Holiday Inn, Maidenhead

publication date: Jun 9, 2008

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author/source: Sian Minett

I stayed at the Holiday Inn Maidenhead with Tabitha (nine) and James (seven). The hotel is situated just off the M4 so is really convenient for major transport links as well as for visiting local towns such as Windsor and Henley.

The reception staff were very helpful and, on arrival, the children were each given a Simpsons goodie bag containing various items which kept them amused whilst I unpacked.

It wasn’t long, however, before they were begging to go for a swim in the hotel’s indoor pool.

The pool area is fantastic, with a small separate children’s pool; a large shallow end in the main pool and a jacuzzi. Tabitha and James quickly made a friend and had such a great time that they didn’t want to get out for dinner.

The restaurant is clean, fresh and decorated in a café style, and the waiting staff quickly provided colouring pencils and pictures to keep the children amused until the food arrived. I must confess to being a bit apprehensive about dinner as a fellow guest had been berating the quality of the Sunday lunch carvery, but I couldn’t fault our meals.

Tabitha and James chose from the children’s menu that had imaginative offerings such as home-made tomato soup and chicken fajitas (both delicious according to James!) as well as the standard chicken nuggets or fish fingers fare. My food was equally good, particularly a perfectly cooked risotto. The buffet breakfast the next morning was just the thing to set us up for the day ahead and the restaurant staff were really attentive and good with the little ones.

Like many hotels in the Holiday Inn chain, the outside of the hotel was really uninspiring but the interior was another story. The style is contemporary and our family room, complete with two double beds, was a good size and had a small, but perfectly functional, bathroom.

There are some great touches – such as a choice of pillow for allergy sufferers. Also, your bill is delivered to your room during the night to speed up the checking-out time: extremely handy when you have children raring to be off to Legoland!

Sian and her children were guests at Holiday Inn Maidenhead, located off M4 J8/9, one mile from Slough Trading Estate and four miles from LEGOLAND Windsor. LEGOLAND packages available from £129 including breakfast and LEGOLAND tickets.