 out of 10 in our opinion. It has air conditioning in the bedrooms whish is a massive plus for us as lots of hotels don't! It's very clean throughout, has lovely friendly and helpful staff, lovely rooms, a great pool and a working jacuzzi (which seems to be quite rare in hotels we have found lately!) The food is very good in the American style restaurant as is the lovely breakfast buffet which has a wide selection of continental and hot food, everything is replenished as soon as it runs out. After the first time we stayed here and as soon as we got home we booked again for another night for the following week and have already booked another night’s stay; this is going to be a regular place for us to have an overnight stay. I’d like to say an extra thank you to the below staff; who, through one way or another enhanced both of our stays with being exceptionally helpful. Jo, Deborah and Eugene on Reception. Callum the waiter at breakfast for finding my husband to tell him the granola and fruit had been replenished. Maria and her team on housekeeping for getting us extra pillows and bathrobes. Elaine in the bar for the great chat and looking after us. We look forward to staying with you again in a few days.