Holiday Inn Leeds - Garforth by IHG

Really disappointed with our stay here. Stayed with my husband, baby and two large dogs. Booked a larger room with a sofa bed and emailed 3x asking staff to not have sofa bed set up, but instead have a cot for the baby. I was assured this was OK, which I was pleased with as we were arriving near bedtime. This was repeated on check in and the receptionist advised it was noted on the housekeeping system. Takes ages to get to the room to find the sofa bed set up and no cot. Went to call reception and the phone was not working so had to trek back to reception. This was rectified and the employee setting the cot up was kind and helpful, and gave us a free drink voucher. Room very cold. Upon check out I was waiting at the desk with my baby and two dogs whist employees chatted behind the desk. A man pushed in front of me and was served straight away, whilst I had been waiting. Staff really rude on arrival and generally unhappy with the stay, especially for the price.

I stayed at the Holiday Inn after travelling from Birmingham to Leeds for a family funeral early the following morning. This was an already difficult trip, as we were grieving the loss of a close family member and travelling with my grandmother, who has poor health, and my grandfather, who suffers from asthma. Unfortunately, this hotel stay added unnecessary stress to an already emotional situation. I booked through a third-party booking site, where the hotel appeared perfectly acceptable. I travel frequently and have stayed in many hotels across the UK, and this is the first time I have had an experience this bad. Only after arriving did I check Google reviews and realise the true state of this hotel, which painted a very different picture. Upon entering the room, we were immediately hit by a strong, unpleasant smell. The room was freezing cold, and the temperature control/thermometer was not working. We attempted to contact reception, but the room phone was also not working. The entire room felt very run down, poorly maintained, and unhygienic. Even the towels had an unpleasant smell, and the beds were extremely uncomfortable, making it very difficult to rest. Due to the reason for our stay, the time of arrival, and our mental and physical state, we were unable to look for alternative accommodation. Had this been any other circumstance, we would have left immediately. The following morning at 7am, breakfast was equally disappointing. There were no baked beans available at all — which at that time of morning is unacceptable. The toast machine was not working, and the buffet area was disorganised, with food poorly laid out and a general lack of management. For £210, this stay was absolutely not worth the money. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone and would not even consider bringing my dog to stay here. Please do not waste your time or money. I want to make it clear that I cannot fault the reception staff themselves, as they are front of house and clearly limited in what they can do. The issues lie with the overall condition, management, and standards of this hotel. As someone who travels regularly for business and leisure and has stayed in many 4 and 5-star hotels across the UK, I can confidently say this is the worst hotel experience I have ever had. I will be making further formal complaints regarding this stay.

Another enjoyable stay at the Holiday Inn Garforth, have stayed many times over the years for work, and pleased to say the service remains exceptional. From the point of arrival to departure. Dinner was very tasty, and Lauren in the restaurant was very helpful, I am allergic to gluten so she took extra care to make sure I was looked after. Rooms clean (if a little tired) and gym functional, could do with a upgrade but more than adequate. So all in all good value for money. I'll be back next month.

This is a difficult review to make, I think given the price, that is classed as a four star hotel, the experience doesn’t match the rating. The staff deserve a better environment to work in and the hotel is in bad need of modernisation and investment. Our room, as a family of four was sized as you’d expect. The mattress for the kids was average and uncomfortable and the main double bed was comfy enough but had a musty smell across the bedding. The plugs next to the bed didn’t work, and tv initially didn’t work either though I got it working. The bathroom had spots of mould, the dirty marks in the bathroom are uncleanable. The water was cloudy although the shower warm and powerful enough. Breakfast was as you’d expect from the hotel and gave good options, The staff, were helpful and kind to the kids, and none of the negative of this review is aimed at them. For the money, IHG need to invest in it and bring it up to a clean, less worn and generally to a standard you’d expect from a branded hotel.

Very poor service indeed. I admit I booked the destination by mistake and noted this and contacted the hotel 10 minutes later. The reservation being for 3 months from booking. The room was a non refundable room. My choice i know and I accept. Sadly the response from the hotel was sorry, policy says no refund. I explained that it was a mistake and you were contacted 10 minutes later, you are out nothing and can easily re-book the room as there are a couple of months. Again their response was no. Very disappointing that a genuine mistake that was noted immediately does not qualify for some good will and common sense. Take caution with this company, they are only about money and not about any good will or service