Holiday Inn Rotherham - We'll Be Back (Holiday Inn in general)

Member Name: foreveramber

Product:	Holiday Inn in general
Date:	29/08/08 (71 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lovely restaurant, lots of amenities, large rooms

Disadvantages: Road noise can be disturbing if you're at the front and leave a window open

Holiday Inn - Rotherham, Yorkshire

The Holiday Inn at Rotherham is, quite simply, one of the best hotels I've had the pleasure of staying at for a long time.

I've often stayed at various Express by Holiday Inn hotels around the country because they could accommodate a family of five in one room as well as offering extremely good room rates and value for money.

However, they've recently changed their regulations, allowing only a maximum of four people per room. This has ruled out the Express by Holiday Inn hotels for us, but there are a few remaining Holiday Inn hotels still allowing for larger families sharing a room.

We were on our way to stay with relatives in the North of England and, since we were driving up from London, wanted to break our journey for a night. Therefore, we booked two nights at the Holiday Inn at Rotherham, one on the way up and another for the return journey.

We also chose this hotel for its amenities which include a restaurant, 17.5ft swimming pool, sauna, steam room and gymnasium. We all wanted to use the swimming pool and since we didn't want to spend time driving around town searching for somewhere to eat with tired, cranky children in tow, the restaurant was a big plus point.

How to Book:

You can book by phone or online. We booked our two nights online and received an email with our booking confirmation, driving instructions, and room/rate information. It also provided links to local maps and attractions for visitors wishing to explore the local area. Of course you can also book by phone.

How to Find Them:

The Holiday Inn at Rotherham is situated on the outskirts of Rotherham. If you're travelling up or down the M1, take the exit at junction 33 and follow the signs for Rotherham (A630). Head along the dual carriageway a short distance and turn left at the roundabout. You can clearly see the hotel on the right hand side.

Parking:

There is a small car park out of the front of building which is included in the price. We had a good view of our car from our room which was reassuring. There are barriers at the entrance to the hotel, but I'm not quite sure of their purpose as they just lifted up when we drove through in both directions.

Checking In and Out:

You can check in from 2pm and check out by midday. The reception staff were very welcoming. After providing our car registration and credit card details, we were asked whether we would like a wake up call or a newspaper delivered in the morning. We also booked dinner for that night.

Access:

The hotel has wheelchair access and there are two lifts up to the three floors. Alternatively, you can take the rather grand staircase if you want some exercise.

The Room:

As soon as we put our keycard into the slot and pushed open the door to our room, we were deafened by squeals of delight from the kids and then me. We were given an 'executive room' which was set up with 3 double sized beds, one of which was a sofa bed. Previously, when staying in the smaller Express by Holiday Inn hotels, we were always squashed as the beds took up nearly all the floor space. In this room, even with the 3 double beds, we had plenty of room to walk around. The beds were good, quite springy with pillows that you could sink into.

Also in the main room was the television hidden inside a wooden cabinet, dark wood furniture including a round wooden table with 4 dining type chairs and a dresser type table. There was a trouser press and a mini bar (which the kids were under strict instructions not to touch - due to the price rather than alcohol content! Oh well both really).

The dresser table also contained the wireless internet access equipment costing £15 for the connection. I had to hunt around for power points as all I could find were the points that the lamps were plugged into and they all appeared to be some sort of round continental style plugs. I found them in the end, on the wall, level with the top of the table, hiding behind my laptop.

Above the mini bar was a little white kettle jug with two cups, two tea spoons and two glasses along with the usual instant coffees and teas, long life milk pots and a couple of packets of Cadbury's Hot chocolate. No biscuits unfortunately.

The white tiled bathroom had a decent shower and a bath and was well stocked with complementary items including a sewing kit, shower cap, soap, bath and shower gel, body lotion, and shampoo. On the wall above the sink is a notice offering to provide you with any essentials you may have forgotten to bring with you, such as a razor.

In an effort to show some green credentials, another notice politely asks that you place any used towels on the floor. This way they'll only change the towels on the floor and conserve energy by not washing those still on the rails.

The Amenities:

We only had time to use the swimming pool as we didn't arrive until quite late. It's included in the price so you can spend as much time in there as you wish. I'd brought an enormous bag load of towels from home, which we didn't need as the pool attendants provide you with a towel each. There are two changing rooms, male and female, so we split up and went off to change. The pool area itself consists of the swimming pool which is about 1.3m (4.5ft) deep its entire length. However, half way down is an entry into the learner's pool which is circular shaped and about 0.6m (2ft) deep.

Next to the pool is a spa bath which I did hop into. It's very hot but what a wonderful feeling, sitting there, relaxing, while millions of water jets propel bubbles all around your body. Unfortunately, you can't keep it to yourself and you may end up sharing the experience with strangers. Also in the pool area is the sauna and a steam room, which we didn't have time to use. We also didn't use the gym, but each time we walked past, there were quite a few guests furiously pedalling away on exercise bikes.

The Restaurant:

We had two dinners in the restaurant and both times were very pleased with the quality of the food. Although we had to wait for a long time after giving our order, the adult's meals were well worth the wait. The children's menu, I'm sorry to say, offered the usual suspects of baked beans, pizza, chips, burgers etc with barely a glimpse of a vegetable. The pizzas were lovely, the burgers were not. The burger buns seemed to be made of some sort of sour dough, rendering them very stodgy and my kids couldn't finish them. I made a couple of specific requests for myself, one of which was 'NO BUTTER' on my vegetables. Inevitably, the vegetables arrived swimming in butter but the waitress promptly brought back a fresh plateful after my subtle complaint! Good news for us, the kids ate free!

Adjoining the restaurant is the bar area with several small round tables and bar stools at the bar. Opposite the main bar area at the front of the hotel there were comfortable looking chairs for those wanting to recline with a drink. My husband tested out this area by sitting at a small table downing Murphy's and snacking on peanuts while waiting for me to get ready for dinner after the swim.

The first morning we ate breakfast there, we were worried about the cost so we restricted ourselves to cereal and toast and ignored the cooked food, tempting as it was. It was only on leaving that we discovered the kids could eat free again and for us, the cost was £8.50 each, and it included everything from the hot or cold buffet.

The hot buffet consisted of grilled bacon, sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms, fried eggs and hash browns. The cold buffet had a selection of cereal boxes, white or brown bread for toast, fresh fruit, yogurt pots, a selection of fruit juices, tea and coffee. There was certainly enough to satisfy my family.

Other Information:

The hotel does lots of catering for functions. Indeed, while we were there on the first night, there was a wedding reception in full flow, with guests milling about around the bar area and up and down the stairs to their function room.

There are lots of leaflets and brochures advertising the forthcoming functions within the hotel such as a forthcoming Halloween party and details of their Christmas and New Year rates. They also have a beauty salon. I would have loved one of the massages, but unfortunately didn't have the time.

Business services include fax, copying, email and internet and they'll even lend you a PC if you forgot yours.

There's an ice machine and vending machine with chocolates and cereal bars which is situated outside the lift.

They have a room service menu offering a good selection of food from the main restaurant menu. There is however, a £3.50 charge per tray.

Other guests were made up of elderly holiday makers on coach trips, families, couples and business people (during the week).

Minus Point:

The only negative point I'd have to make would be its close proximity to the road. Although it's very convenient for travel and easy to find, the noise from the motorway can be disruptive to sleep if you leave a window open. I wear earplugs so it wasn't a problem for me. However, my husband was woken at 4am due to the constant traffic noise and had to get up to close the window, which we'd only left open a crack. Once closed though, the windows are fully double glazed and almost completely sound proof.

Price:

Our non smoking, executive room cost us £108 for the night. There are a variety of room rates and deals depending on when you travel. Check out the website for current rates.

Contact Details:

ROTHERHAM-SHEFFIELD M1, JCT.33

Holiday Inn
WEST BAWTRY ROAD
ROTHERHAM, S60 4NA
ENGLAND
Hotel Reservations: 0870 400 9670
Hotel Front Desk: 44-1709-830630

Web Address:

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hotel-di rectory/england/rotherham

Summary: We'll definitely stay here again, but for longer so we can use more of the facilities