Showing posts with label Hotels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hotels. Show all posts

Saturday 10 February 2018

An Overnight Stay at the Holiday Inn Express Stockport - A Review

We first became aware of the Holiday Inn Express in Stockport after visiting the area to see The Wizard of Oz pantomime back in August last year. A couple of the cast and crew were staying there and spoke highly of the service they received, so we decided that should we return to the area, we would make use of the hotel and enjoy an overnight visit. An opportunity arose to watch Jason Manford on his comedy tour on the 2nd February and so we booked a room without hesitation and I am very pleased that we did.

The hotel is located right next to the train station and a short walk from the main shopping centre. There is also a Sainsbury's local and a coffee shop adjacent to the Holiday Inn Express, as well as a leisure centre a short distance away, where hotel guests can use the facilities at a preferential rate.


We booked our stay in a double room a couple of weeks in advance of our visit, for the excellent low price of £51 including breakfast! We felt that this was extremely good value for money especially since a breakfast buffet was included, but we were unsure as to how good the hotel would be given the low overnight rate. We needn't have worried though as from the moment we arrived we were extremely impressed with the service, the decor and most importantly our room, which was located on one of the upper levels on floor 5.

On arrival we received a friendly welcome and we were told where we could get something to eat in the evening and where to go for breakfast in the morning. We were given clear directions to our room and told that should we require anything, then to ring reception for assistance. Our rate was confirmed and we paid by card on arrival for the stay. I always prefer to pay on arrival as this means no nasty surprises with items charged to the room on check out, so I always pay for the room and then pay card or cash for any additional purchases as we have them.


The entrance to the lift area requires you to scan your card by the doors, so this was reassuring to know that only people staying in the hotel could gain access to the rooms and corridors. The lifts were clear glass that ran up the side of the building, so you had a good view over the Grand Central area of Stockport whilst travelling up the floors. As we made our way to our room we were already impressed with the cleanliness and modern interiors that ran throughout the hotel. Everything just looked so tidy, immaculate and well cared for.

As we entered our room we were both quite shocked by how large it was. The picture on the website made us think that it would be quite small, but it was in fact really spacious, with plenty of storage areas. There were large floor to ceiling windows that gave us a view over the gardens below and the entrance to the station, as well as a small desk area which was perfect for catching up on emails.


It was clean, tidy and well presented, with stylish and modern furnishings. The bedding seemed high quality with a comfortable mattress and pillows. I liked that there were usb chargers on each side of bed integrated into the headboard, so this was ideal for charging our phones overnight.

There was a large television on the wall opposite the bed and we enjoyed watching a film later that evening after our trip to the Stockport Plaza. Other conveniences such as a kettle, tea/coffee, iron, ironing board and hairdryer were also provided. We made use of the iron prior to going out and this looked like it had never even been used.

The bathroom was spacious, with a large walk in shower. I also really liked the fact that there was plenty of worktop space by the sink, so there was lots of room for my make up when getting ready. Unfortunately I realised shortly after unpacking that I had forgotten my shampoo and conditioner, but a quick call to the reception sorted that out and I was provided with some complimentary miniatures.



We had planned to get a bite to eat before heading out to the show, but unfortunately we had got stuck in traffic on our way to the hotel, which meant that we arrived over an hour later as planned. This resulted in us having no time for an evening meal which was a shame. The menu, although not extensive in size, featured a small range of tasty dishes that included Chicken Tikka Masala, Traditional Beef Lasagne and King Prawn Curry.

Fortunately, we had plenty of time for breakfast in the morning and after a good nights sleep, we enjoyed the Express Start breakfast buffet in the Great Room. There was plenty on offer and we had a fabulous breakfast consisting of both hot cooked items such as scrambled egg, bacon and sausages, as well as pastries and cereal. The coffee machine was fantastic and we both had a lovely cappuccino, in addition to some fresh orange juice. I couldn't believe how much was available to choose from and it made the £51 we had paid for our room seem even better value than we had originally thought.

The staff were constantly busy, making sure all the food items were kept topped up and I noticed that the moment customers left a table, it would get cleared and cleaned immediately ensuring that no guests needed to wait for somewhere to sit. Again the Great Room featured modern furnishings and it was a really nice environment to sit in and enjoy our food.


Check out was incredibly easy and was simply a case of us returning our door key card. The receptionist asked if we had enjoyed our stay and whether there had been any problems. This is always nice to see as it means that the hotel is keen to ensure that guests have had a good stay. Customer satisfaction is important and clearly the Holiday Inn Express recognise this in the service they provide.

If I was to make one negative comment about the hotel, it would be that there is no on-site parking and instead you need to use the NCP multi storey car park a short walk away. We were already aware of this, so it didn't pose a problem for us, but it is worth noting that if you leave the car park you will need to pay each time you park. Rather than paying a set 24 hour fee where you can come and go as you please, you need to pay on each occasion. This therefore may not be ideal if you are planning a stay and intending to visit places in the local area as parking could end up being quite costly. For our visit it cost £8 (usually £16) but hotel guests are entitled to a 50% discount, so just make sure you remember to get your parking ticket validated at reception before leaving.

Whilst my husband and I travelled here as a couple, we will most definitely be returning as a family. I would say that the hotel is family friendly and also offers interconnecting rooms to provide families with plenty of space. They also have a number of rooms that are equipped with a sofa bed should you wish to only book one room and these can sleep up to 4. In addition to this cots are available to hire free of charge. There isn't a children's menu available, however the express menu offers a range of light bite meals and there are also numerous restaurants within walking distance.

Overall we had a wonderful stay and will definitely be staying again in the future. The location is ideal for us when visiting the local theatre and family, but also great for when we are visiting Manchester due to the easy train links from the station nearby. We had a great nights sleep and loved the room size and decor, with our stay being topped off with a wonderful breakfast that was a great way to start our day. We would recommend this hotel and if you would like to find out more about the hotel and the rooms available, then please visit their website here: Holiday Inn Express Stockport

*Disclaimer: Opinions and photographs are my own unless otherwise stated. I would always suggest visiting the hotel's own website to obtain the most up to date information.

Friday 10 March 2017

Our Weekend Break at The Shibden Mill Inn, Yorkshire

I really don't like going away without the kids, so we generally tend not to, unless it's to attend a wedding or business event, and at the most we will only have a couple of nights away a year. However, back in August 2016, I won a competition through Inn Places to win a night away in a beautiful suite, with a three course dinner and breakfast at a lovely hotel in the Shibden Valley, near Halifax. After putting off booking for several months, we finally decided that a night away might be nice for my husbands birthday and so we booked our stay for last Saturday 4th March.

A couple of nights prior to our visit, I did begin to feel anxious about our stay and even thought about cancelling, but my husband convinced me that all would be fine, and so I finally began to relax about it and started to look forward to experiencing some luxury and fine food.

The journey from North Wales to Shibden, took us just over an hour and a half, and it was an easy journey there without too much traffic, on what was a bright and sunny day. The sat nav did send us down a very bumpy cobbled lane as we approached our destination, but we remembered to avoid this when we left the following day.

The location of our weekend break was at the Shibden Mill Inn, which dates back to the 17th century and was formerly a water mill. The inn has retained a lot of its original features and character and these have been cleverly incorporated into the individually designed guest rooms. The Inn is literally a stones throw away from Halifax, taking only a few minutes to reach the city centre, however on arrival you truly feel as though you are in the heart of the countryside and away from the hustle and bustle of city life. It offers both 5 star guest accommodation and a fantastic dining experience, with excellent quality food available from a choice of several different menus dependent on the day and time of your visit.

On arrival we found a parking space and admired the pretty stream that ran alongside it. We saw lots of couples out with their dogs enjoying the sunshine and it seemed a popular place for walkers. We entered into the reception area where we received a very warm and friendly welcome and the gentleman who checked us in, guided us to our room and gave us a quick tour of the inn on the way. He showed us where we could visit the bar, and explained where we would be dining in the evening and the following morning.

As he opened the door to our room, we were extremely impressed by both the size and the decor of the room. We were staying in the Bower Suite which had been tastefully decorated, with a great combination of both traditional and modern furnishings. The bathroom was of a modern appearance with a wonderfully large walk in shower which had both a fixed and handheld shower option. In the main room was a spectacular bath, which has given me serious bath envy and is something I would love to have in my own home.


The bed was huge and looked lovely with its display of pillows and soft furnishings, and in front of this was a large sofa, which was ideal for watching television or simply having a rest. There were tea and coffee making facilities, a large widescreen television on the wall, a dvd player, and a retro look digital radio which supplied lovely background music into the room. In addition to all of these modern conveniences, there was ample storage space in the form of both a wardrobe and two chest of drawers, and the doors located to the rear of the room, opened out onto a lovely outdoor patio area.




Shibden Mill Inn has also thought about the little finishing touches to the room as well, and there were plenty of little extras available that help to make a comfortable stay, such as toiletries and an ample selection of tea, coffee and biscuits. The added addition of some magazines, and information on the Inn, finished the room off nicely, and our first impressions were that the room was both comfortable and luxurious.



We made a reservation for a table for two for 6:30pm, and headed to the bar area for a drink mid afternoon. The bar area seemed very popular and was quite busy when we visited at around 4pm. The seating areas within the bar are very charming, and the wonderful open fires ensured a nice warm atmosphere. The drinks were not overpriced, and after purchasing two drinks and some nuts, we were surprised to have a several pounds change from a ten pound note. After a drink and a chat, we returned to our room to relax for a while before returning to the bar area for dinner.

We were both very much looking forward to our evening meal, and being a social media addict, I suggested that we both left our phones in the room so that we didn't get distracted. This would be the first time in a very long time, where I could enjoy my food hot, without having to help my youngest son Riley with his dinner, and so I couldn't wait for our dining experience.

On arrival in the restaurant, we confirmed our reservation details and we were seated on a table for two in the corner of the main bar area by the extensive display of awards that Shibden Mill Inn have received over the years, This was certainly a very impressive collection of trophies and plates from numerous awarding bodies and they must be very proud to be able to show off these accomplishments to their guests.  My only negative comment here, would be that it was so busy near where we were sat, that my chair got knocked into several times by passing guests, which did get a little frustrating after a while. Therefore if we were to eat here again, we would request a table away from the bar in a quieter location of the dining area.

This minor annoyance was soon forgotten however, once we viewed the menu, and saw the wonderful array of dishes that were on offer. The waiter came and took our drinks and food order promptly and politely, then he also provided me with some information on the choice of wines available. He was happy to answer any questions that we had regarding the dishes, and seemed very knowledgeable of the menu. Both our drinks and starters arrived very quickly, and we both tucked in to our starters of Chicken Liver Pate with potato bread, roasted chicken skin butter & rhubarb gel. This came beautiful presented with the bread in the form of a mini loaf that you could cut to your size requirements. The pate came in a lidded jar with the rhubarb gel set on the top. This was the perfect sized starter portion and was absolutely delicious.

Once our plates were collected there was a suitable waiting period between courses and so it was nice to be able to have a chat together over a drink whilst waiting for our mains. My husband had chosen the Waterford Farm 6oz Fillet that came accompanied by a meat and potato pie, grilled kidney, and onion gravy. He also purchased a side order of dripping fat chips. I opted for the Beer Battered Scottish Haddock, with dripping fat chips, mushy pea ketchup, tartar sauce, and lemon. I realise that this may sound like a boring option given the amazing selection of choice on offer, however I had read a review a few days prior that had recommended this dish, and being a huge fan of comfort food, I was very keen to try it out.

Neither of us were disappointed, and as our main courses arrived, both our eyes lit up with delight at both the portion quantity and the lovely display of food on offer. My husbands fillet was cooked to perfection and he stated that it was one of the nicest meals he had had in a very long time. My fish was also delicious, and the mushy pea ketchup accompaniment was a treat when combined with both the fish and the dripping fat chips.

I somehow managed to finish my huge portion, and so politely declined the option of dessert. My husband was not going to miss out on sampling what was available however and so he ordered the Sticky Toffee Pudding with stout and toffee sauce, and salted caramel ice cream. This was the perfect end to our three course meal, and we both thoroughly enjoyed the menu choices we had made. Sadly I have no pictures of the food due to not taking my phone to dinner.

The following morning, breakfast was just as delicious, with an ample selection of continental offerings, and the ability to order a cooked option too. We both opted for the full Yorkshire breakfast, which was both tasty and filling, and the sausage and bacon were cooked just how I like them. The waitress service was very friendly, and she frequently came back to the table to ask whether we would like any tea, coffee or toast.

Unfortunately, our little weekend break had to come to an end, but we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and the wonderful meal that we were provided with. As I mentioned previously this was a competition win, however had we paid for our stay it would have cost £262 (including drinks we had ordered at the bar) which I actually feel offers incredible value for money for the accommodation and standard of food we were provided with. Our accommodation was in the Bower Suite which is the most expensive of the rooms, however all the rooms are beautifully decorated and can be viewed on their website here: Shibden Mill Inn

If you are thinking of staying at The Shibden Mill Inn, then here are some tips:

* Check in is from 2pm, which is quite early compared to some other establishments. Therefore take advantage of this early check in time to make the most of your stay.
* If dining in the evening, request a table away from the main bar area.
* Check the website prior to visiting to see their latest dining offers and the menus that will be available during your stay.
* Visit the website and select "Latest Offers" to view some great deals on packaged stays, or stays for longer periods, to get the best value for money.

Overall, we had a fantastic stay, and definitely hope to return again in the future as a family.