I've been staying at the Holiday Inn in Preston for two week periods over the last four years (doing a part time course at the local Uni).

I had previously been staying at another hotel in the town but was sick of being woken up at all hours by the other guests.

The holiday inn Preston experience on the whole has been positive. The staff are friendly and have always looked after me well. The rooms are clean and spacious - desk to lay out college work, laptops etc and accomodate the large flat screen television provided. If there was ever an issue in the room - which didn't happen often - maintenance were on hand swiftly to correct any faults (normally a bust light bulb).
Food in the bar is on the pricey side but has always been good quality. Best value for money is the ringway burger - its great. The menu doesn't change much but if you're there for a week or less that's not an issue. Didn't tend to eat in the restuarant - better atmosphere in the bar. There is a small gym located on the top floor - it has enough equipment to work up a sweat.
Location is pretty good - 5 minutes walk to the main high street - although its quite a walk from the train station

Negative comments - mainly the size of the car park. get there early otherwise you end up having to park in the public car park opposite which tends to be frequented by the local hoodlams. Staying on the main road side of the hotel can be quite noisy so I tended to request a room on the bus station side (although you have to ignore the sounds of the buses reversing). The hotel is quite pricey but it really is the only decent one within the town centre.

all in all a hotel which does not deserve to be so far down the review list in my opinion. Top tip - join the priority club rewards scheme - stay there long enough and you get free hotel nights elsewhere...

The room was good as was the dinner and breakfast. Parking is very limited, so be warned there is a car park near by, but not the best to have to walk a long way after a long drive!

I stayed here with a colleague for work. We found the staff very helpful, the food was lovely, and my room was clean and modern.

My room was clean with lovely pillows and duvets and a clean bathroom.

The breakfast buffet was very good with full English being available as well as continental. This was lovely.

When I need to stay in Preston for work, I will stay at this hotel from now on.

This was the second time I have stayed at this hotel, and both times I have found the facilities to be better than average, and the staff are excellent. Nothing was too much trouble.

I did not eat in the restaurant, but I did order a burger from room service. The food was very good, and it was delivered in a timely fashion.

The bar and restaurant are better than average, in terms of decor. Some of the comunal areas (the corridors) could use a lick of paint, but the room was very well decorated. The bathroom was compact, but it still had a bath, and a very nice sink and toilet. The shower was very good indeed.

All in all, a very pleasant stay. Exceptional value for money.

Stayed here with work for 1 night and it was a breath of fresh air. No wait at reception, quick check-in and friendly staff. When I got to my room it was decorated very nicely with a modern feel and was spotlessly clean. The meal was very reasonable and delicious. Can't fault anything.

The reception desk is very efficient and friendly.
Rooms are good standard and indeed comfortable with own minibar and good sized bathrooms which are in a good condition.
The service overall is very friendly and helpful.
Try out the restaurant which offers a good variety of dishes with good portions and great value for money.
Breakfast is fantastic and the atmosphere during breakfast and in the restaurant is really nice even if you travel on your own as a women. I would definitly recommend the hotel!
It is only 5-10 min walk to shops and pubs which is another plus.
A small gym is as well in the hotel for the ones who feel the urge for a work out.

Fantastic Hotel- nice clean, comfy rooms. helpful staff and nice food. alot more than i was expecting for a holiday inn!great location too- 5mins away from town centre.

I booked this hotel for an overnight stop whilst visiting the British Open Ladies Golf, at nearby Lytham St. Annes. The location was perfect, situated just off the motorway exit and only a fifteen minute drive from the golf. Having used Novotels previously I was aware that the brand catered well for families in the sense that all of the hotels have spacious family rooms.

Upon arrival my room was as booked with a bed made up for my daughter. The room was clean and tidy although the white melamine furniture synonymous with this hotel chain did look a little cheap. Additional pillows were delivered to the room within five minutes of my request to reception. Staff were courteous at all times.

The bar and restaurant area was pleasanty furnished with reasonably priced drinks. I did not use the restaurant so cannot comment on the quality of that or otherwise. There was an outdoor pool although I would have to question the benefit of that taking into account the climate in the North West of England most of the time. In my experience this is a good choice for business or leisure travellers requiring a short stop over, particularly if using the motorway network. It is also conveniently close to the coastal resorts in the Blackpool area. At the weekend room rate I paid of £40.00, very good value too.

I've just spent 3 nights at the Holiday Inn Preston, for a business trip.

What a really well run hotel this is and my goodness what a pleasant change from so many bland business hotels in Northern England.

I'll list the bad stuff first
Limited car parking.

Short list huh?

What impressed me about the place?
The staff were just so pleasant and helpful, not just to me, but also to other guests, the receptionists we always smiling and greeting me by name, and unusually for me, I ate every night in the hote restaurant because the food was utterly fantastic and very well priced indeed, you simply must dine before 7pm and try the buffet and the £5 salad bar buffet.
Deserts are presented so beautifully that I wanted to take my sticky toffee pudding, dressed with butterscotch sauce and freshly whipped cream, with a biscuit base and decorative strawberry top, to Wolverhampton, to show the staff there what could be done!

Holiday inn group should be very proud of this establishment, the waiters, the barstaff, the cleaners all work as one great team and are a credit to the group.

So why would a tourist want to visit Preston?

Sadly again it's a short list but apart from the football museum and a really very good market, it is a short hop from Blackpool and preston does have a very nice "Northern town" feel to it. Stop here on the way to the lakes and you may stay here just for the hospitality and the humour.

Back to the hotel - it does have a nightclub nearby, but seriously, for a city centre hotel, this has to be the quietest most relaxing one I've been to.

Thank you guys, thank you very much.

ps ask about the discount breakfast vouchers!

This place is pretty good for what you pay (I paid £75 for a twin room). The room was clean, had AC and the breakfast was tasty. The only negative point i can think of is the parking facilities (or lack of); there simply aren't enough places. The only alternative is to park in a dodgy looking Pay and Display car park accross the road or on a single yellow line in the surrounding streets....Still recommend this place though.

This was as my wife & I would expect from the Holiday Inn group of hotels - a good value for money experience with an excellent English breakfast & a car park.
Ideal location for events in Prestons Guild Hall & town cwntre.
Clean & staff pleasant!

My wife & I recently stayed at this hotel.
All the staff, from the management through to the cleaning folk, are extremely courteous and very helpful.
The entire hotel is spotlessly clean.
We had a meal from the A La Carte menu and thoroughly enjoyed it. There is also a very reasonable bar menu for anyone on a tighter budget or with a less healthy appetite!!!
We will most definitely use this hotel again. Highly recommended.

I have stayed at this hotel many times and continue to return again and again. If you book online you can get a much cheaper rate than the stated £120 per night shown in the reception... I paid £75 which included breakfast for two and a double room. The rooms are immaculate with clean sheets and fluffy white towels. The tv always works. The windows have inner windows to shut out any noise from the roads and other guests are quiet even when the hotel is fully booked. Its always warm in the rooms with lovely bath/shower and jet propelled water!!! Staff are friendly and helpful and go out of their way for you if necessary. The breakfast is hot and tasty with excellent service by the waiting staff. There is only one negative about this hotel and that is the parking facilities, if you don't arrive before 4pm you have to park over the road in the multistorey car park, its free but its a little inconveinient.

Following previous stays here I had expected the usual generic Holiday Inn experience, but was pleasantly surprised by a smart refurbishment, well apppointed and super clean rooms and a general willingness to please guests. The staff seemed to be trying to make it a cut above the average Holiday Inn and for the most part succeeded. The only demerits were no fish available at breakfast, something a good hotel should provide, and meagre car parking at the front (though to be fair they were still finishing off refurbishment when I was there).
Overall the hotel exceeded expectations and is very well located in the centre of Preston.

I stayed here in August 2002, the staff were fantastic. Although the rooms on some of the floors are a little older, pay a little extra for a superior one and you get a better quality room as you would expect. The breakfast in the restaurant is slightly expensive, but you can always have a wander into the centre of Preston to get some breakfast from one of the cafes. The hotel is the only main branded hotel in the centre and as such is ideally located for the nightlife...