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Newport
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1 888 HOLIDAY (1 888 465 4329)
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Hotel Contact Information
Hotel Front Desk: 44-1633-412777
Hotel Fax: 44-1633-413087
Hotel Fax: 44-1633-413087
Rated 3.7 out of 5 by 14
reviewers.
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by SAPFanSTFC The Newport Holiday Inn Experience
I have spent the greater part of my last 20 years travelling due to work and have stayed in a vast range of hotels in a variety of countries hence I look for the basics in my hotel experience: Clean Bed, Shower, Good Breakfast and friendly staff.....therefore when I check into a specific type / brand of hotel I know what I'd expect - you don't get a concierge service at a Holiday Inn Express etc.
So what of my stay in Newport?....given the reviews I read (and the proviso that it is normally complainers who post), I did have reservations about the hotel having stayed here for the majority of the last 8 weeks I can soundly and strongly recommend staying at the hotel.
To name any specific staff names would do an injustice to many of the others as unusually in a hotel the level of consistency across the staff is excellent.
The Hotel:
It is an older and slightly tired building so don't expect a character bound country hotel or a modern clean lined swish building as 'THAT' it will never be....if you expect 5* service with concierge and yes Sir no Sir three bags full Sir then this isn't your hotel...but if you want a professional, friendly and cheery service then it is.
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1) Ease of access is fantastic - just a few hundred yards of J24a on the M4 after the Severn Bridge, but you don't hear the traffic at all.
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2) Check-In - Smiley, friendly (not the same thing), knowledgable and welcoming!.....However, I'm a great believer in 'As you sow, so shall you reap!' and regardless of whether or not they are paid to work in a hotel, if you are abundantly rude to people then you do not deserve the full caboodle in return....some people take pleasure in moaning, others are occasionally rude / grumpy (me included) and should not expect the same experience....a professional one but not necessarily an overly welcoming.
If anyone has not been made to feel welcome here then they must have been rude beyond all bounds!
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Breakfast: The food is excellent and they will always rectify any issues including bringing fresh food out where required. As per above in their manners and general - but as you get to know the team then you have the pleasure of experiencing a wicked sense of humour and banter that brightens the start to the day....again if you are in a grump in the mornings then my motto is keep yourself to yourself and speak politely.....after an orange juice or any amount of courses from their buffet breakfast bar I'm sure 99.8% of people would be far happier!
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3) The Rooms: Plenty large enough, clean and well serviced every day (unless you leave half a bottle of liquid soap as you may not get a new one in the executive rooms...you've enough left for the next morning!) please take that with humour. Yes the rooms are subject to the nature and age of the hotel but they are working through them to freshen them up and I have no complaints at all about the room size or the service. If you want a turndown service then I suggest you learn how to get into bed on your own or don't drink as much as this service is not available!
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4) The Bar: Again the staff are largely professional, friendly and welcoming people. The hotel is going through a change of brands at present (still awaiting my favourite 1664 to replace the existing) but plenty of choice. As always bar staff cannot service 8 customers who all arrive at the same time as this is normally a complaint from the more unreasonable customer (speaking as a customer who used to be a barman) but wait your turn and you'll be welcomed - attend the bar more than a few nights and the experience is heightened by a bit of banter where acceptable.
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Would I say that this is the best hotel I've ever stayed in....Nope!
Would I say that they are the best rooms I've ever stayed in..Nope!
- I've been very fortunate in certain past hotel experiences so could never say that.
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Are the staff the best I've ever met - hmmm I'd never upset those at previous hotels but knowing that getting and KEEPING good hotel staff is a notoriously difficult thing to do in the hotel trade - I would say that the level of staffing on all counts is far better than I would ever expect and I'd like to think that over the 8 weeks I've made a lot of new friends here and can heartily recommend arriving with a smile, being polite and then enjoying a bit of friendly banter mixed in with a professional attitude with the vast majority of staff.
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I'd have no hesitation in recommending the hotel to anyone and would say that, whilst there are some very poor reviews, they must be few and VERY far between as I cannot envisage any normal person having anything less than a over average experience for a 3* hotel.
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Well done folks!!...and contrary to my pre-stay expectations I shan't be staying anywhere else during my eleven months in Newport!
April 24, 2013
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by Timberguy Excellent customer service
I stay at many different hotels around the country and in general find them a mixed bag but make a point never to revisit anywhere that I am disappointed. With that in mind and the fact I have a free choice of which hotel I stay in, I have stayed in this hotel very regularly over the past 2 years, why? Because its a good hotel in a good location, with spacious well equipped rooms and absolutely the friendliest, most welcoming and helpful staff I have ever encountered. The whole team go way above and beyond to ensure my stay is hassle free and enjoyable, and they make me feel valued and appreciated for my business. I speak of them so often to my wife that I just had to take her to show her the place that has become my second home and meet the people who look after me so well, she was also very impressed.
Take it from me (a seasoned traveller), these people care about their guests - and it certainly shows!
April 22, 2013
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by Smuger Good all round helpful and friendly staff
I have stayed at this hotel over the last nine years I have always had a friendly face to welcome me with a smile and a warm hello If I have ever had any issues they were dealt with quickly and diligently by an understanding staff
March 18, 2013
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by RJE01 Excellent Service
For the price charged, this hotel is great value. The rooms are comfortable and the staff and service are excellent. Although one of the older Holiday Inns, I quite like the slight wear and tear, it adds character
March 6, 2013
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by manfromthemidlands The staff make this hotel stand out from so many
As a platinum member I have stayed in numerous HI over the years and it must be said that the staff of the Coldra stand out BY FAR for their friendliness, helpfulness & all round great customer service.
Location is excellent, food is well priced and parking is free. Many of the rooms have been refreshed over the last couple of years but even the rooms that are still waiting for their makeover are maintained to a good standard and wifi is now spot on across the hotel.
The gym is quite small, but has an adequate range of cardio vascular machines ... the one downside being that the rowing machines are not bolted to the floor ... with my poor rowing technique I can row across the floor of the gym in under 15 minutes(!)
Joking aside, I cannot overstate how the staff make the Coldra refreshingly different to so many carbon copy hotel chains
March 4, 2013
Rated 1.0 out of 5.0 by Ted21 Shocking
I arrived in the evening and went to have a drink in the bar where the tables had not been cleaned and were sticky.I asked for a menu and was told that there wasn't one I went to the restaurant and was presented with the worst food I have ever been served in any hotel of any star rating anywhere in the world.
The room was tired and the bathroom needed a lot of attention.
I am a priority club member and this is the worst Holiday Inn I have ever stayed in
February 15, 2013
Rated 1.0 out of 5.0 by Bartvc Poor hotel not worth any star
Arriving in the room, window wide open and room not heated (temperature 5-6 degrees celsius).
Heating device not working, because batteries remote control empty - requested to repair at reception and they gave me some batteries to repair myself.
In the bathroom all joints were black, because of continuous moisture - poor hygiene and in the bath still some hairs of previous guests.
February 10, 2013
Rated 2.0 out of 5.0 by mattsday Dated and poorly trained staff
This hotel is definitely a relic of the past. That's OK, old things can be good too!
Sometimes when old meets new things go wrong. This couldn't have been more true with the 'new menu' making its début during my stay. The staff were clearly confused with the new tills.
For example, I ordered a cheese & tomato pizza, with a salad and coleslaw from the bar. It took the poor guy about 5 minutes to enter it in the system. Over an hour later a pepperoni pizza arrived. It wasn't that busy. I didn't complain, feeling sorry for them (not to mention hungry having waited an hour!)
I asked the guy for a beer when he gave me my food. 30 minutes later it still wasn't there and I could see him busily working the till. I decided I'd rather just leave it and went back to my room. Your loss, Holiday Inn, I would have probably sat in there for another hour or so with my book!
The hotel had also run out of double rooms, so put me in a twin. The beds were sadly single beds (rather than two smaller doubles). I pushed them together and had an OK sleep.
I'd beware anyone travelling here in summer, as there didn't appear to be any air conditioning in the room. If you're like me and cannot sleep at all when it's hot, avoid!
In all though, it was an OK experience. The 2 *s is to reflect the lack of training the staff had, the lack of platinum recognition (possibly the first time I got literally nothing) and the dated feel of the hotel. Maybe if I came back another time when they're used to the menu, it'd be OK, but I have to rate it on my experience.
January 14, 2013
