Holiday Inn Southampton-Eastleigh M3,Jct13 by IHG — Hotel in Eastleigh

Had a fantastic package booked with Paultons park, & thought this hotel would be the best to go with as it was family friendly & near by.

After a great day at the park, we arrived as a family of 5 adults & one little one who is 2 in two months.

As this booking was booked as a package, I did not have a separate booking reference for the hotel. However I did have my booking confirmation that stated the three rooms booked under one name.

We unloaded the cars, got to reception and was waiting to be seen. However the greeting I got was not what I expected. The gentleman serving me, looked completely confused when I explained my package, & then tapped away on the pc, proceeding to tell me ‘ hmmm you have a big problem.’ I asked what that problem was & he proceeded to tell me, I only had one room booked under my name. I explained & showed him my confirmation & he said ‘you must have other names that the rooms are booked under?’ I said ‘no, look, the confirmation shows all three names booked under the one name’ ‘hmmm, no no no we have a big big problem here…’ he then picked up the phone & was speaking to someone like I was invisible, not explaining what was happening etc. he then continued on the phone and who ever he was speaking to must have explained that the booking was right, and helped him understand the booking, as he then said to the person on the phone ‘oh, why can’t I see that then?’ He then hung up, said nothing to me leaving me confused, and unsure of what was happening & I was thinking I would then have to book something else! Which made me feel extremely anxious about having to then pack up the car again!

Then he shoved some paper work on the counter, did not explain what we were signing for, nor explained about the car parking, but then said he would charge us for it.

I had no explanation about which rooms were being given to anyone nor still at this point if we even had the rooms!

It wasn’t until I saw him cutting keys - I know it was resolved.

I had no explanation about where the rooms were nor what this little voucher I had been given was.

After getting to our rooms, they were standard but comfortable.

The team in the spa were great and warm welcoming. The pool was quite cold but we enjoyed the splash around.

The f&b team really saved my experience staying here as they were friendly & welcoming.

A massive thank you to Dom.

It wasn’t until we were leaving I also noticed my little boy didn’t receive his activity pack either.

All together standard stay, but I feel the welcome I got at the reception - set the expectation of my stay & that wasn’t welcoming at all.

Based on this, I would not recommend my stay.

I would advise our friend at reception have a little more hospitality training & be advised on how to welcome guests. Upon checking out I did give my feedback as I was being asked about my stay.., and was told my feedback would be fed on to the colleague.

I do work for Accor, so I do have an understanding on how guests should be treated. And unfortunately I do not find...

First of all, we were put in to an adjoining room and I have to say we feel like we may as well have been in the same room as the family next door. The sound proofing was horrendous and we could near enough hear everything they said, mainly when their child was crying, it was like they were in our room. So loud, not at all muffled like you should have in a hotel by the wall. When I called reception to ask if there was another room, they advised it was fully booked and so we had no option to move, however they would send someone up to the room next door and ask them to quiet down. I immediately said no to this. Poor family had a young child crying their eyes out and the last thing parents need is someone telling them there have been complaints and please quiet down. It is not their fault that the hotel makes no effort to soundproof the doors and you can hear everything. So throughout the night we were woken, and when our son woke up or made the slightest noise, we ended up feeling massively on edge that they would hear everything we said or every noise we made. It didn't make for a peaceful night's sleep at all. Then we come down to the children's play room. What a fantastic idea. But there were broken toys, a chair broken with potentially sharp bits to children. The room was clearly not cleaned regularly as we went in to it the night of our stay and there were food packets and baby wipes randomly on the floor/sides and when we went down in the morning those items were still there. Absolutely disgusting! Considering the number of children that go to that hotel, there should be far more cleaning involved. Then breakfast, most of this was okay but some of the meat was cold from sitting there, we went down at 7.15am and so you would think fresh food. But not really. And most importantly the toast maker, how dangerous, at one point toast was on fire, toast was burning and it was getting stuck.

Overall I wouldn't say it was a great experience. We had come for my sons 2nd birthday and was travelling to Peppa pig world for his birthday. This hotel is recommended by Peppa Pig world and I feel that it shouldn't be.

I think that 150 for 1 night is beyond a joke for what we got. And would expect far more for that money.

I also contacted the hotel the next day to complain and they only responded about the adjoining room and did not even mention the play room mess or the breakfast issues. They said I could stay at that hotel again for free for a night to make up for it, but why would I choose to stay there again after this experience? I have to say I was not satisfied by the way the complaint was handled either, so all together, I would not bother booking.

Also if you are going to book this hotel even after this review, some advise is to book direct as if you book through Paultons park themselves, you will pay well over the odds, as they say you get the second day free, but the hotel works out dearer and they still charge you for 2 days. so just...

Well, what can I say? I’ve been staying at this hotel for at least 13 years, mostly every week. I stopped coming after the last upgrade, purely because I enjoy watching movies in the evenings by plugging my machine into the TV. With the new TVs, that wasn’t possible anymore, and I completely understand why—they had installed lovely new screens, but guests pulling them out to connect cables had caused damage.||That aside, this hotel has always stood out for one very special reason: the staff. And I really do mean the only hotel in the district where the team takes the time to truly know their returning guests. Over the years, I’ve stayed at many places, but no other hotel—despite me spending just as much time there—has ever matched that personal touch.||When I stopped being able to watch my own movies, I moved on to another hotel for about a year. But even though the alternative was fine, it never gave me that same sense of being remembered and welcomed back. This week, I booked a two-day stay here because I had a considerable amount of work to do, and I decided to give it another try.||As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by Sarah—the best person I could have hoped to see. She immediately welcomed me with, “Hello Mr. Thomas, we haven’t seen you in a long time.” It felt like coming home. We chatted about her travels, and she still remembered everything I’d told her in the past, asking how things were going with me. That is customer service at its finest. It was an absolute joy to see her again and to feel so genuinely welcomed back at Holiday Inn Eastleigh.||Later, I went to the bar where I was welcomed by Dom, the bar manager. He always looks so professional and has a smile on his face. In the past, he’s even had my drink ready as I approached—not because I drink a lot (usually just two), but because he knows his customers so well. That kind of attention means the world to someone who spends a lot of time here. I noticed today he was more visible out front, so I assume he’s now training the team to be just as efficient as he is—a real credit to the company.||And finally, I must mention Sam. Unless I’ve mixed up Dom and Sam, I can honestly say he is one of the politest, kindest people I’ve ever met. He has worked here for many years, and it is always a pleasure to be greeted or served by him. I call him a gentleman because that’s exactly what he is—the most pleasant person I’ve ever had the fortune to know. Like the others, he never forgets a detail, always asks after me, and radiates warmth with his smile.||Well done, Holiday Inn. These three employees—Sarah, Dom, and Sam—deserve real recognition. I know you have many other great staff members, but these three have consistently stood out to me over the years. Please, management, make sure they are properly acknowledged—I will be checking...