I wasn't planning on going to London Fashion Week but very last minute I needed to attend, so I was required to be in London for the entire time. I don't think I've ever had to be in London for such an extensive period, so finding the right hotel with plenty of home comforts was top priority.
After hunting around for the right location and best deal I decided to stay at the Holiday Inn London Kings Cross-Bloomsbury.
Location
When I travel in from Loughborough I get into London St Pancras station (connected to Kings Cross), therefore it seemed best to stay nearby for a number of reasons. I could get onto the center via every tube line, I wouldn't have far to travel to get back with my suitcase and it would also be significantly cheaper than the central hotels. I decided to go for the Holiday Inn Kings Cross-Bloomsbury on Kings Cross Road. It was only a 10-15 minute walk from the station or 5 minutes on the number 63 bus, which drops opposite the hotel and on the way back outside the station.
Initial Thoughts
On arrival I realised I'd quite possibly decided to be in London at the worst point (other than before Christmas) as it was half term, the lobby was swimming with families. My initial panic was that it was going to be noisy and I wouldn't get much sleep, however it wasn't even a problem, only that breakfast time was very busy.
Staff and service
The hotel was easy to navigate around and the staff were very attentive throughout my entire stay. I was located on the 6th floor in a double sized room, it was well laid out well and gave me plenty of space to come and go as I pleased, but also work at a desk if I wished.
Bedroom The bed was very comfortable and something I personally struggle with at any hotel I stay at. I tend to find because it's not my own bed I will wake up continually over the course of the night. I didn't wake up once, (other than very noisy people next to me slamming doors and rudely speaking so loudly at 3.30am!) but that essentially isn't the hotels fault it's purely ignorant people. Some hotels I've noticed have signs reminding people to be quiet between certain time - perhaps that's a good option?
In the room was a nice flat screen TV with a variety of channels to keep me occupied, along with a comfy seating area. As mentioned there was a good sized desk with a built in hairdryer. I checked the cupboards and I didn't have a fridge at all, which was a little disappointing but there was a menu for room service if I wished to order anything.
Gym and SpaWhen I checked in staff gave me all the details of where everything was and explained that there was also a gym. This was a place where you could train, do classes, swim and have spa treatments, however it wasn't free and would be £3.50 if I wanted to attend. There was also no free wifi and would be £45.00 for the week. Other hotels I've stayed I've noticed make their money by charging for wifi, which can be very frustrating if you are there for work, this hotel didn't have free wifi in the lobby area either - so if you're needing it please keep that in mind.
Conference Facilities
Speaking of conference space, they had a great conference facilities. As I've previously worked in the events management industry and hosted events at this venue, I can firmly say that IHG hotels do go to great lengths to really look after their delegates. Primarily focusing on this venue alone I can certainly say they uphold to that standard.
I liked some of the little touches by the hotel such as a variety of newspapers and magazines (including Look magazine) for you to pick up at breakfast - handy for solo travellers to read when dining on their own.
Building Work
One thing I wasn't told when I checke in was that building work would be going on during my stay on the 8th floor. They would be working from 9-5. A little disappointed with the hotel for not informing on arrival especially as it would be going on above me. As I was working from the hotel during the day it was frustrating to start but in the grand scheme of things it wasn't too noisy.
Breakfast
Breakfast time as I said was quite busy but there was a good selection of food. Nothing was made to order like poached eggs or anything but there was a range of cooked items, cereals and coffee. On the first day their was Starbucks coffee which excited me but the breakfast after that it was just standard coffee. I believe the Starbucks coffee is something they provide in the events packages for delegates.
Overall
Overall I'd say it is a great hotel for those there for work or for those knowing they won't be in the hotel all the time, but merely use it as a base for everything else. It just so happened I quite possibly picked the worst time to visit and if that was the case the hotel handled everything very well. The biggest selling point for me is how comfortable the Holiday Inn beds are, I'm often swayed one way or another simply by the bed because if you get a good night sleep that's half the battle of a good hotel stay.
My partner came to stay for one night and we both agreed, that for another time when we fancy a simple site-seeing trip, this would be the perfect hotel for location and as a place to rest before a full day.
I hope what I've told you will help if you're looking to stay at this particular place, however as always any questions or queries please let me know.
