Holiday Inn Express Londonderry

What is your IHG One Rewards status? Platinum

Were you happy with the hotel/stay? yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Standard double, it's a HIX so no upgrade

How are the rooms?
While it's been open 5-6 years i guess, i was given a "brand new" renovated room on the 4th floor - all Plats and higher get that; They've only been available for the last few weeks. Not all rooms are completed, and other floors will be done eventually. Compared to other HIX i like it. There's a good amount of space (for an HIX), modern furnishings. A small desk and a long ledge under the TV for general guest crap and the kettle for Tea/Coffee. Small open hanging space and case stand almost big enough for a standard roller case.

What was your welcome gift? None

What was good and what was bad?
Good
clean, new, good condition
Plenty of power sockets, including USB-A and USB-C
Dove Toiletries
space in the room.
heated mirror in the bathroom.
DM was friendly and remembered me from a busy checkin a few hours later.
good strong Air Con. Though, not sure it was necessary to be set to Iceberg when it was only 15C outside.
Wifi 25Mb Down, 5Mb Up.
Breakfast. I wasn't looking forwards to it following previous HIX experiences, but comparatively it was quite good.

Bad
Storage space for general stuff is quite limited.
I used all the hangers. Both of them.
Advertised as having parking, but it's in a shopping centre across the road and the hotel has a slightly beneficial rate-£2 off if reception validates the ticket and you pay in the car park itself. And it's closed from 9pm to 7am, i found out after i parked there.
Although a comparatively new building, a maze of doors and corridors.
Wasn't recognised as a Plat so asked for the drink voucher. The System hadn't flagged it, but was assigned a room on a plat only floor and a semi-personalised note on the bed. The DM reported it had happened multiple times that day already.
The view

Value for $ or One Rewards Points? Would you return?
£86/night, walk in rate shown as £220! Not the cheapest for a HIX but not the most i've paid and others in the city are more expensive. Presuming i could get a renovated room in the future, would return again.




The view