Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
We were not planning to go away for Christmas or New Year so we treated ourselves to a festive fine wine dinner at the Wine Society in Stevenage.
To avoid driving home to London, in the dark, after dining and drinking, we decided to stay overnight at a nearby hotel.
Holiday Inn Express
We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express.
Street Parking
We had to pay for parking in the machine outside in the street because we arrived before 8 pm, and then get up before eight to buy parking by the hour next morning.
Other visitors to the wine dinner also did not want to drive home late at night after drinking. One had a taxi taking the return journey from another city. Her driver went off to eat while she had her dinner.
Choice Of Hotels
Others stayed at the Holiday Inn, not the Holiday Inn Express.
Another hotel chain, Premier Inn Stevenage Central offered free parking. Though they were paying more for the room. Premier Inn has a second hotel further away called Premier Inn Stevenage North.
Price of Holiday Inn Express
Our hotel, just under 80 for two including two breakfasts.
We got a better rate from booking.com because we are long time users of their service.
The Bedroom & Bathroom
We had twin beds. A pleasant little room.
The bedroom had a shower room with an ingenious door which closed over the toilet alcove so one person could use the toilet in visual privacy while the other used the shower or wash basin.
Toiletries available
The basin and shower had wall dispensers of Dove brand hand wash, body wash, and shampoo.
A sign said you could ask reception for various items. You can ask for toothbrush and paste, a comb, a teeny sewing kit, or other items. The face towel offered was not available.
No shower cap. However, the hairdryer dried my hair after my shower. Our room also had portable convector heater. With that and the hair dryer I was able to dry some washed under clothing.
Breakfast
Breakfast was a buffet with cereals, Muesli Alpen in sachets, Weetabix. Pots of porridge in pots like yogurt pots. Yogurt in a big bowl.
On to cooked food. Scrambled egg, beans, sausage, bacon, cooked tomato, hash brown potato.
To finish, coffee and something sweet. A multi-dispensing coffee and hot chocolate machine.
Small chocolate muffins, and blueberry muffins. Ok croissants, not as good as Tesco's, but OK. And the novelty of a pancake making machine producing small thick pancakes.
They have high chairs for kids.
Heinz ketchup on the table.
So as not to have to rush breakfast, we paid for 3 hours parking in the morning. But If you are in a hurry to leave, with Express hotel you pay in advance, so you can drive off quickly in an hour if you are keen to leave early next morning.
I was encouraged to a sign near reception about joining their hotel loyalty scheme. I signed up for the group membership, too late to get a hotel discount, since we had already paid in advance, but we got the option of late checkout.
Useful Websites
https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/gb/en/stevenage/xvjuk/hoteldetail
https://www.laterooms.com/hotel-brands/holiday-inn-express/
https://www.booking.com/city/gb/stevenage.htm
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