The sign outside said 'Celebrating 20 Years' and the hotel felt like it. It is probably time for a complete refurbishment. If some rooms have been refurbished we did not get one. Location is good in the centre of town and there are 2 car parks, one underground that is tight for larger cars and one along side with free parking for residents. We had an Executive Room which was disappointing. First it was a very small room, which explains why it was not a king size bed, There was only one bedside reading light, where the other had been was covered up. The bathroom shows that you can get a bath, toilet and wash basin into a 2m square room. No good if you if you are not slim. The room and public areas were clean.
The restaurant area was really cold, I don't know if the heating was working properly, but it is open plan with the lobby so you get a cold wind when the front door opens. We only had breakfast, which was the same as other Holiday Inns, nothing special. A cooked to order breakfast is always better.
Staff were polite and helpful, but not that knowledgeable on the area.
We had an advance booking deal so it did not work out much more than a Premier Inn.

I have stayed at this hotel many, many times. Most of the staff are friendly enough, but somehow it doesn't feel warm.
Its looking a bit tired, and is in need of a refurb. The rooms are clean and relatively spacious, but I always think they are a bit gloomy. The rooms have air con units, but these are often very noisy, and do not work particularly well.
The hotel has a car park which can get busy, but I dont think I have ever failed to get a space in all the times I have been here (probably about 40 times).
Undoubtedly, the worst thing about the hotel is the food.... the breakfast is poor at best, and I have no idea what the scrambled egg is supposed to be made of, but it doesn't seem like egg!!
The restaurant is expensive, and the food is very poor (poor quality and poorly cooked)... the only time I eat in the hotel now is when Im too tired to do anything else, and I just have a bar meal!

Basic but clean and pleasant room. Lovely service- friendly, cheerful and considerate

My husband and I have stayed here before when we have been on shopping expeditions to Bolton. On the positive side:The hotel is very central aand has carparking on site.It has a nice bar area and the rooms are reasonably spacious.On the down side: The restaurant is a real let down! The staff were lovely, but the food was luke warm! My garlic butter didn't even slightly melt on my steak. When I mentioned it to staff it was replace with a piping hot steak, but only after my husband had finished his meal. Not good!!!!!!!!!! Then when we ordered ice cream for dessert, it took ages to come. How long does it take to put 3 dollops of icecream in a dish? Unfortunately, this has put us off staying again. Pity really cos the hotel is not bad otherwise.

I needed to go to Bolton and normally I would have stayed in Manchester and got the train over in the morning however on this occasion I thought I would stay in Bolton.
Good decision...this hotel is typlical Holiday Inn in many ways. Rooms are slightly tired but mine was clean and warm
The staf here are exceptional and very helpful and friendly. I had a room meal and breakfast and both were just fine.
Definetly would come again

I stay at the HI Bolton at least once a month. The rooms have been refurbished fairly recently and are generally quite good. Beds are comfortable. The leisure centre is a shadow of it's former self though. The Jacuzzi has been boarded over and the gym equipment is noisy and old. Having said that it is usually very quiet and peaceful!
The bar is OK but a bit soulless. Staff are generally excellent but do seem to be a bit rushed even on seemingly quiet nights.

Must have stayed in most Holiday Inn's around the UK, but my first time here, so expected the 'usual'.
Underground free car park, lift up to reception, and my first impression was that all the staff seemed to be local, very friendly and helpful at reception, bar and restaurant.

Huge room, 2 double beds, sitting area, shower and bath, I presume they are not all like this!

Complimentary water, orange juice and biscuits, nice touch.

1 minor quibble - lack of TV channels. Surely most hotels can now at least install freeview.

Restaurant was fine for dinner and breakfast. All in all very good and I will return.

So Holiday Inn is a corporate giant but the staff in Bolton went way further than ANY hotel in years.

I stay perhaps 40 nights a year away and this was by far the friendliest staff I have encountered in years ... I mean this. The receptionist went & got me ice. The bar man HELPED me as the room was not open to charge things to it - he said fine go sort it and we will do the paperwork when you get back and served some one else.

And I love this - the breakfast manager checked me out whilst eating my breakfast to save me queueing after it!

Would recommend here to anyone purely on the staff! Shame I only have cause to visit once a year!

Lovely & see you next year when back on buisness.

I have stayed in this hotel, many occasion this last 6 months, due to work commitment, be it for a night or a week. And I have to say that each time I go, the staff remember who I am and are very very friendly. The rooms are spacious and very clean. Food is lovely, and would highly recommend to any one. Andrea ;)

I had my wedding at the Holiday Inn Bolton (Cloister’s Suite) in August 2008, but have been back a few times since as my husband is a wedding photographer. Sarah the wedding co-ordinator is fantastic and the team on the day will make sure everything runs smoothly for you. The Cloister’s Suite is ideal for a wedding (and if you choose the right photographer you can get some great indoor and outdoor shots). My guests had a shock when they walked into the room as I don’t think they expected such a stunning room. And compared to some of the boring wedding venues in the Bury/Bolton area this place has very competitive prices. One the day the food/drinks/staff were excellent. Although we did have a few issues with our hotel room at the night (had a room with 2 single beds on our wedding night ha!) but the staff fixed that for us. If you’re thinking about having your wedding there, go and check it out it’s awesome! NB: Put my trip as September 2011 as been back to the hotel recently, and didn't review after my wedding as wasn't a member on TA.

stayed overnight here with my husband ,we had a lovely room it was very clean,great bathroom,good shower ,very comfy beds choice of pillows what more can you ask ? Breakfast is served in a nice bright dining room its buffet style lots to choose from all yummy .Staff very helpful nothing seems too much trouble to them .The hotel is also in a great spot if you want to do a little shopping,there are also lots of pubs around serving food,we didnt stay long enough to eat an eve meal in the hotel or try the swimming pool but we will next time ,would very happily stay here again .

We are originally from Bolton and flew over from Australia in August for our daughter's wedding. Unfortunately, our planned accommodation didn't turn out so we went to the Holiday Inn in the hope that they could fit us in for the 3 weeks of our stay. Jay was very helpful and worked out a bed and breakfast deal for us. He put us on the fourth floor, at the quiet end, so we were away from any noise from the lifts or functions.

The hotel lobby and restaurant are very modern, but the reason I have given it a 3 star rating is because our room was in need of renovating. There was a big crack under the window and bits of wallpaper hanging off the wall. Plus the television was of the old fashioned variety and not flat screen, as is found in most hotels these days. As mentioned in previous reviews, there are very few bathroom amenities - a shampoo and shower gel, plus soap, but this didn't bother us as we always take our own anyway. Other family members had rooms booked for the night of the wedding and they were nicer so I think maybe they are in the process of renovating.

Food in the restaurant was of good quality and great portions. The bar is unstaffed at times, but you just need to ask at reception and they will call someone to come and serve you.

This hotel was very busy at the weekends as they also do weddings and there were lots of them while we were there! This made parking a bit of a problem and our car was hemmed in at one stage. In fact, it took 45 minutes for us to get out! There is some spare land next to the outside car park which would make a great extension to the existing one! There is also an undercroft car park, but the spaces are very tight and it's a bit up and down. If all else fails, you can park at the casino car park across the road providing you get a note from reception to display on the dash board.

Internet access is very expensive at 10 pounds per 24 hours, but you get free access in the lobby for 30 minutes if you buy food or drink from the bar.

As stated in previous reviews, the hotel is very central to the town centre and has easy access to the motorway. We would definitely stay there again. We can't praise the staff enough! Because we were there for so long they felt like friends by the time we left. We would especially like to thank Jay on reception for helping us out in a tricky situation, and also Ann, Alpesh, Laura and Dipak in the restaurant for making us feel so welcome. Also some of the housekeeping ladies who we found to be very friendly. As mentioned before, it just needs a bit of money spending on it to bring it up to 4 star status. All in all it was a very pleasant stay.

Stayed here for four nights over the August Bank Holiday weekend, its a modern hotel about eight minute easy walk to the centre of bolton. Rooms are comfortable enough, but housekeeping is poor. I stayed here with my family in two rooms, we returned one day to find the door to my sisters room had been left open all day by the cleaners, and on two occasions in both rooms the little milks left for our teas were sour, and in my room there were same bits on the carpet for two days so they obviously hadnt hoovered, also when i arrived there was a used piece of dental floss behind the door in the bathroom which was still there when i left, and probably is still there now. The hotel had two wedding functions on while we were there, the second went on until 1.30am and was very noisey, then you could hear the lifts being used until about 2.30am there were also children running up and down outside our rooms until quite late, on the nights when there were no functions going on it was very quiet, but every door in the place seems to bang shut! We didnt have breakfast there because it was expensive, take the eight minute walk into Bolton and get full English for third of the price £5, i can recommend Tiffany on the square. We did eat at the hotel one evening and food was great, total bill for five us having three courses and a couple of soft drinks each was £148.00. Staff were all very friendly and helpful. Taxi to Bolton station costs £3.50 max. and taxi to the Trafford Centre or Manchester £25.00 max.

good comfortable hotel. in town centrefriendly helpful staff no complaints

What do you expect, its a Holiday Inn in Bolton!
Very central, but not a lot going on outside of the hotel.
Rooms average, mine had a massive crack in the wall.
Had my evening meal in the hotel - massive portions!
Breakfast ok, nothing special.
Parking on site, although its very tight spaces underneath the hotel. There is one outside thats better.
A hotel that needs a bit of money spending on it for me to give it a 4 out of 5. So it gets a three!

Was staying for 1 night and the best sleep i have had in ages.Very comfortable beds and quiet rooms.Only thing no biscuits in room for my tea and coffee.Reception staff very helpful but think the restaurant was overpriced at 12.95 for a Gammon steak,egg and chips which took 45 mins to come.But all in all very good location and cheap and comfortable surroundings.

We stayed at this hotel for the Iron Man weekend which was bought as a package which included 3 nights stay, breakfast and evening meal. My other half was competing - it was great value for money.

I can not say enough about the staff. on the first night, we didnt arrive until late, but they kept the restaurant open for us to eat! They honestly could not do enough for us! All throughout the weekend, staff remembered our faces and always had time for a chat - the head chef was especially lovely!!

The hotel itself was great - had a lovely pool and gym too. Its location is right in the centre of Bolton, very convienient. I even caught the train into Manchester the one day which is 15 mins away - i easily walked to the train station from the hotel.

The staff made the trip very enjoyable! Thanks Holiday Inn Bolton! Will definatly stay here again!

i am a regular visitor to holiday Inn being a long standing priority club member ,after unpacking noted that air conditioning not working ,maintenance team were already aware therefore unsure why reception allocated this room without advising customers when hotel not full. After returning to reception I was offered an alternative room with air conditioning
Nice Swimming pool however sauna not working.
I was not advised of this when collecting towls from reception in addition no notice in pool area advising customers out of use.
Rooms very clean and helpful housekeeping staff .Comfortable beds
Breakfast had good variety / quality .
On checking out was not asked if my stay had been enjoyable which is unusual for holiday inn

Stayed here on a weekend break having got a great rate and we were attending a function here.
Politely checked in although we had been allocated a smoking room on the 4th floor, I wasn't too concerned but the receptionist suggested we would probably still smell nicotene so kindly relocated us. The new room although on the first floor although as clean and well presented as most Holiday Inn rooms are it was slightly dark. It turned out our room window was overlooking a large ventilato shaft which obscured a lot of the light from the room and although I never expect a great view from city centre rooms I can't imagine one worse than this. I didn't complain for we were only sleeping in it.
It always amazes me how 'tight' hotels are with their toileteries and unusually these were not replenished for the second night. Turned out the swimming pool was out of order, it would have been helpful to be advised of this on advance.Although we had a half decent stay and we willuse the hotel again this wasn't our best stay here by a long shot. Checkout was polite & swift but again unusually we were not asked if we had enjoyed our
stay. Just small things that might put others off in an otherwise mice hotel

The service I experienced was second to none, everyone was very friendly and I would reccomend this hotel to anyone.The room I had was spacious and clean and I was very pleased with the the hotel. The food was also very nice, I was with a group and arrived back a little late for my evening meal one night so THEY GIVE ME A CHOICE OF THE SPECIALS MENU AT NO EXTRA CHARGE WHICH WAS ABSOLUTELY LOVELY.

Stayed at this hotel twice in recent months and I have to say that both occasions were pleasant enough. A good nights sleep in a clean, tidy room. Followed by a good hearty breakfast that is constantly maintained and checked over by the chefs. I found the restaurant staff to be very pleasant as indeed were most of the hotel staff that I encountered.

There are however a few little staff training points that may improve matters somewhat? After a long haul 16 hour flight, I struggled up the hotel steps with three cases and a laptop bag to be greeted just inside the lobby by two very pleasant smiling male staff. Perhaps a helping hand would have been a nice alternative?

Once checked in and in desperate need of some sleep, I placed a “do not disturb” sign outside my door and slid happily into bed. Only to be awoken early the next and every other day by a very pleasant housekeeping lady who apologised profusely saying that it was company policy to ask if I required my room cleaning. Why bother with the sign then?
The biggest disappointment for me was the extortionate Wifi internet charges. £15 per day or £60 for 7 days unlimited access. The connection was not all that good and repeatedly failed. Most hotels that I have stayed in all over the world have free or charge a small peppercorn fee for unlimited internet access.

As for the location. There are plenty of eateries just a short walk away from the hotel in the town centre. “Alice’s Chip Shop” on Deansgate that serves a strange but wonderful Irish Curry sauce. And a local pub full of history and character (and some characters) which is a must for any traveller to visit is the Man & Scythe public house on Churchgate. As well as real ales it serves fantastic, well priced home cooked food as well.

http://yeoldemanandscythe.com/testers/intropage.html

I will stay at this hotel again as both the location and price is right. Final words to the Manager: tell your bosses to sort your internet prices out. They are far too high.

Booked this in advance paid around £55 for one night for 2 adults including breakfast. The staff were very helpful and pleasant. The rooms were quite tired as were the bathrooms, needed a bit more cleaning, dust on tops of surfaces, hairs in bath yuk! Be careful if you want breakfast book in advance paid about £6 per head in advance if you get on the day it's £13.95! That is a rip off and not worth that amount. Hotel in right in centre of Bolton so good location.

I was working in Preston for a week and not fancying staying in Preston itself, I booked myself in to the Holiday Inn in Bolton.

As Holiday Inn's go, it is pretty average. really - that's risk in staying in a "corporate" hotel. I was in a standard room which was again standard HI experience, although I must have been above the swimming pool as there was a strong smell of chlorine outside of the room but luckily the smell didn't get into the room.

The only real downside of the hotel is the restaurant, which is like sitting in a goldfish bowl as it's right by the main entrance to the hotel so everyone passing by or iin the hotel lobby can see you. The choices on the menu were fairly limited and the quality of the food wasn't great, there weren't any "specials" offered either. There was a notice in the lift with some on, but that didn't change the whole time I was there and certainly they weren't offered to me at any point.

In line with the mediocre food, the service wasn't that great either. I suspect most people eat out of the hotel where they can, unfortunatel being so tired each day I couldn't realy face this option although I did order a pizza in one night!

Swimming pool was nice, although the sauna was very small and the jacuzzi is no longer in use.

As I've said in the title, if you are after a bland no-frills and fairly souless experience then this hotel should be fine .

Nothing seriously wrong, but nothing outstading either.

This hotel is right in the heart of Bolton but no noise was heard during our stay. Comfortable rooms and a hearty breakfast was enjpyed . Leisure facilities are a little tired but they have installed a new sauna, my only disappointment was the jacuzzi was not working at all during our 3 night stay.
There seem to be some staffing issues with the hotel as receptionist seem to be stretched with their duties and they need to focus more on customers than tasks if the hotel is to develop.

Good business hotel, with a nice pool and gym. Perfect for a one night stopover for a meeting at Royal Bolton Hospital