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BOSTON

Staying At The Holiday Inn Express Luton Airport

If you are taking an early morning flight out of Luton Airport – this hotel review blog post is for you! To save on sleep, I booked myself in at the Holiday Inn Express at Luton Airport, and wanted to share my experience with you. You can read my review below or watch me give a room tour and review in the YouTube video below.

Why The Holiday Inn Express?

I chose the Holiday Inn Express because it is literally the closest walkable hotel to Luton Airport. It took me about seven minutes to walk there, with a straightforward path through an underpass that felt safe and manageable. There’s also a shuttle bus that runs if you prefer not to walk but I recommend you get the shuttle schedule in advance.

Room Tour Overview

You can see all of these in greater detail with my video above. Upon checking into my room, here’s what I found:

Living Area: The room features a small table and chairs with handy outlet sockets, and a couch that might double as a sleeper sofa.
Bed: The bed comes with both firm and soft pillows, catering to different preferences. I’m team firm, so I appreciated this touch.
Amenities: There’s a luggage rack, a trash bin, a set of mugs, a kettle, a flat screen TV, and a few menus. The bar downstairs was lively, suggesting it’s a popular hangout spot.
View: The window offered a view of some old-school airplanes and the airport itself, which is right next door.
Closet Space: A mini ironing board, iron, hairdryer, and a modest number of hangers were available.
Bathroom: The bathroom was basic but clean, with a simple vanity area, generic soap dispensers, and towels.

Rates and Booking

At the time of my stay, I booked my room for around £100 per night. I have also used my IHG points for subsequent stays, taking advantage of my IHG Gold status.

Breakfast

Breakfast starts early at around 4 AM, catering to travelers with early flights. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to try it due to my 6 AM flight. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the food options at Luton Airport itself, including a fantastic Spanish place offering freshly sliced cured meats and delicious baguette sandwiches.

Final Thoughts

Would I stay at the Holiday Inn Express at Luton Airport again? Absolutely. Its proximity to the airport—just a seven-minute walk—is incredibly convenient for early flights or late arrivals. The hotel met all my needs for a short, restful stay before my flight.

There were no significant issues or nitpicks during my stay. While I didn’t use the shower, the bed was comfortable, and the overall experience was as advertised.

For more of my travel blog posts and hotel reviews, please visit: https://thesavvybostonian.com/category/travel/

BOSTON

A Much-Needed Update To My Boston Guide

Usually, throughout the year, I update my Boston Guide, removing places that are sadly no more, but also adding in new hotels, restaurants, cafes, and favorite parts of the city to see. However, upon reviewing my guide recently, I realized that I have been slacking. Like…massive slacking! After the pandemic, Boston has changed a lot, with quite a few of my favorite restaurants going away and new ones arriving to dazzle the city.

View of the Boston skyline at sunset from Cambridge

As my mission is to keep this up as a valuable resource for locals and travelers alike, here is what I removed – and what I added!

BOSTON, TRAVEL

Hotel Review: The Colonnade Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts

Talk about a momentous occasion. Due to the pandemic, I had not traveled to the United States in one and a half years. As a result, I wanted this trip to be special. So, when it came to planning my week in Boston, I decided to check off a hotel “bucket list,” so to speak in the city by staying at The Colonnade.

BOSTON, LIFE UPDATES, LONDON, TRAVEL

Reflecting on 2019

I am a big believer in reflecting on your year. Why? At the end of the year, it’s easy to forget what truly happened over the past 365 days. As a result, I started looking back on my year. My process involves looking back month by month to reflect on what was happening – both good and bad – across my personal and professional life. I go through my calendar, my camera roll, this blog and my business site, JessicaGioglio.com, to help jog my memory.

Why do I do this? I want to fully process and reflect on all of the things I did across work, my travels, times with friends and family. I find that I have a tendency to forget things that happened or to summarize my year if I do not thoroughly reflect. I also believe that in order to be mindful about goal setting for the following year, you need to have an honest assessment of how the previous year went.

Instead of doing this privately for 2019, I wanted to use this blog post to share my process with you. In this post, I’ll share my 2019 highlights and key learning’s with you. I’ll also summarize how my reflections are shaping my 2020 goal-setting process. Are you ready? Let’s jump in!

BOSTON

Where I Ate and Drank In Boston

After living in Boston for 15 years, returning for visits is always a delight – especially during the summer. There’s something magical about Boston in the summer – the city truly comes alive with rooftop bars, outdoor terraces and long walks to be enjoyed (especially the paths along the water!). In this post, I’m sharing where I ate and drank while in Boston. Read on for some mouthwatering restaurant and cocktail bar suggestions!

Photo taken at the Away store in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood

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