A Lovely Weekend at Holiday Inn Express Cheltenham

Disclosure: We were invited on this break for the purpose of this review however all opinions are my own.

At the weekend we were invited to stay at Holiday Inn Express Cheltenham. I hadn’t been to Cheltenham before and couldn’t wait to have some time out and get to know somewhere new.

Where is the Holiday Inn Express Cheltenhem?

The Holiday Inn Express Cheltenham is right in the heart of Cheltenham, a short stroll to the High Street and with an NCP car park right next door. It’s a great location for exploring all that Cheltenham has to offer.

Staying at Holiday Inn Express Cheltenham

When we arrived at the hotel the first thing we saw was the mural of a woman, reminiscent of Amy Winehouse, on the front of the building and loved it instantly! It made the hotel stand out and look like somewhere fun and inviting. We later found out that this was part of the Cheltenham Public Art Trail – along with murals in the hotel courtyard and all across Cheltenham.

Our room wasn’t quite ready when we turned up but the staff couldn’t have been more helpful. They took our bags for us and offered a phone call when the room was ready – which we declined as we’d planned to go and shop for a few hours anyway!

When we came back to the hotel later in the day the room was ready for us – and we were so pleased with it! On the ground floor, it was away from the main communal areas of the hotel, making it lovely and quiet during the day and overnight.

The room was a great size, with plenty of storage space and with plug sockets everywhere – including by the bed, an air con and free wifi. There were also complimentary tea and coffee making facilities and the hotel had left some drinks and snacks for us – showcasing the great range available at the hotel’s Express Bar.

The bathroom was compact but really modern, clean and functional. It had a huge walk in shower, plenty of towels and complimentary toiletries. It was perfect for our needs.

The Holiday Inn Express Cheltenham facilities

On site at the hotel there’s a really welcoming reception and the Express Bar, which is open 24/7 for hotel guests, surrounded by a lot of seating areas and places to relax, work or enjoy a drink, including a really nice courtyard area outside.

The whole ground floor is such a fun, vibrant place to spend time and is also home to the dining area where breakfast is served in the morning. All stays at the Holiday Inn Express Cheltenham include a complimentary breakfast buffet.

Traveller perks when staying at Holiday Inn Express Cheltenham

As well as the onsite facilities, guests at Holiday Inn Express Cheltenham also get free access to the Everlast gym, just a stone’s throw from the hotel. Everlast was easy to find and we mainly went to use the pool although we also had full use of the gym facilities if we wanted too.

We were able to take our hotel towels with us and there were free lockers – but you have to take your own padlock for them. Everlast had the nicest gym/pool changing rooms I have seen in a long time. Super clean and incredibly spacious.

We planned our trip to the pool really badly as it coincided with family swim times which included children’s swimming lessons. But, these were restricted to just small corners of the pool and we were still able to swim freely and make use of the sauna – although the steam room was out of action during our visit. There were also a handful of loungers to relax on.

As well as access to Everlast, Holiday Inn Express Cheltenham guests also get 25% off many of the bars, restaurants and attractions in The Brewery Quarter in Cheltenham which is opposite the hotel and 25% off the NCP parking charges too.

Spending time in Cheltenham

During our time in Cheltenham we did a lot of shopping. The High Street is so close to the hotel and from there we found so many shops for all budgets, tastes and interests as well as the shopping centre that is home to the famous Wishing Fish Clock – although we didn’t time it right to see it blowing bubbles this time!

We also had dinner at Brewhouse & Kitchen opposite the hotel and instantly loved The Brewery Quarter. It’s such a lovely place to spend time, both during the day and in the evening, with a really eclectic mix of restaurants, bars and entertainment venues – like Mr Mulligans Golf, Escape Hunt and Flight Club darts.

During our time exploring Cheltenham we saw many more murals from the Cheltenham Art Trail and absolutely loved them. They turn blank spaces into so much more and give people something to look at, admire and talk about. We loved seeing the artworks.

Our meal at Brewhouse & Kitchen couldn’t have been better. It’s such a great venue, with so much to look at, board games to borrow and a real mix of people. They brew their own beer on site and have over 70 types available, with free tasters too.

But, they also have cocktails, wine and spirits – along with mocktails and soft drinks – so there are drink options for everyone. We had four different cocktails during our evening and they were all delicious!

The menu wasn’t huge but had something for all tastes, with enough veggie and vegan options. We went for the Brewers’ mac & cheese with spicy BBQ shiitake mushrooms, the Buddha bowl with chicken breast and a poached egg, and Halloumi fries to share.

The Buddha bowl was such a substantial meal. I hadn’t realised quite how much there was to it until it arrived but all the components worked so well together. There was falafel, hummus, butternut squash, roasted red peppers, pico de gallo, red cabbage slaw and sun-blushed tomatoes as well as the chicken and egg I’d added. It was incredible – and very nearly beat me but I was determined to eat it all!

The mac & cheese was a smaller potion size but rich and creamy. It came with garlic focaccia and was really filling despite appearances! The BBQ shiitake mushrooms tasted really meaty and looked almost like brisket or burnt ends. A nice addition to a classic dish.

Our meal was great and the service was fantastic throughout. Nothing took to long to arrive at the table and the staff were really lovely and friendly. It’s somewhere I would definitely dine at again.

When we got back to the hotel we stayed up to have a cup of tea and watch some TV before having one of the best nights sleep I’ve ever had in a hotel. The curtains blocked out all the light and both inside and outside the hotel was lovely and quiet.

In the morning we enjoyed the breakfast buffet. Complimentary for hotel guests, it has all the standard cooked options like bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs, hash browns, beans and tomatoes as well as breads and a toaster, fruit, yogurts, cereals, pastries and plenty of drink options too like tea, coffee and fresh juices.

But, our favourite part was the freshly made pancakes that you make yourself – and they promise to be ready in just one minute. The pancake machine was a joy for everyone who used it and a real highlight of breakfast.

The staff at breakfast were cleaning constantly and the buffet was refilled swiftly when needed, right the way up to the end of the breakfast service. It was quite busy but we found a free table easily and really enjoyed out breakfast, it was a really nice start to the day.

After breakfast we explored the hotel courtyard and loved the murals. The artwork all around Cheltenham is incredible, such great quality and it really adds so much life to otherwise boring walls.

Overall thoughts of Holiday Inn Express Cheltenham

Our stay at Holiday Inn Express Cheltenham exceeded all our expectations. It’s in a fantastic location with parking right next door and it has so many food, entertainment and shopping options really close by. Plus, there’s a fantastic bar on site, the breakfast was lovely and the staff couldn’t do enough to help, always being visible and proactive.

Add to that the free access to the Everlast gym and pool as well as the discounts on restaurants and parking, along with the fantastic nights sleep, and it makes Holiday Inn Express Cheltenham a really lovely place to stay and I wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again in the future.

You can find out more about Holiday Inn Express Cheltenham over on their website and for reference the address is: 33 Dunalley St, Cheltenham GL50 4AP

I’ve also made a little Reel of our break over on Instagram: