Sunday 30 October 2016

Holiday Inn Cardiff, A Short (and Curly) Stay


Holidy Inn hotel room with title text overlayed I don't stay in hotels very often, but when I do, my needs are few. It's usually because we are travelling somewhere via the Megabus and need somewhere to stay for the night, because it's too far to go there and back in a day, so a bed is the main requirement. This week, it was just L and I travelling to Cardiff for the DanTDM Live Tour at St David's Hall. We ended up staying at The Holiday Inn, which was a new hotel chain for us and we were interested to see how it compared to some of the other chain hotels we had stayed in previously, such as The Travelodge. When we first arrived, we found a large and welcoming foyer. There were comfortable chairs to sit in and even computers where you could take advantage of the free wifi that was available for guests throughout the hotel.


 After checking in, we took the lift to our room, which was very easy to find. The room itself was huge, much bigger than other hotels we had stayed in. It really made the stay so much more enjoyable, having space to really relax. I particularly appreciated the very large window, offering views of the city, sparkly at night, and a little bit of the river. Sadly, it hadn't been cleaned in a while, which did spoil the view a bit. There was a good size television, with basic cable. I was slightly annoyed that they advertised films from £2.95, but I could not find one, there certainly weren't any in the family section, so nothing to attempt to subdue an over-excited ten year old. It worked out okay, though, as we could watch Great British Bake Off, followed by Autumn Watch, which were pretty PG, apart from one awkward moment, involving a couple of amorous deer! *oops* 

Kettle, mugs, tea bags, milk cartons, etc, on tray.

The tea and coffee selection was good, with the one annoying part being that you only got three small milk portions. There should have been three of us,  so for 24 hours, this is just ridiculous. I will never understand why hotels, particularly the less-budget ones, skimp on such a low cost item. How much nicer would a hotel stay be, if you didn't have to choose when you had your one cup of tea, when you arrive, or when you wake up next morning? I suppose you could ask for more milk, but it doesn't make a guest feel very special, when they are only worth one cup of tea! I know a lot of hotels do this, but it really bugs me! The room was very tidy, well laid out and generally clean, there were little touches, to remind us that this was a slightly superior joint. 

Collage of hotel bathroom accessories
I particularly liked the large comfy armchair, which was in addition to the sofabed, already made up for L. Overall, our initial impressions of the room were great, and we were beginning to see why it was sometimes worth paying a bit more for a better quality stay, where attention to detail meant all our needs were met. Then this happened... 

Suspicious curly hair on hotel bed
Can't see it properly? Allow me to zoom in...

Close up of curly hair on hotel bed
Now, I'm not one to surmise on the origins of this particularly curly hair, but, in the interests of Pubic Safety, I felt it should get a mention. There was a lot that this hotel got right, and I've taken care to mention them all, but this hair still haunts me. Where did it come from? Why was it still there?  It just goes to show, that it doesn't matter how much effort you make to provide a lovely hotel experience for your guests, you are only ever a hair's breadth away from a bad first impression. 



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10 comments

  1. Oh I am so with you on the milk situation it drives me insane so I generally ALWAYS buy a pint to take with me. I get fed up of asking for extras as the STILL only give you 2 or 3! I drink coffee LOTS of coffee!! It p's me right off! As for that lurking interloper ewwwwwwwwwww I don't care where it comes from it should be deported in the interests of pub(l)ic safety!

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  2. I do love staying hotels, I have been rather spoiled in my life for the luxury 5 star types. Holiday Inn usually do get it right shame about the extra unwelcomed surprise, I too would be rather put off by a curly wurly hair. I hope it didn't spoil your stay too much :)

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  3. Such a shame. I really like holiday inns and have stayed in the Cardiff one a few times with no issues.

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  4. It sounds like mostly a great place to stay but Eek! That hair...It would have put me right off staying there. I hope it didn't ruin your stay.

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  5. I don't stay in hotels very often and things like this put me off! My daughter found a baby's dummy under her pillow at the last one we stayed in and she couldn't sleep all night because she assumed they didn't change the sheets :(

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  6. I always ask for more milk and tea as I check in, never enough!
    lets hope that was a head hair off one of the maids...!

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  7. Did you let the hotel now? That's fairly grim tbh.
    Thanks for sharing your review on #TriedTested this week x

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  8. Good point about the milk! I wish they'd put more in. Good review, always good to know where's good to stay!

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  9. Ohhhh dear! Gross! :/
    Also, I ALWAYS find there is never enough milk. I use 3 of those 'portions' per cup of tea, so even 6 isn't enough!

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  10. Good point about the milk! That was a great review

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