Holiday Inn Express Swindon City Centre by IHG

Reviews

• AJ

  abigail jones

  1 day ago
  1.0
  I stayed here a few years ago and happy to give five stars. This visit was very different. The biggest issue was that in the morning, all the lifts were out of order. There were no signs and no one manning reception to talk to. We were on the sixth floor, with a 3 year old, a 6 year old, disabilities and heavy luggage. When we asked the staff serving breakfast, they said this happens often and the engineer was so far away they would take hours to even arrive. It honestly ruined what was the start of a long holiday for us, as the effects of climbing to and from the sixth floor whilst disabled has already taken effect, I would never recommend this hotel for families or anyone with disabilities which unfortunately our party had both. I also feel really sorry for the staff working in these conditions, IHG has let them down too. Seems minor now, but we booked a family room for a family of four and was disappointed to see just two cups to share between all of us with no efforts made to cater for all of us, as the kids enjoy a drink too!
• RC

  Rachael Carter

  Aug 16, 2026
  3.0
  Here's the good stuff first: The location was convenient for what we needed, but the area itself is dirty and run-down, and I'm not exaggerating when I say it's full of unfortunate souls, so only come if you have a specific purpose and not a holiday. The staff that checked us in were pleasant. The place, from the communal areas to the rooms, was clean and functional. The breakfast was good quality with plenty of options. Now for the bad part: there is one lift for the whole hotel, which meant you waited a long time. The worst part, and probably what will prevent us from returning, is that we couldn't open our window, and the aircon was loud. Swindon air is not the best, but sleeping in a room with no ventilation has to be one of the worst things. Had we known upon entering the room, we would have spoken to someone, but by the time we wanted to open the window for some air, it was late at night, and it wouldn't have been fair to the other guests if we made a fuss then. As a result, my husband and I woke up with a sore throat and not much sleep. We tried to tell someone at the desk when leaving, but no one was there.
• XW

  xinyue wang

  Aug 12, 2026
  2.0
  I booked a family room and the sofa bed was not ready. When I tried to open it, I found that the sofa bed was broken.We were moved to a second room which was also broken and ended up on the top floor which was very hot and the air conditioning didn't work and ended up having to borrow a fan to sleep.The toilet in the bathroom is hard to flush.There are only about five or six parking spaces, which are shared with other hotels, but there is another outdoor parking about two minutes walk away.Breakfast was very limited and don't have enough fork, I had to share a fork with my child.The waiting time for the elevator is very long. The only good thing was the attitude of the front desk staff, who were always there to help with problems.
• RB

  Rizal B

  Aug 12, 2026
  3.0
  It delivers clean beds and a central spot for a cheap price, but strips away standard room comforts like desks, kettles, and quiet soundproofing. Placed right in the urban hub, though parts of the immediate street approach feel gritty or awkward at night. Rooms is clean, compact rooms feature beds and decent showers. My bed is leaning to head when sleeping, so my feet is above my head when sleeping. Couldnt sleep well. Thin walls and slamming hallway doors mean light sleepers will hear everything. Air conditioning units can run loud and storage space is almost nonexistent for more than one bag. Front desk teams are widely noted as helpful, welcoming, and relaxed. But lift is only ONE available, made me annoyed waiting for so long to go up and down. A simple breakfast, surprisingly satisfying continental or make-your-own setup is included or cheap, which saves morning hassle. Fair pricing for a single crash-pad night, but poor value if you expect standard services.
• LM

  Lisa Mckenne

  Aug 5, 2026
  1.0
  We had a very disappointing experience in the restaurant and unfortunately would not recommend it. The lady who checked us in was also responsible for cooking all of the meals. She was lovely, friendly and did her best, but it was clear she had been left in a very difficult position. Having to manage reception while cooking for our party of five meant the meals came out one at a time, with up to 30 minutes between each dish, so we were unable to eat together. We were also told there were no burger buns available for the two burger meals, so they were served without buns. The final meal, a lasagne, arrived cold in the middle and was clearly not cooked properly. When we returned to our room, we found the air conditioning wasn’t working. There was no telephone in the room to contact reception, making it difficult to report the issue. Breakfast the following morning was equally disappointing. The hash browns were undercooked, while the bacon was overcooked and very hard. Overall, the staff member we dealt with was pleasant and tried her best, but she appeared to be understaffed and unsupported. Sadly, because of our overall experience, we would not return.