HOLIDAY INN CENTRAL

Let’s start with the positives. Owen at the bar was outstanding and provided excellent service. The food quality at both the bar and breakfast was very good. Although the building is old and somewhat dated, it is clearly well maintained. The cleanliness standards throughout the public areas and the room were also very high. Unfortunately, our stay was significantly affected by the air conditioning in Room 130 not working. We reported the issue on our first evening and were led to believe it was a new problem that could be fixed. Instead, we were given a dusty fan to get through the night and were promised that we would be moved to another room the following day. The next morning, after speaking with the staff, we discovered that the air conditioning issue in Room 130 was actually an ongoing problem. We were also told that there had been no handover regarding the promised room move. The morning staff assured us they would do their best to arrange a move later that day. However, when we returned that evening, the staff again informed us that no handover had taken place and that there were no other family rooms available. As a result, we had no choice but to spend a second night in a room without air conditioning, relying on the same dusty and noisy fan. (On both days, outside temperature was around 35 degrees Celsius) The fan was in such poor condition that it was completely unacceptable to expect guests to use it. No guest should have to pay for accommodation under these circumstances. This is the worst experience we have had at any IHG hotel, despite being loyal guests for many years. While many members of staff were friendly and helpful, the lack of communication between shifts, failure to honour the promised room move, and the decision to continue allocating a room with a known air conditioning fault fell well below the standard we have come to expect from IHG hotels.

Reception area was impeccable, however the access to the room and the room itself were very poor. Damage evident pretty much everywhere, stained carpets,generally dirty and neglected. The IHG website shows bright newly refurbished rooms. The truth is far from that. We left immediately. The desk staff were friendly and sympathetic. I suspect we were not the first guests refusing to stay. I suggest that previous hotel guests were not as considerate as most people.

I read a lot of reviews ahead of time, so was worried - but honestly, The Holiday Inn in Ashford was really perfect for me this weekend - and I am a pretty harsh critic. I was working nearby, and the combination of the incredibly helpful and kind staff, the renovated room and very comfortable bed, the working (albeit I couldn’t change the temperature) air conditioning, the nice shower…. It was everything I needed and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone else. Because of the renovations, I didn’t have a fridge, a safe, or any water, but I believe that will be remedied soon, and the bar were only too happy to give me ice and water. Also, thanks to other reviews, I knew to ask if it was possible to have a renovated room, which they gave me, and I think that made a big difference.