Name: Holiday Inn Express Canterbury by IHG
Address: A2, Upper Harbledown, Upper Harbledown, Canterbury, City of Canterbury, England, United Kingdom, Canterbury, Kent, GB
Price range: $62–$136 per night
Rating: 8.27

What guests think

At Holiday Inn Express Canterbury by IHG, reviews highlight very friendly staff, good value stopover comforts, and generally clean spaces, while common drawbacks include paid parking, no lift, and small or warm rooms due to the lack of air conditioning.

Breakfast earns frequent praise for quality and choice, and many guests also enjoyed simple evening meals. Location suits channel crossings and Canterbury visits, though access can be awkward and some find the roadside setting noisy. Expect a straightforward, budget-friendly stop with standout service and a few practical trade-offs.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

On-site parking is available but paid and can be restrictive, with small bays and fines mentioned. The property has no lift.

Related guest reviews

10

Mercy

Nov 27, 2024

·

Stayed 6 nights

The staff were friendly and helpful. Had a great stay. The only downside was having to carry bags upstairs as there is no lift. Would definitely recommend it.

4

David A

Mar 31, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Old and cramped room for 3 people. Noisy hallway. No elevator in the building and no rooms were available on main floor. The staff did carry our luggage up to our room. Staff were relatively friendly but I would not stay here again.

8

Robert

Mar 7, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The beds are not the usual Holiday Inn Express size, they're 4ft 6, which is tight for most couples. The windows also really need replacing, they don't really prevent any noise being heard from outside, which is ridiculous in a hotel a few yards from a 70mph carriageway. There is also no lift, so do be careful booking here if you're not able to lug your suitcase up a flight of stairs! There is only 2 good things about this hotel, the breakfast is a much better standard than most Holiday Inn Express breakfasts, and the staff really do provide world class customer service. I've stayed in a huge amount of hotels over the years and the staff at this hotel are the 2nd best I've ever experienced in my life. They really deserve a better hotel to work with, I hope IHG give them it before they lose some of their very best staff and some customers too.

2

Karl

Aug 11, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel is great, staff are brilliant. Only downside is the parking.... There are serious restrictions. Be very careful about parking and sticking to terms and conditions..... To avoid a fine... If you have a larger vehicle no chance of parking in the small space6

8

Darren

Aug 14, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great hotel. I have always been a fond user of Holiday Inn Express all over UK. Parking plentiful not happy we have to pay to use the hotel carpark in addition thats a first for me. Check in easy, room as expected, bar nice and clean. Didnt eat dinner but breakfast was great. Absolutely will stick with Holiday Inn express hotels.

8

nigel

Nov 30, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Pleasantly surprised at how nice the staff and service was. However, being charged £3 for parking as an additional cost seemed ridiculous. Also, the room was horrendously noisy from the road!..should have better soundproofing/double glazing.. tho i would say the breakfast was very nice

2

Tiago

Aug 27, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Absolutely awful. On the first night, at 23:30 with the kids already in bed out of nowhere the fire alarm starts blaring on the whole floor. We all woke up and a couple of minutes later it stopped. We thought it a false alarm and went back to sleep. Later at 1am again same thing. This time myself with a bunch of other people went to the reception to figure out what the hell was going on and the person at the reception could barely communicate with us as to what was happening. Imagine trying to sleep with two children and being woken up twice in the same night! On top of that: - rooms are absolutely tiny. It’s impossible to walk about without having to squeeze. - no airco. Plus the rooms were boiling even though the outside was a nice cool breeze. Opening the window doesn’t help and just a fan does nothing. - no lift. Get ready to carry your suitcases up and down the stairs. - car parking is paid and is extra. Seriously, a roadside hotel that can literally only be reached by car charging for their parking?! Ridiculous. - the plumbing is old and we could hear a very loud noise whenever the neighbouring rooms had their taps open. - half of the ev chargers are non functional, luckily there are BP ones nearby too. Overall awful, not good value for money at all. Breakfast is a simple full English but nothing to call home about.

6

Karl

Aug 11, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel is nice, staff are brilliant. Only downside is the parking..... Just make sure you stick to the terms and conditions to avoid a fine..... If you have a slightly larger vehicle no chance of parking in the small spaces

10

christine

Apr 1, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The only downside to this hotel is that there is no lift

8

Andrew

Jun 10, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Room was good...no complaints...good shower. Parking was £3...disagree with paying for hotels parking. Breakfast was very good. Staff friendly and quiet enough hotel. Be aware petrol station food prices are extortionate so take snacks with you.

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Cleanliness

Rooms and common areas are generally very clean. A few guests reported housekeeping lapses such as unclean or poorly made bedding.

Related guest reviews

4

Choi

Aug 24, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Pictures show how they made our bed on the last two days. First time i see this in my life. My toddler can do better than this. FYI, rooms does not has AC, not as what they advised in their website. I would not go back and would not recomment, especially in hot summer.

6

Seetharam Prakash

Aug 9, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

The family room Duvets weren’t clean and the way the arrangement looks it was an recently used one.

10

Howard

Jul 4, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

They were polite, friendly, professional,and fast. The hotel was Clean comfortable and inviting. Also great food.

10

Patricia

Oct 30, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Really impressed. Staff were all super professional helpful, and friendly, all round excellent customer service! Rooms very clean, comfortable bed and great breakfast. Brilliant value, would definitely recommend. I’m not easily impressed but this was excellent, especially for the price!

10

Anne

Aug 2, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Very clean. Friendly & efficient staff. Easy parking. Nearby bus stop to get into Canterbury.

10

Eliot

Dec 20, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff were very cheerful and helpful and the room was spotless. Breakfast of a high standard so very pleased.

10

Lesley

Nov 29, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel was clean and bright. The reception staff were friendly and helpful. This is my second at this hotel and both visits were great and I would recommend to anyone.

10

Ryan

May 8, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The hotel was lovely and clean was nice to be able to sit outside and the staff were lovely very helpful I would recommend this hotel and will stay here again

8

Dennis

Oct 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very nice breakfast. Parking good. Clean rooms.

10

Sara

Jan 1, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Clean rooms, very friendly and supportive staff, everything went well, good breakfast, I would definitely come back

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Rooms

Rooms are basic and functional, but several guests found them small with small double beds and limited storage. Lack of air conditioning can make them warm, and traffic noise or weak soundproofing is noted.

Related guest reviews

4

Choi

Aug 24, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Pictures show how they made our bed on the last two days. First time i see this in my life. My toddler can do better than this. FYI, rooms does not has AC, not as what they advised in their website. I would not go back and would not recomment, especially in hot summer.

8

Robert

Mar 7, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The beds are not the usual Holiday Inn Express size, they're 4ft 6, which is tight for most couples. The windows also really need replacing, they don't really prevent any noise being heard from outside, which is ridiculous in a hotel a few yards from a 70mph carriageway. There is also no lift, so do be careful booking here if you're not able to lug your suitcase up a flight of stairs! There is only 2 good things about this hotel, the breakfast is a much better standard than most Holiday Inn Express breakfasts, and the staff really do provide world class customer service. I've stayed in a huge amount of hotels over the years and the staff at this hotel are the 2nd best I've ever experienced in my life. They really deserve a better hotel to work with, I hope IHG give them it before they lose some of their very best staff and some customers too.

8

nigel

Nov 30, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Pleasantly surprised at how nice the staff and service was. However, being charged £3 for parking as an additional cost seemed ridiculous. Also, the room was horrendously noisy from the road!..should have better soundproofing/double glazing.. tho i would say the breakfast was very nice

8

Mary

Dec 1, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel has a high standard of cleanliness. Staff are helpful and friendly. The room for 3 is pleasant but very cramped. The addition of Fairtrade tea, coffee, sugar would be brilliant - and Fairtrade chocolate and bananas too, please!

6

Rebecca

Oct 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was unbearably warm.

2

Tiago

Aug 27, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Absolutely awful. On the first night, at 23:30 with the kids already in bed out of nowhere the fire alarm starts blaring on the whole floor. We all woke up and a couple of minutes later it stopped. We thought it a false alarm and went back to sleep. Later at 1am again same thing. This time myself with a bunch of other people went to the reception to figure out what the hell was going on and the person at the reception could barely communicate with us as to what was happening. Imagine trying to sleep with two children and being woken up twice in the same night! On top of that: - rooms are absolutely tiny. It’s impossible to walk about without having to squeeze. - no airco. Plus the rooms were boiling even though the outside was a nice cool breeze. Opening the window doesn’t help and just a fan does nothing. - no lift. Get ready to carry your suitcases up and down the stairs. - car parking is paid and is extra. Seriously, a roadside hotel that can literally only be reached by car charging for their parking?! Ridiculous. - the plumbing is old and we could hear a very loud noise whenever the neighbouring rooms had their taps open. - half of the ev chargers are non functional, luckily there are BP ones nearby too. Overall awful, not good value for money at all. Breakfast is a simple full English but nothing to call home about.

8

Fiona

Jul 17, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great stay . Bit noisy with traffic in room 218. Staff extremely helpful in food area. Bed on small side but very comfortable. Bathroom excellent. Could do with more space to hang clothes/put clothes away but find as we were there for one night. Definitely would go again . Great fan in room !!

6

Jane

Apr 1, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Team were very friendly and rooms were clean. Beds are small doubles so a poor nights sleep if you are over 5ft 7”. Noisy outside and rooms are not soundproofed so you can hear talking, alarms etc.

6

Kim

Jul 14, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

My check in experience was awful. I was a single traveller & was allocated a twin room. It took a long time to resolve & a huge queue built up. The room itself was fine other than there is no air conditioning & when I opened the window I found there was a flat roof to another part of the building littered with cigarette ends. Considering it was supposed to be non smoking it wasn’t the best. The fan provided just moved hot air around. The bed was a small double & not particularly comfortable. Breakfast was the usual Holiday Inn Express fare. Pretty limited. I did manage to get vegetarian sausages but they took a while to be cooked. The strangest thing about the hotel is that it is tucked behind a service station. Getting access isn’t great as you have to be heading towards Canterbury to get in. Returning from Canterbury means a detour to be able to get onto the road that the Services are situated on. I won’t return unless I’m absolutely desperate.

2

Agnieszka

Aug 29, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Very noisy next to highway and no air conditioning in rooms. Overpriced! Nothing around hotel.

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Service

Service is a standout: staff are consistently friendly, attentive, and proactive. Occasional issues include check-in delays and slow response to late-night noise.

Related guest reviews

10

Tessa

Apr 19, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff make this hotel. All eight of us agreed we have never known such fantastic service. ALL the staff went out of their way to make sure everyone was happy. The place was also very clean.

10

Tracey

Nov 28, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

One of the best Holiday Inn Express Hotels I've stayed in - the staff were amazing, extremely pleasant, efficient & spoke to every guest. A big shout out to the chef, I was very surprised at how good the food was - make sure you try the sweet potato & chickpea curry - delicious. I would highly recommend this place.

10

Mahesh

Sep 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Excellent staff. Great service. Breakfast is amazing

2

Kevin

May 30, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Was woken by a fire alarm set off by people cooking in their room. Rang reception 3 times during the night to complain about noise from rowdy people who were drunk standing below the room, last call at 04.30 no action taken. Drunken man trying to get into several rooms on our floor in the early hours of the morning. Numerous guests woken up and in the corridor trying to get rid of the drunk.

10

Margaret

Jul 22, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Excellent customer service

10

Richard

Jul 5, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The service was 5 star. I eould go back just for that.

6

May

Oct 1, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

had to wait at Check-in as no one was there. Everyone was serving at restaurant next to the reception area. One staff was chatting with one of the guest at a restaurant table (it wasn't about order, they are doing socialising chat). One was at the beer taps. This is not the first time but the third time I had to wait at reception to be checked-in. I always stay there for Business but it had to be the last stay as I am going to stay somewhere else from now onwards. The room I was placed was for Disable people too and all the facilities in that room wasn't convenient for me and I didn't feel comfortable. When I rang to reception about it, I was told that all the rooms are occupied but I didn't see it as I can feel/see when it's occupied because I used to stay at that place many times before. Thank you.

10

Mary

Aug 31, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Seamless friendly check in Top notch customer service Health varied breakfast options And the complimentary items incase you forget a toothbrush,shaving cream, sanitary products etc..💯

10

Stella

Sep 5, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

It was amazing. The staff are very friendly and is a welcome environment.

10

Colin

Jun 25, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Easy access to the ports. The staff made the difference. Everybody we spoke to was friendly and professional. The hotel was just a stopping point. Well done the staff!

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Location

Roadside setting off the A2 is convenient for Canterbury and channel crossings like Dover and Le Shuttle. Access can be awkward due to one-way approaches or roadworks, and some guests noticed traffic noise.

Related guest reviews

10

Lynne

Sep 10, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Great location, 10 minutes to Canterbury, very quiet, great staff - they couldn't do enough for us, greeted us like friends every morning. Would definitely book this place again if in the area - fabulous stay for 4 nights after a 30 hour flight from Australia.

10

Rosa

Mar 18, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Only downside is getting in and out of the hotel grounds

10

Serosh

Oct 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Good location if your catching ferry from dover

8

AJ

Oct 19, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Had a very difficult time reaching the hotel due to road closures. It would have been helpful if the hotel had notified guests of the process in advance (we had to be escorted through the roadworks by an official vehicle) but I didn't receive anything. Ended up calling them after lots of sat nav redirects and not getting anywhere. But hopefully that won't be for long (this was mid-Oct 2023). Once I got there, the hotel was great - staff were helpful and the service was very good. Nice, clean comfortable room and a great breakfast.

6

Chris

Mar 17, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice place to stay, but next to busy road. Also had to pay for parking

8

Sanjit

Mar 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Good stay for overnight required for work, if I could wish for a highway/motorway hotel to be like then this would be perfect for that little quick stop over to rest and continue your journey.

8

Brian

Jun 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

overnight stay before boarding Le Shuttle - ideal base for a quick visit to Canterbury - looking a little tired but ideal for our needs

6

Kim

Jul 14, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

My check in experience was awful. I was a single traveller & was allocated a twin room. It took a long time to resolve & a huge queue built up. The room itself was fine other than there is no air conditioning & when I opened the window I found there was a flat roof to another part of the building littered with cigarette ends. Considering it was supposed to be non smoking it wasn’t the best. The fan provided just moved hot air around. The bed was a small double & not particularly comfortable. Breakfast was the usual Holiday Inn Express fare. Pretty limited. I did manage to get vegetarian sausages but they took a while to be cooked. The strangest thing about the hotel is that it is tucked behind a service station. Getting access isn’t great as you have to be heading towards Canterbury to get in. Returning from Canterbury means a detour to be able to get onto the road that the Services are situated on. I won’t return unless I’m absolutely desperate.

10

Colin

Jun 25, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Easy access to the ports. The staff made the difference. Everybody we spoke to was friendly and professional. The hotel was just a stopping point. Well done the staff!

2

Agnieszka

Aug 29, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Very noisy next to highway and no air conditioning in rooms. Overpriced! Nothing around hotel.

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Dining

Breakfast is widely praised for quality and choice, and evening meals are generally enjoyed though menus can feel limited. Staff keep items replenished and accommodate early departures with takeaway options.

Related guest reviews

10

Tracey

Nov 28, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

One of the best Holiday Inn Express Hotels I've stayed in - the staff were amazing, extremely pleasant, efficient & spoke to every guest. A big shout out to the chef, I was very surprised at how good the food was - make sure you try the sweet potato & chickpea curry - delicious. I would highly recommend this place.

10

Michael

Jun 18, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We booked two rooms for a one night family stay. The hotel is basic but had everything we needed and was comfortable. We used the restaurant in the evening and the food (pizza, wrap) was good. Breakfast was also good with plenty of choice. What really lifted the stay was the performance and attitude of the staff. Friendly and really helpful. Attentive at dinner and breakfast. A real effort at breakfast to keep items replenished and make sure people had what they wanted. Just before the end of breakfast staff made sure everyone knew the buffet was about to close, so they could go to get anything else they wanted.

10

Mahesh

Sep 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Excellent staff. Great service. Breakfast is amazing

10

Hilary

Aug 21, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean room comfortable bed and good breakfast with plenty of choice. The staff were all welcoming and helpful. Would thoroughly recommend this hotel and look forward to staying again

10

Patricia

Oct 30, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Really impressed. Staff were all super professional helpful, and friendly, all round excellent customer service! Rooms very clean, comfortable bed and great breakfast. Brilliant value, would definitely recommend. I’m not easily impressed but this was excellent, especially for the price!

10

Graham

Oct 25, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was good and the beds were comfortable, all very clean. Also we had dinner, very nice, and the included breakfast was delicious.

10

David

Jul 11, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Happy to recommend. If travelling, good location and comfortable place to stay. Very good choice and quality of food available in the evening. Good breakfast.

10

Modan

Dec 16, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

We had an excellent stay, the staff at the front desk and bar were very friendly, attentive and courteous, breakfast was very nice, plenty of choice , and evening meal which we ate on two consecutive nights were lovely, even the chef came out to check how the food was and prepared the food to our liking; we would highly recommend this hotel if you are visiting Canterbury which is 5 mins drive away.

6

Kim

Jul 14, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

My check in experience was awful. I was a single traveller & was allocated a twin room. It took a long time to resolve & a huge queue built up. The room itself was fine other than there is no air conditioning & when I opened the window I found there was a flat roof to another part of the building littered with cigarette ends. Considering it was supposed to be non smoking it wasn’t the best. The fan provided just moved hot air around. The bed was a small double & not particularly comfortable. Breakfast was the usual Holiday Inn Express fare. Pretty limited. I did manage to get vegetarian sausages but they took a while to be cooked. The strangest thing about the hotel is that it is tucked behind a service station. Getting access isn’t great as you have to be heading towards Canterbury to get in. Returning from Canterbury means a detour to be able to get onto the road that the Services are situated on. I won’t return unless I’m absolutely desperate.

8

Dennis

Oct 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very nice breakfast. Parking good. Clean rooms.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	$61
February	$72
March	$79
April	$83
May	$98
June	$100
July	$117
August	$115
September	$98
October	$82
November	$66
December	$68

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4 $117	5 $136
6 $69	7 $94	8 $101	9 $90	10 $85	11 $107	12 $125
13 $77	14 $80	15 $80	16 $80	17 $91	18 $107	19 $125
20 $76	21 $80	22 $85	23 $89	24 $85	25 $103	26 $127
27 $76	28 $76	29 $76	30 $76

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $76	2 $82	3 $107
4 $70	5 $76	6 $66	7 $80	8 $70	9 $76	10 $107
11 $67	12 $70	13 $76	14 $66	15 $85	16 $100	17 $134
18 $66	19 $70	20 $76	21 $62	22 $76	23 $97	24 $107
25 $66	26 $71	27 $66	28 $74	29 $62	30 $76	31 $103

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Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Guest reviews

Very good

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property Policies

Check-in instructions

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FAQs about Holiday Inn Express Canterbury by IHG

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