Holiday Inn Express London-Newbury Park

This Holiday Inn is consistent with the chain's design, but it does reflect a certain freshness, with a curved-glass atrium and large square room windows. One of the building's distinctive lighting features is that it glows purple at dusk. The lobby is filled with square, brown-leather armchairs and dark-wood side tables, offsetting the white walls and caramel-wood reception desk. The on-site restaurant is filled with cream-colored chairs and square wood tables on striped carpeting. Newbury Park's hotel bar is fairly small, with a handful of modern stools for drinkers. Except for the teal carpeting in the hallways, many of the other common areas, including a meeting space with purple-cloth chairs, could easily be in an office building. Most of the guests who stay here are tourist couples who want to save some money by staying outside of Central London. Some families and business travelers can also be seen here. 

Newbury Park, where this Holiday Inn is located, is northeast of London. Getting to the city's tourist attractions from here can take some time, whether by car or metro. The hotel is just off of the busy A12 road, but far enough away to avoid any major noise issues. Newbury Park Underground metro station is a five-minute walk from the hotel. Once onboard, getting to London is a 40-minute ride. Drivers should allow for a little over an hour, although that time may vary depending on traffic. Some attractions have a shorter travel time when driving. The Tower of London is 45 minutes away by metro and 30 to 40 minutes by car. Buckingham Palace is 55 minutes by metro and 40 to 50 minutes by car. The trip from Heathrow Airport to the Holiday Inn Express London-Newbury Park takes about 90 minutes by metro and 60 minutes by car. While Newbury Park is mostly residential, there are some charming sights. Valentines Park, with gardens and the 17th-century Valentines Mansion, is a 12-minute walk from the hotel.

The 126 rooms at the Holiday in Express London-Newbury Park meet expectations for a mid-scale chain hotel. Decor is fresh and simple. Gray carpeting, pink wide-striped curtains, and sunset-toned abstract prints are nice accents. Otherwise, rooms have white walls and bedding, and light-wood furniture. Beds are comfortable, although some guests complain the mattresses are too soft. Storage space is compact, with the closet and shelving built into a single unit for each room. Desks are also used to hold flat-screen TVs, leaving little space for work. Room amenities include free Wi-Fi, modern hairdryers, and electric kettles for coffee and tea. White-tile bathrooms check off most of the requirements, although they only have shower stalls and wall-mounted toiletries. While the bathrooms are plenty adequate for one person, more than that will quickly get crowded. 

Holiday Inn Express London-Newbury Park's amenities are primarily focused on eating and meeting. The Great Room serves breakfast and dinner, and the food has received mixed reviews. Breakfast items include British staples like toast, sausages, beans, and scrambled eggs. The hotel's Lounge Bar serves beer, wine, and cocktails and closes at midnight. A business center includes a computer, printer, and fax machine. The two meeting spaces, a suite and conference center, can fit up to 30 and 220 people, respectively. But the hotel's lack of a gym may disappoint some guests. Wi-Fi is available in rooms and in some parts of the common areas of the hotel, but not all. Self-parking is available for a fee. There's a safety box at the front desk for valuables.