Holiday Inn Camden Lock

A few months ago I reviewed the Holiday Inn Brighton Seafront Hotel, as part of the BritMums Holiday Inn You’re Welcome campaign for families. You can read my full review here:

Kids welcome: Holiday Inn Brighton Seafront

but the short version is that we found it a relaxing and friendly place to stay, in a great location.

Holiday Inn London Camden Lock

When I was invited to check out the Holiday Inn London Camden Lock I was interested to see if it matched up to its Brighton counterpart. I was in Camden for the BritMums Live! 2016 Friday Night Fringe Party – the opening event of the UK’s leading annual social media and blogging conference.

The Holiday Inn London Camden Lock is in a great location right next to Camden Lock Market, alongside Regent’s Canal, and just five minutes’ walk from Camden High Street underground station. Camden Town, in North London, is famous for its eclectic independent markets, street food and live music venues and is a fascinating place to explore.

I arrived at the hotel in the afternoon and was checked in by the friendly reception staff straight away. Besides being given my room keycard and wifi code, I was also offered a map of the local area, a tube map, and a London map.

My room

My room – number 224 – was a Standard room with two double beds. You can see what it’s like in this short video which I filmed when I arrived:

As you can see, the room is well-equipped and laid out –  it had everything that I needed for an overnight stay. The only disappointing thing about the room was that it looks out onto some high walls and so had no view to speak of. If you like a room with a view, there are some rooms available (for an additional charge of £20) which look out onto Camden Lock. Fellow blogger Kirstie of The Family Adventure Project was staying in one of these – here’s a picture of the view from her window:

It’s clear from many small details that Holiday Inn have put a lot of thought into the design and comfort of their rooms. My kids always mention the comfort – or not – of the pillows and beds wherever we stay, and I think that they’d like the beds in this room. Besides the firm and soft pillows on the beds, there was a pillow menu offering further options (synthetic, natural down and feather or anti-allergen). On the bedside table were two packs of ear plugs with a card which said: ’Some people like the sounds of the city but if you prefer the sound of silence you can use these with our compliments’. There was actually no need for ear plugs as I heard no noise during the night, despite being in central Camden. (Kirstie said that she did hear some noise from her room-with-a-view though). The room had a kettle with tea and coffee (including decaf coffee). There was a hairdryer next to a full length mirror with a light above it – I’ve stayed in too many places where there’s no power socket for a hairdryer anywhere near a mirror, so this was good to see.

I believe that life’s too short for ironing, but should you feel the need to be creaseless, there’s a trouser press in the room. The roomy wardrobe had a safe inside it, and the safe was dead simple to use (even for someone who has been known to call out safe-rescue services in several countries).

Lobby

The ground floor open plan reception and lobby area is a funky, welcoming, relaxing and practical space. There are sofas and armchairs dotted around, there’s a bar, a huge TV, a shelf with books to borrow, a rack of magazines and daily newspapers to browse through, charging points, and free wifi throughout.

There’s a stock of useful things to buy which you may have forgotten, such as toothpaste. You can also eat here, but there are so many independent places to eat in the area, that you may prefer to do that instead.

Camden Lock

Kirstie and I headed out of the hotel for a walk and to find something to eat before the evening party. It was interesting strolling around the Lock and the markets, and there was a buzzy atmosphere even in the late afternoon. We ate at Mildreds Vegetarian Restaurant, just along the road from the hotel. We had nachos and halloumi burgers, and it was all great – definitely recommended.

Glasshouse on the Lock

The BritMums evening party was held in the Glasshouse on the Lock on the ground floor of the Holiday Inn. The room has floor to ceiling windows overlooking Regents’ Canal and Camden Market and is a cool place for a party – it’s often used for weddings and special events.

Verdict

The Holiday Inn London – Camden Lock is a relaxing and friendly place to stay. It has everything that you need for a comfortable stay, and is in a great location for exploring Camden and the rest of London.

Cost

The cost of staying at the Holiday Inn London – Camden Lock varies according to when you book and when you stay there. Searching on the Holiday Inn website today, the lowest price that I could find for a standard room is £176.54 per night.

Family-friendly places to stay in London

For more recommendations of places to stay in the capital, check out my post Family-friendly places to stay in London.

Things to do in London

For inspiration on what to see and where to go, look out for my monthly London roundups – Things to do In London with kids.

Over to you

Do you have a hotel which you’d recommend, in London or elsewhere?

Disclosure: I was invited to stay at the Holiday Inn London – Camden Lock for one night for the purposes of this review.