Holiday Inn Express Canterbury

We stayed there on a recent trip to Canterbury, its a bit outside the city, it will cost you between 12.00 and 16.00 pounds sterling to and from the city each way. Please note it will cost more on the return trip due to the fact you have to go a couple of miles extra to turn. The Hotel is clean and tidy, with a reasonable breakfast selection, please note this is a travel lodge style hotel, small rooms with the basics.

OK this is not a five star hotel in the ultimate sense but the staff here deserve commendation for the friendly efficient way they run it. They obviously take pride in their work and it makes a difference. My wife and I stayed here for a couple of days while I was attending a seminar in Canterbury and when I first drove by I was a little disappointed at the appearance from the main road but in the event it was better than it's initial impression. I think it would be ideal for a family needing overnight accommodation before catching a channel crossing.

Not a full service hotel, but a good place to stop if you are heading to or from the channel crossings. Clean, all the facilities you really need, free wi-fi, comfortable bed - although some of the doubles are a bit narrow. Clean and welcoming, our room was surprisingly quiet, considering how close it was to a main trunk route carrying a lot of HGVs.

Staff helpful and polite. Rooms cleaned and furnished to a good standard. The evening meals on the 2 evenings we dined in were of a very good standard. WIFI perfectly adequate. Being close to a very busy main road, on warm nights with the window open ear plugs are advisable (at least in the room we had). A long walk to the pub in Harbledown.

If there is one thing I want from a hotel it's a good nights sleep. Unfortunately I didn't get that here. Party walls are paper thin and there is no acoustic separation from the corridor. Any noise you make in your room will be heard next door and you will hear every noise from the corridor. All doors appear to be fitted with extra strong springs as well. If you are lucky and guests are respectful you may have a good stay but we were not lucky - we had a group of lads on the floor that used the room next to us as their meeting place. We did complain to reception and they did try and get them to be more respectful but it didn't work, they just carried on until they were done. Great cheap beds for groups of lads on a budget but anyone wanting a good nights sleep should avoid. I have seen other reviews mention noise from the main road, which there is (what with the paper walls), but it's not that bad, it's the other guests that are the problem.

We stayed 3 nights here and had a great time. The room was superb, staff were so friendly and helpful, the breakfast was everything you could ask for and the evening meal was delicious. All in all a good few days.

The Holiday Inn Express Canterbury is located at the Boughton Bypass services on the A2 between Upper Harbledown and Dunkirk. We stayed there recently as we were attending the nearby New Day Festival at Mount Ephraim Gardens. Our room was quite small but perfectly functional and spotlessly clean. There was no air con in our room, but a floor fan served as an adequate substitute during our stay. Our bathroom had a roomy shower but no bath, room service was excellent, the staff were helpful and everyone there was very friendly. The buffet breakfast was perhaps a touch limited, but it's pretty decent, well presented and very tasty. The hotel is situated next to a 24 hour petrol station with a small supermarket attached and the road noise from the nearby A2 was not too bad at all. Our stay was very pleasant, entirely trouble free, and I would happily stay there again. It's a perfectly decent example of the Holiday Inn Express chain: well managed, efficiently run, and absolutely perfect for business travellers and short stays.

Stayed here as attended a wedding near by. Was at first disappointed by it being attached to the services but the roas noise wasnt too bad. it is very clean staff are friendly/ helpful. We stayed in a room on the second floor contained a double bed and a sofa bed. The room was OK for 2 people but would have been squashy if there was more than 2. There is no lift to get to second floor and no bath just a shower. Tea/ coffee supplies in rooms and a fan. Breakfast is included good variety and take out option too. The only negative about breakfast is plate size it's tiny!!! Like a side plate. They do serve dinner but we didn't have dinner as went into town which was about 5 - 10 minutes drive. Vending machine in lobby. Towels and bedding changed daily.

Lovely place! We stayed with our two small children it was very clean staff were all smiley and helpful breakfast was lovely and we will be returning next time we visit the area! We stayed in the same room as our little ones and we had plenty of space.