Holiday Inn London Brentford Lock

This is a fine hotel. It's bright, modern, clean and very professionally run. The staff here were very helpful in responding quickly to maintenance issue and lending me a plug adapter. Although I booked via Hotwire, my request for a quiet room was honored and I was treated very well throughout my stay. The room had a digital safe, comfortable bed, nice bathroom with great shower and a handy refrigerator that was once intended as a minibar. In four days, I never heard noise from planes landing at Heathrow from inside my room. Outdoors, a plane occasionally passed overhead but at a sufficient altitude that the noise was barely noticeable. Had I not read comments in the reviews, I would not have even noticed that Heathrow traffic passed overhead.

Internet access, as in most of Europe is not entirely free. However, the front desk will provide a free one hour voucher usable (in principle) for wifi access in the lobby. I discovered the voucher (password) worked in the room as well both for wifi and wired access, both of which are very speedy. You can also buy vouchers for 1,4 or 8 hours and all voucher, including the free one, are good for 72 hours so you can log on and off and only pay for time actually used. For 7GPB I purchased a 4 hour voucher and didn't even use up all the time during my stay. Most hotels sell you time that must be used continuously, so the scheme here is a refreshing change.

Getting to central London is very easy but NOT very fast. The E2 and E8 buses stop right outside the door with very frequent service to Northfields and Boston Manor respectively, both on the Piccadilly Line. Figure a good hour or more to the West End. Both buses continue to Ealing Broadway where you can find a Tiger Shop in the shopping centre. On the main road near the hotel, bus 267 goes to Hammersmith Bus Station where you can catch the tube or the 9 or 10 bus into town. It's a good 1.5 hours by bus (except late nights) due to the horrible traffic, especially around Chiswick. The 237 goes to White City and stops in front of the Shepherd's Bush station on the Central Line. Again traffic through Chiswick slows down your journey substantially. If you catch either the 237 or 267 you can change for the 27 at Turnham Green Church and go through High St. Kensington and Notting Hill Gate all the way to Camden Town, assuming you have some time to spare! Throughout the night, the N9 runs from Trafalgar Square to Heathrow in both directions stopping at the Hotel on the main road. A good bet if you're a night owl or catching a very early flight from Heathrow before the Tube starts up.

The area around the hotel is fine and a peaceful respite from the hubbub of central London. Along the high street there's a Cost Cutter local supermarket and a new huge Morrison's two block farther east. Then there are the usual neighborhood businesses, pubs, etc. Nothing special but nothing to avoid. The canal itself is far from picturesque and the gentrification of the area appears stalled due to the recession. But after a couple of days you'll feel at home in Brentford. And nearby the famous Kew Gardens are always worth a visit.

So, in summary, if you're a seasoned London Transport user and willing to spend the extra time necessary to commute into town, this hotel is a top choice. If you prefer to be closer to the action, and willing to pay two to three times more (or rough it in a youth hostel), this hotel is definitely not for you.

Stayed here last Friday with friends. We were going to a Coldplay concert at Wembley and this hotel couldn't be beaten on price.

Although it is a bit out of the way and the nearest tube isn't within walking distance, I would recommend this hotel if you are going to an event at Wembley or want to keep the costs down whilst staying in London.

The hotel was very clean and the staff were both friendly and professional.

We stayed for £78 per room per night including breakfast, which we felt was excellent value for money. There is also secure underground parking for £10 per night.

The hotel recommended a local Taxi company Boston Manor Cars, who took the four of us to Bond Street for £28 on Friday afternoon and picked us up from Wembley Stadium at Midnight and took us back to the hotel for £30. Would definitely recommend them also.