This was my second stop in Leicester. Last time I stayed at the Belmont, which I adored, but this…read moretime I was hoping to save some money, and trusted the good reviews I saw online for Castle Park. After I had booked and told my friends where I was staying they said they thought the hotel was probably "cheap and cheerful," and I suppose that's the best way to describe it. I had a single room, a few (walk-up) floors up. The room was small but had an en suite bath. For the price, it was a great deal. But the room was so small that the door didn't open all the way. When I described this to my friends, I admitted that the single bed was wider than most, so perhaps that was the trade-off. And for that, it was worth it. I watched some TV on the itty-bitty television, I looked out the window into the alley-ish space. I also heard my neighbor snoring much of the night, and was thankful to have the TV to drown him out. I skipped the breakfast, which is served in the basement, but it seemed cozy. I had a funny experience when it came to getting to the place. I had taken the train up from London and the scheduled arrival was a little late for their check-in window. I had called and pre-arranged this with the front-office staff, but then the train was late and I was cutting close to the time we'd set. My Google Maps GPS is generally pretty horrid in Leicester, and I managed to overshoot the side street that the hotel is on. When I found it, I read my map (my GPS still not helping) to the place where Google told me the hotel was -- only to get there and find no hotel was there. I called the hotel, feeling somewhat frantic, and the desk clerk very kindly directed me back to where I should have been all along. She was super nice, calm, and helpful, even though I was probably keeping her late on what was probably already a long shift! They were also super nice the following day when I had them hold my bags. Overall, I was content with the hotel, and especially with their kindly service. The room was fine - clean and simple. But I'm realizing that I'm getting to an age where saving money isn't always my best idea -- and for me, a splurge to go back to the Belmont is probably my best bet for my next trip to Leicester.

I usually like Doubletree and I was not disappointed at this one. I arrived very late and was…read moregreeted by pleasant and helpful staff and my fresh-baked cookie! As I have read in other reviews, the hotel looks not to have been renovated in a while but that was not a show-stopper for me. It was older but my room was cozy and clean and my housekeeper took excellent care. It was so wonderful to get in from a long day of working to find towel animals with candy pieces and a heart! The food in the restaurant was good and the kitchen and bar staff were equally great. I had an all-around good experience here. So long as I am treated well and my surroundings are well kept, I am satisfied. I will stay here again on my next business trip!

This is an okay hotel. A few positives and negatives but overall an okay stay for the price we…read morepaid. The staff were friendly and in the main pretty helpful. Their was a long check-in queue when we arrived and the manager came over to apologise and say that one of the bar staff was going to come round and get us drinks to apologise. A nice gesture until we were told it was a choice of lemonade or coke! All areas of the hotel were clean and our room & ensuite were a good size. We were on the third floor which for some reason was very, very hot! The air con in the room worked well, but the corridor and communal areas were toasty. The hotel has a Living Well gym and pool attached. We never used the gym so I can't comment but did use the pool. We had a 10 minute wait when we arrived at the gym reception as they had ran out of clean towels, not ideal with a wriggly baby to entertain. The pool is a nice size but seemed to have a lot of sand at the bottom. Urgh. There is also a jacuzzi (which was out of order), a steam room and a sauna. The food at the hotel was good. There is a large retail park across the road from the hotel with a Nandos, Cinema, Tesco etc, and originally we were going to head out to eat dinner. But after the long wait to check in it was way past my son's dinner time and he was cranky so we ate in the bar (as the hotel restaurant didn't open till 7pm). Children eat free with a paying adult and the choice of food was great. Fresh veggies and hummus dip to start and pasta with a tomato sauce which was rammed with veggies go a big tick from me for being healthy and a big tick from my son for being delicious! Our food was tasty, a generous sized chicken burger. And breakfast the next morning had a great selection from the usual cooked selection, breads, pastries, fresh fruit, meats, cheeses, mmmmmm. One real annoyance was the lack of any baby change facilities in the communal areas of the hotel, made for some interesting nappy changes! This could be rectified by the hotel so easily.

A large group of us stayed here recently while attending a several-day music event in Leicester…read more The hotel couldn't have been better - attractive, clean, beautiful rooms, fabulous breakfast - and the employees were friendly and helpful at all times. The location is perfect for walking to shops, restaurants, theater venues, etc. - almost too many places to list! Parking is off-site but is right around the corner. I would love to be able to stay here again should I ever be back in Leicester!

I had to stay in Leicester recently on a business trip. I ended up staying here as they had a…read morepromotion on. The hotel is only two years old so everything was new, modern and in pristine condition. My room was really nice and a pleasure to just hang out in. The bathroom was like a semi wet room. The shower was really powerful, bit like a warm massage. Crap view but you're in the middle of Leicester, so what would you expect? Talking of being in the middle of Leicester, the location of this place couldn't have been better. It's situated right in the centre of the Leicester's main shopping/dining area. As you walk out of the hotel you're walking distance from coffee shops, restaurants, bars, pubs and many shops. However I had to remove a star for two reasons. One, this Ramada Encore doesn't have it's own car park. Instead you have to use an NCP car park that's a few minutes away. Not a major problem but not ideal. The second reason I withheld a star was because I found a lot of the staff to be a bit arrogant and/or unhelpful. The service at reception just felt really unprofessional. Maybe I was just unlucky or caught them at a busy period. Who knows? Apart from those two minor complaints this is a lovely hotel. Ideal for short stays in Leicester. I'd definitely stay at the Ramada Encore again.

Stayed here for one night in Leicester. It's not the most centrally situated of hotels, but the…read moreearly booking rates were very favourable so it was clearly the best choice. This is quite a large Premier Inn, with lots of parking. It's situated beside a busy road junction, but the rooms were quiet enough and up to the usual high standard of Premier Inn. We ate in the restaurant as there is nothing else of note in the immediate area, and were very happy with the food. They do a dinner/breakfast deal for £23.99, and as the breakfast is all-you-can-eat, this was a pretty good deal. Free Wi-fi in the bar and reception areas too.

Stayed at Premier Inns all over the UK. This one definitely needs to be updated to match the look…read moreof the newly renovated ones. Rooms smell, very tired and carpet in rooms filthy. Unfortunate when the hotel staff is friendly.

I spent 10 nights based at this hotel and on the whole it was ok…read more The bedrooms are well appointed ample electrical points for those on business trips, the beds are comfortable and I had no problems sleeping, even on the first night which is usually my worst nights sleep when away. The food is of the standard hotel variety but it does the job. The meal selection is decent and has fish through to steak for those who enjoy their meat. They do have a gym on site which has the latest machines for all those gym junkies who might stay there. The room service was quick and pleasant but it does add £3.50 to your bill. There are lots of seats in the lobby area as I saw many people conducting business meetings over a coffee. The bar is open late however after 11pm all drinks have to be charged to your room no cash is taken after this point! The staff were all helpful and there was always someone around if you needed assistance. My only real bug bear is that the free wifi wasn't the strongest or the most reliable. If it was better I would have given them 4 stars ;-) but hey at least it was free and not an additional cost as in some hotels I have stayed in!

My work held their Christmas party here a couple of years ago renting out one of the function rooms…read morewith some other parties and it was very disappointing. The food was really awful. I had traditional Christmas dinner with soup, turkey and vegetables then Christmas pudding. The soup tasted like it came from a can, the vegetables were over cooked and rubbery, the meat was dry, but to be fair, the pudding was ok. Service was slow with a number of staff being a bit clumsy as plates were dropped more than once and a few messes made. The DJ (which consisted of some guy and his 12 year old son)was an improvement however, playing a good mix and not too much cheese. Can't say what their normal restaurant is like, nor what the hotel rooms are like, however, the meal here was enough to put me off ever coming back again.

I won a stay here as part of the Alton Towers package.The hotel is ideally located off the M1. Slap…read morebang in the middle of Derby and Nottingham.We met friends in Nottingham and it was only a 25 minute drive into the centre. The hotel it self was class. Easy parking. Lovely rooms. Nice huge breakfast and the swimming pool/jacuzzi/steam room was very relaxing. Staff were easy to talk to. Very pricey, but we didn't pay for the room =D

Friendly, accommodating staff. The rates are very affordable. You can get some good package deals…read moreincluding dinner and breakfast. The lobby design is nice and classy. The food in the bar and restaurant was even better than I had expected. Great poached eggs at breakfast. Facilities are good, I enjoyed working out in the small gym and then relaxing in the pool and steam room (although it was not steaming properly at all times and sometimes kind of stopped). You can get a daily pass just for the gym and pool facilities if you are not staying at the hotel. The rooms have everything you need, there was even a small bottle of wine for us and some snacks. And I still use the complimentary slippers at home. The event space is very classy looking and can fit over 100 people for dining, I especially like the dome part in the middle. Probably one of the better hotel options in the area.

Now I spent two nights at this hotel and I have to say as I checked in quite late on the first…read morenight I did wonder if it was a night club as opposed to a hotel. The guy on reception had a very good check in patter, which I am not sure was just for my amusement or his! The room was decent they do offer upgrades to the upper deck where you get access to sky movies and sports. This was of no interest to me as I was only there to sleep. The room I had was of a good standard, clean and tidy, I was on the first floor with a view of a flat roof!! The staff in the hotel were very helpful and I do believe whatever request you may have they will endeavour to accommodate it. Hence I have given the hotel a 4 star rating. The bar does resemble one you would find in a night club and it was quite loud, the drinks weren't night club priced which was good. From the posters in the bar they do have specific events throughout the year some are comedy some are tribute bands. They have a good pool and gym in the hotel so if you want a dip in the morning it is more then adequate for that purpose, they also have an onside gym which was of a decent standard. There was a wedding party there on the Saturday night which is to be expect at a hotel the wedding party was one of the better behaved ones I have witnessed however when I went up to my room I could hear the music as if I was in the party!!! This did keep me awake for a bit but I think it all stopped around the 1am mark. The breakfast was the standard fare of fried food cereal and fruit, I cannot comment on the standard of the rest of their food menu as I never sampled it. If you are in Coventry and need somewhere to stay you could do worse than here.

Super nice hotel. The building has plenty of things to do from a pub, a small restaurant, fitness…read morearea (including a large weight room, a yoga room, fitness classes, and steam rooms), a full size pool with a jacuzzi and bubbling rest pools, and lastly a spa which provides full spa services like a massage. The service at the hotel was super friendly and quick to help when ever needed. The room was really nice and clean upon arrival. The pub and restaurant had super good food as well ( tip: if you eat in the pub you need to order the pizza. Not what I expected but it was one of the better pizzas I have had in awhile.) overall my stay here was perfect and I will be staying here again if I am in the area.

This Travelodge is on the A38 near Burton, between Derby and Birmingham. It is probably closer to…read moreSwadlincote than to Burton-on-Trent. We booked online several months in advance and paid only £29 for a double room. We did not check-in until almost midnight as this was a one night stop to avoid a long drive home after a party. The only member of staff present that late a night was a girl in her late teens. She did not remove her earphones to serve us, but did quickly find our reservation and ask if there was anything else we needed. There was a vending machine with crisps, chocolate, toothpaste, and canned drinks in the lobby. The room had the usual shower over a bath. There were towels provided as well as a small bar of soap, and plastic glasses. We had a double room, which has one double bed, and a sofa bed. There was a television, but as the remote control did not work we had to use the buttons on the front of the unit. The room was however spotlessly clean, and very quiet. Although we had been told when we checked in that reception was 24 hour, when we left at 11am the reception desk was unmanned. There was a post box for the room key, and a notice saying that from 7am to 3pm assistance was available from the cleaners. Breakfast was available from the next door Little Chef. We chose to drive into Swadlincote to a Wetherspoons instead! I would go back to this hotel for a one night stop due to the cleanliness, price and convenient location. For a longer stop I would want to find a hotel with more facilities.

very good hotel the rooms are always clean and tidy and the staff are great.read more