Holiday Inn Barnsley M1, JCT.37 by IHG

Perfectly located right in J37 of the M1, I was pleased to arrive at this hotel after a tedious 394 mile solo drive. There’s a huge car park that’s well lit, with plenty of spaces. The hotel was clean & bright with a glass working decor and theme to reflect that important local industry. The staff were properly Yorkshire friendly/chatty. My 3rd floor room had a great view of the north side of J37 and the sound of the traffic was strangely restful, and suitably muted by the glazing and thick curtains. The shower room was a wet room style, with a decent shower. Buffet breakfast was plentiful & diverse. The dining area and lounge were bright, spacious and clean. The fact that guests are allowed to bring their dogs to this hotel is another indication of how very civilised it is.

I chose this hotel despite the price being around 20% higher than nearby options because I trusted its reputation and expected a comfortable stay. Unfortunately, my experience did not meet expectations. 1. Difficulty contacting staff late at night Around 11:30pm, I attempted to call the front desk but was unable to reach anyone. 2. Noise during the night At around 1:00am, there was noticeable music coming from the restaurant area downstairs, which made it difficult to rest. 3. Ageing facilities Some facilities appear to need maintenance. One lift was out of service during my stay, the other lift had button missing on the control panel and there were visible cracks on the ceiling extending from the bathroom to the bedroom. 4. Plumbing issues There seemed to be a problem with the plumbing system, as there were occasional signs of waste water entering the toilet bowl. This made the bathroom experience uncomfortable. Overall, I hope the hotel can look into these issues for future guests. Based on my stay, I would recommend considering alternative options until improvements are made.

The hotel is beautiful. Staff are brilliant but the hotel was very noisy in the morning. I complained and they extended my checkout until 1.30pm so I got a bit of sleep. Allegedly they had let out a room for some medical tests but they had complaints about the noise from others. As for the food my club sandwich was the worst ever. Stale bread. Dry chicken. Bacon from the morning's breakfast I think. Nothing fresh. Inedible. Glen sorted it for me but never again. Sorted me a couple of beers but went to bed hungry. This could be a five star review except for the little things. Oh and the website said swimming was available my whole reason for booking here as a halfway chillout on my way to Blackpool but not to be had. Drove to Blackpool. Tired. Hungry and disappointed.

This is by far the worse and lowest grade IHG Hotel I have ever stayed at. Hotel is stuck in the 1970's Rooms dated, poor quality, old furniture needs replacing. Staff very strange and unhelpful on the whole. Dinner was very good. Breakfast was poor, dirty jugs with juice and literally no service. To cap this off at 4.45am a lorry arrived to empty their glass bins and did this for 15mins waking me up, how is this ever acceptable. I repeat! Avoid this hotel.

At the Christmas party afternoon. We went last year and really enjoyed it. Great food and always nice and hot, impressive how quickly everyone is served. Bingo , disco and a singer. Its a brilliant afternoon.