Holiday Inn Express Bath by IHG

On arrival we were immediately confronted with increased parking charges which we were totally unaware of.

Prior to booking we checked into all hotels in Bath and decided on holiday inn express as their onsite parking charge was £15 per day for guests reduced down from £50 per day for non guests.

The receptionist though very lovely in her maner clearly didnt understand how this may feel to the customer, she said it had increased to £80, but staying guests had a reduced rate of £50. It had increased from 1st March!

I said that the website said £15, she didnt remark on that, and said that we had 45 mins free parking to decide what i wanted to do, and said if i wanted to go ahead with the £50 daily fee, she pointed at a code on the room ticket she gave with the room access card, which was very nice of her 😆

Obviously very annoying, thats over 200% increase, without any notice from the hotel of the charge increase ahead of the visit, as its quite sufficient!

I had to organise just park and obtained a parking space for £10 for 24 hour parking.

It was 5-10 from the hotel, 20 mins walking, so we used a Uber to return to the car the next day for £8.

This added to the overall stress of the stay and could have been avoided if the hotel had honored the original charge as it was not notified prior to our stay, so a complete surprise.

Holiday Inn is 23 mins walk from the main part of Bath, so if you are looking to stay in Bath, i would avoid staying there.

Whilst we were their the Hilton Double tree was slighly more expensive for a room, but we checked the parking and they offered 24hours for £18.99 which is really good for central location in Bath.

Additionally our room at the holiday inn was dusty and our bed was very uncomfortable, we found a pair of trainners in our room which showed the room wasnt cleaned particularly well.

The shower pressure came on and off too (hot and cold) which really added to the total experience too.

When booking out of the room, i was asked about our stay and i told the receptionist my comments, she offerred me a free bottle of 500ml drink for my inconvenience, which i gave to me daughter and left.

I won't be staying here again and for good reasons, i would check out the Hilton for any future visits as i feel that would be a much better choice based upon my experience.

Avoid! This hotel has recently increased parking charges from £17.50 to £50 per day as of 1 March. Totally unreasonable increase of 186% - yes, that’s 186%! Our four night stay would have increased by £200!!!! This pricing is excessive, unjustified, and frankly out of touch with reality. It is especially indefensible given that the car park is sitting largely empty. Rather than generating revenue, this decision is clearly driving guests away—many are choosing to park elsewhere and walk, simply to avoid what feels like an exploitative fee. During check-in, it was clear this is not an isolated concern. Every guest present voiced complaints about the cost. The only individual who accepted the charge did so because their company was covering the expense—not because they felt it was reasonable. That speaks volumes. This policy disproportionately disadvantages leisure and tourist guests, who are far less likely to have parking subsidised. It creates a two-tier experience where business travellers may tolerate the fee, but ordinary guests are effectively penalised. Charging £50 per day for parking sends a very clear message to guests, and it is not a positive one. It undermines the value of staying at your hotel and creates immediate dissatisfaction before guests have even checked in. If additional revenue is required, there are far more reasonable approaches than imposing a punitive parking charge that deters usage entirely. For example, reconsidering optional extras—such as complimentary breakfast—would be far less damaging than alienating guests with such an aggressive pricing policy. As it stands, this decision reflects poorly on your management and risks long-term damage to your reputation. Very sadly, it absolutely prevents me from ever returning or referring friends and family as I regularly do. I strongly urge you to review and reverse this pricing as a matter of urgency

Holiday Inn Express is at the budget end of the hotel market, comparable to brands such as Travelodge and Premier Inn. From this end of the hospitality industry, my expectations are fairly simple: reasonably priced rooms, clean and tidy accommodation that isn’t overly tired, on-site disabled parking, friendly staff, and the option of a reasonably priced cooked breakfast. With that in mind, here is my experience.

Booking:
Booking through the IHG website was straightforward. We paid £226 for three nights, which works out at just over £75 per night for a standard double room. Bath is a high-demand tourist destination and can be expensive, even out of season, which this was (the week before the Easter holidays).

Compared to similar hotels in the area, this was around £20 per night cheaper and had on-site parking, which ultimately influenced our decision. However, I missed the parking cost at the time of booking. Had I seen it, I would not have booked this hotel.

Arrival:
The hotel was easy to find using sat nav and is clearly visible from Lower Bristol Road, located next to a cemetery. The surrounding area appears to be a former industrial area currently undergoing regeneration, with a lot of construction work ongoing. It’s not the picturesque setting you might expect when staying in Bath, but it didn’t feel unsafe—just a little run down.
The hotel is around a 20-minute walk from the historic centre and sits on the opposite side of the river to most attractions. There is an Indian restaurant opposite, but most independent eateries are a 15–20 minute walk along a main road and across a busy junction.

First Impressions & Parking:
The building itself is modern and functional, if a little lacking in character. There is a reasonable amount of parking, but it is not exclusive to hotel guests and is not sufficient for all rooms. There are six disabled bays directly outside the entrance, although we observed these being misused (e.g. by delivery vehicles).

Parking is not owned by the hotel. Standard pricing is £75 per 24 hours, reduced to £50 per 24 hours for hotel guests. You can pay for 24 hours and leave and return within that period, but if the car park is full on your return, there is no guarantee of a space despite having paid. Thankfully during our stay it was seldom to capacity.

There is no additional reduction for Blue Badge holders, regardless of mobility needs. This added £150 to our stay, effectively increasing the room rate from £75 per night to £125 per night in a budget hotel, out of season.

While this information is technically on the website, it is easy to miss. In our case, we didn’t see it.

As my husband is a wheelchair user, alternative parking options were not practical. Using cheaper parking elsewhere would have required repeated drop-offs and collections, managing a wheelchair and luggage over distance, and raising concerns about vehicle security.

To add to the frustration, Bath allows Blue Badge holders to park free in many on-street locations, which makes the hotel’s parking charges feel excessive.

Payment was also inconvenient. The machine inside the hotel only allows payment for one day at a time. There is an app, but it did not accept the hotel discount code when we tried to use it. We felt forced into taking the car out because the alternative meant a day of clock watching to ensure we returned to the hotel to renew the parking.

Staff:
The staff were excellent throughout—friendly, professional, and helpful. On arrival, we were greeted promptly and asked whether we needed one or two keys. Although upon booking there were no accessible rooms available, the receptionist acknowledged my husband’s wheelchair use and ensured we were comfortable with the standard room.

Bar and breakfast staff were equally polite and attentive, and the hotel appeared well staffed throughout our stay.

Room:
We stayed in Room 148 on the first floor, overlooking the entrance. The room included tea and coffee facilities, a television, a small desk suitable for a laptop, and sockets (including USB) on both sides of the bed.
There was a small sofa (likely a sofa bed suitable for one small child), an iron, ironing board, hairdryer, one suitcase stand, and hanging space for approximately six items.

The ensuite included a shower, toilet, and sink, with basic toiletries and dual-voltage shaver sockets. The shower pressure was moderate—not weak, but not particularly powerful—and the temperature was adequate, though not very hot.

The room was clean and reasonably well maintained, with expected minor wear and tear. Housekeeping attended daily. There was also sufficient space to accommodate a wheelchair comfortably.

The bathroom tended to feel quite cold, particularly when stepping out of the shower.

Bed:
The bedding was clean and fresh. The mattress was firm but comfortable, possibly with a topper. Pillows were also quite firm and not entirely to my preference, but still adequate for a good night’s sleep.

Room temperature could be adjusted, although mornings felt noticeably cool once out of bed.

Communal Areas:
The hotel was clean, quiet, and well maintained. Corridors were well lit and clutter-free. The recessed doorways were particularly helpful, as housekeeping trolleys could be moved into alcoves, allowing wheelchair access along the corridor during morning room maintenance.

Breakfast & Restaurant:
Breakfast is included and runs from 6:30am to 9:30am on weekdays. The buffet included croissants, toast, cereals, yogurt, fruit, and a basic full English breakfast, along with tea, coffee, and juices.

While not the widest selection, it was perfectly acceptable for a budget hotel—especially given it is included in the room rate.
The bar area also offers light snacks in the evening (e.g. pizza and toasties), and the space itself is bright, clean, and comfortable.

Lifts:
There is one lift and stair access. The lift accommodates around three to four people, or one wheelchair with one or two others. The doors close quite quickly, which may be difficult when reversing a wheelchair out.

Overall:
This hotel meets expectations in many areas for a budget chain: clean rooms, friendly staff, and a decent included breakfast.
However, the parking situation significantly undermines the value, particularly for disabled guests. If you do not require parking, it represents good value for Bath. If you do, especially with accessibility needs, this should be carefully considered before booking.

We've stayed at this hotel many times, due to its location, great staff, good breakfast and cleanliness. However, this may well be our last visit due to the unbelievable parking increase. How can the parking be £50 per 24 hours when parking within the centre of Bath is actually cheaper. Sadly, to get parked at a better rate, you'll need to do your research, drop off your luggage, park your car and walk back. I feel very sorry for the staff, who had to continually deal with upset customers over the parking cost.

This hotel is now charging £50 per night for car parking. This is probably the most I have seen for car parking in a hotel. The hotel itself is fine, but the additional cost of parking make it a non-starter

I use hotel a lot and normally arrive without car, this can be a blessing as it is on smaller side and fills up easily. However recently arrived by car to find price gone up from £17 to £50. I thought staff were having a joke at first, but at least staff felt embarrassed by this cost which went up on 1 March. There is no decent local parking so it’s pay up or walk further away! As to rest hotel much same, good location, and view not an issue (it’s a city hotel after all) average breakfast but for business trip it’s not a problem. That being said I’ll look at other options if coming by car, the parking cost will add at least a third into the price so be warned.

Great hotel. Not normally a lover of Holiday Inns but this must be the exception. Brilliant hotel. Very affordable & superb location.

No fridge in room and car park is 50£ per day and on following day 17.50£ curtains in rooms have signs on food water in shower very cold reception staff not really interested in helping just one towel for three guests shower floors are dirty and only one door for the toilet and shower. Absolutely not recommending this hotel.

The hotel itself was good, however I had a hygiene concern at breakfast. On the first morning, I found a long hair in the scrambled eggs. I didn’t raise it initially as I assumed it was a one-off.

Unfortunately, the same issue occurred again the next morning, which was very off-putting. I reported it to a waiter, who said he would pass it to the manager, but I didn’t receive any follow-up. I also suggested introducing hair nets or tighter controls in the kitchen to prevent a repeat.

Where do I start from the moment we arrived Tracey is so welcoming and cares smiling and attentive!but most of all committed to her job and she goes beyond guest service! ❣️and no matter what you askit is never a issue to her she really is going places i so hope the management recognises her talent!
Also a massive mention to Lindita she has been here for such a long time and she really cares about guests wether be looking out if a guest needs help with luggage or a guest has a issue she is always polite and cares i can see through her great abilities and I know and believe she should be recognised more for her great guest service! ❣️
Also to Jonny and Joe great guys with great customer service nothing is too much for them going out the way to make you feel welcome ! I can see they are a inspiration the way they interact with guests!
And not forgetting the other lovely staff like Jess on reception even when you call on reception on the phone so polite and has time for guests and even assisting guests wether be directions to a place or recommendation for a restaurant the way she comes accross is so professional!❣️
Or like in November 2025 when i was here i saw one of the lovely reception girls saw a elderly man outside struggling with hes luggage and with no hesitation went out to help him she acted efficiently!
This is one of the best holiday inn express i have stayed in apart from Holiday Inn Express Exeter Guardian way which is now second best!
I can tell you no guests would be ever disappointed here at the Holiday Inn Express Bath just the atmosphere and staff are amazing! ❣️❤️
One tiny thing be good if there was a microwave for guest use like there use to be only a recommendation

Disappointing! An overnight evacuation wasn't handled well, we had a note pushed through the door afterwards but none of us were notified at the time which is concerning. The staff on duty in the morning were unable to explain why this was. My partner will be in touch with IHG.

For the rest of our stay there was no hot water as the issue causing the evacuation was repaired. I would also say that the corridors need a good clean and that breakfast standards need revisiting. The place just feels uncared for.

Downstairs is open, airy, nice. Carpets are a little worn in hallways, lift could sound better. Rooms are standard fair, nothing special but clean enough and no issues.

Positives

Location, easy walk to city centre
Staff, ever so friendly and helpful

Negatives

The car parking. It is atrocious and is an extra cost. Ridiculous.

The breakfast buffet is poor. Bacon is inedible, tastes like its been recooked feom yesterday, and the area is small and not a lot of choice to be had and to be advised its first come first served is not ideal.

We had a gas leak during our stay, resulting in no hot water for over 24hrs. We were offered a different hotel (with parking issues and it being last night, late at night We declined) instead we were given full compensation for the last night's stay, I was glad the hotel offered us those options without us having to argue for it.

I do question why hot breakfast food was served that morning with no hot water available. And our further issues were with the noise the contractors were making from 1 till 4am that morning, but I assumed that was through trying to set up to get hot water back for the rooms.

Location is a 15 minute walk into the city centre with limited parking.
I cannot comment any further as on seeing the room we had to leave.
Having booked a room for a family of four we found a double bed and a small sofa bed - not suitable for two teenagers.
The booking asks for the ages of children and you would think there would be some safeguarding round the facilities provided.
We had intended staying New years Eve and New Year’s Day but managed to find an alternative city centre hotel.
The Holiday Inn could offer no alternatives or recompense siting its a holiday inn express - so I guess that means you’ll be crammed into a room. No matter the size of your party.
Next year will be back in a more reputable hotel - thanks for ruining our New Years!

Great value stay. Tasty buffet breakfast included. Very friendly and helpful staff. Functional clean rooms with excellent shower. Quiet and dark.
Easy access to town. Would recommend.

Location: honestly, not ideal. Whilst there are transport links to the Uni and city centre, it feels in middle of nowhere tbh.
Atmosphere: in a word, grim / dank.
Room/ cleanliness: Room was OK but the curtain smelt like urine. also the toilet wasnt properly cleaned when I checked in and had brown liquid on the toilet seat which looked like human waste (fortunately I carry dettol and alcohol gel when travelling in uk). apart from that, the beds were very clean, as were the floors and shower area.
Value: waste of money if I am honest. I chose this option as it costed me £170 a night due to xmas market season, which was less than travelodge, premier inn, hampton and doubletree but in hindsight all those other hotels were £30 a night more and were more central and have better amenities. Whilst I chose holiday inn as it has onsight parking, reality is the onsite parking is not that great and have been told that the non-hotel carparks in bath are actually similar distance as the onsite one for holiday inn.

In terms of non-peak holiday season prices, it is £10-£20 a night less than more upmarket rivals.

Noise: very good
service: staff were friendly and courteous.

AMenities: their breakfast menu honestly needs a massive revamp as it was appauling, even by budget hotel standards. the only edible thing I could have there was apple juice and croissant, as well as milk, otherwise the warm food items were rubbish (and no veggie / vegan options save for baked beans (and an appauling scrambled egg for veggies). apart from that, the amenities were good.

Overall- I would not recommend going to this hotel ever again and am exploring other hotels in Bath for future stays. Based on the experiences classmates have said, Hampton seems like a far better value proposition and doubltree is £22 a night more but has far more breakfast options, free cookies and water and both hotels are more centrally located / much closer to uni as well.

Ludicrous car parking arrangements and rude staff. When I left a review about such poor service the manager, Marlene, suggested I'd be happier elsewhere in future. In a long life on travelling this is the absolutely worst customer service ever. Avoid this hotel unless your happy with rude staff and a dismissive and rude manager.

I haven't even got as far as the room, but the parking here is a huge issue. You can pay for 24 hours, but if you move your car there is no guarantee that you can park when you return. Its a tiny car park and people are just driving around in vain hope. The hotel website says parking is available, but it's not really true. I don't recommend it AT ALL. 😡

Location: Good location
Staff: Friendly and helpful personnel ++
Facilities: Ok
Cleanliness: Room not the cleanest, - dog friendly, evidence left by previous guests!
Food: God-awful breakfast, poor food quality generally

We had a 1 night stay here in November 2025. In terms of location it is about a 5 min drive, 30 min walk from City centre. Its on a main road and had quite a large car park to use, however this is chargable. View from the hotel are pretty bland, with a graveyard, field or main road depending on where in the hotel you are.

The room is a decent size but is a little aged in places. The beds are large, quite comfortable with tea/coffee facilities and small table to use as a desk. The bathroom is quite basic. The shower needed a bit of an upgrade, with a smaller shower head and the water pressure did keep dropping which was not very good. The TV has an unusual irk, with regular pop ups with advertising, each time you have to press back/cancel to dismiss them. This happens every 5-10 mins.

Another main problem is the fact there is only 1 small lift. Not sufficient for a large hotel of 4 floors, I would imagine this can get very problematic at busy periods.

The breakfast was unfortunately very poor. 2 main issues; firstly the main dining area is of an insufficient size for a hotel of this size. It can get very busy, with lots of tables squeezed together to accomodate for larger numbers, barely space to move between some of them, particularly if you have a requirement for more space such as for children/wheelchairs. The food itself was the second qualm; very basic with few options. The cooked breakfast options were very low quality, with basic breads, croissants, muffins, fruit and yoghurt, with large queues due to having only one coffee machine.

All in all, would have to say this was a poor stay and a basic quality hotel with significant improvements needed in its management and attention to detail. A cost of £120 per night for us did not really justify the price.

Terrible, hotel was dated with peeling wall paper and was unclean. The breakfast was awful, the eggs was burnt and cold. We paid extra for a family room to find all room are the same size so it was very small. It was not cheap. This made the room hot, we could not lower the temperature it was like sleeping in an oven. We could open the window slightly but were above the entrance were people smoked and it was noisy. Sound proofing was awful and the bathroom smelt. No fridge in the room and no where to put anything. The parking is not reserved just for the hotel so you can pay for the full stay to find no spaces available. I paid a premium for the room would not recommend. One good thing was the staff they were polite and helpful. They were apologetic but the hotel was fully booked so not much the could do.