Having an important business pitch South of the Tyne early one morning, I decided to hole up for the evening at the Holiday Inn Washington. This longstanding North East Hotel has always been a firm favourite of mine and caters well for the discerning business traveller.
Of course belonging to a stable of impeccable credentials, the hotel offers both comfort and luxury and continues to go from strength to strength under the management of Paul Mandeir. Located just a stone’s throw away from the A1’s junction 64, the hotel is easily navigated. In addition to being a prime County Durham outpost for meetings and events, the hotel offers deluxe accommodation perfect for those working away.
Eager to avoid the teatime rush, I’d got down there nice and early was pleased to find a host of business facilities on site. The 5th and 6th floor executive rooms are all tastefully furnished and are also very well equipped which enabled me to play out the remainder of my working day.
My room for the evening would include; a large writing desk, free high-speed internet, a flat-screen plasma TV, a comfy office desk chair, a modern-spec power shower and also enough tea and coffee to satisfy one media hack’s latent caffeine addiction. Thoroughly content, I beavered away for a highly productive couple of hours before deciding to grab a bite. The hotel’s bar and lounge areas are open throughout the day and offer a relaxing space to enjoy a drink or light bite. The restaurant meanwhile offers diners a more upmarket option with some very reasonable dinner, bed and breakfast packages available for business travellers.
“Traders” the hotel’s very own eatery is a lovely bright and airy dining room where guests can enjoy modern British cuisine alongside international comfort food favourites. You get the choice of both the a la carte and the lounge menu and guests are free to mix and match as they fancy. This was classic hotel fayre at its very best and I was seemingly spoilt for choice, settling in the end on the Tandoori chicken salad followed up by the obligatory 8oz Sirloin steak with peppercorn sauce and all requisite fixtures and fittings. As I knew from experience, the food at the Holiday Inn is wholesome, tasty and wonderfully nourishing which was very much the case again here.
In addition, the service was incredibly friendly and attentive throughout. There’s a great team ethic underpinning the whole place which is a real credit to Paul. Totally replete, I retired back to my quarters to have a quick browse of the papers before settling down for a serene night’s sleep.
The following morning, I practically leapt out of bed and bounded downstairs for an award-winning Holiday Inn breakfast. There’s a broad selection of cooked items on the buffet alongside a range of continental classics, fresh baguettes and buttery pastries. Everything is uber-fresh and delicious and really provides a nice ballast for the day ahead.
Though it may not be your immediate choice, The Holiday Inn Washington has an awful lot going for it. If, like me, you’re a travelling business executive or you’re simply looking for a change of scene, this hotel is a quality outfit which cannot be overlooked.
