Holiday Inn Express Campo De Gibraltar - Barrios by IHG

The location is not far from the cost of Andalusia, where holiday hotels abound, with pools and sun loungers, but this is more for a sort of business stay. A budget business stay - like if you're the (Philippino) crew of a ship rather than the passengers. The a/c in my room didn't work so I was given an alternative room. Smoking was/is allowed. My room had an ashtray . . . and the stink of stale cigarette smoke was disgusting. As for general condition, attached is a photo of the carpet . . .

Basic but very comfortable Hotel. Clean and spacious. Rooms were in good condition and clean. Could have some wall hangers for coats as the wardrobe wasn't very practical. Bathroom has a full height frosty window into the room which makes it awkward to use at night with other people in the room. TV is tiny but that's fine. Breakfast was decent although bread was pretty well cooked if you have the teeth. Parking is just outside and very tight. Nice location with plenty of things to do and places to eat.

More like a Spanish YMCA. Not up to IHG standards, Terrible experience. This hotel has no recognition for IHG status (Diamond Elite), no ice buckets or ice, no coffee or tea making supplies in room (although there is a kettle), no hot water, coffee or tea at breakfast due to 3 machines "not functioning". It does have dirty carpets, garbage in the elevator, dirty breakfast tables, the hardest beds and pillows imaginable, as well as the smallest room TV ever. Also notable, school children running in the hallways and calling rooms (including ours) late a night, It would have been funny but it wasn't. Pros- Pleasant front desk people, Ok maid service, Ok hot water and shower, location in industrial park close to Gibralter. Cons-everything else. Terrible breakast with server wiping her nose on her hand, terrible internet, terrible sleep. If you want to work, sleep or eat---go somewhere else.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Campo Express de Gibraltar--Barrios prior to making a trip to Gibraltar. Note that this hotel is on the Spanish side approximately 15 miles away in an industrial center in Los Barrios. Note that it takes approximately 15-20 minutes to drive to the Spain-Gibraltar border. Our suggestion is to park on the Spanish side and walk over for a day trip. The rooms were as one would expect from Holiday Inn Express. They were clean and more spacious than some of the other hotels that were staying in the center of town during our trip. The stay includes a continental breakfast, which was a nice way to start the day. Also, there is free parking. I would recommend this place if you already have a car and were planning to take a day trip to Gibraltar or to Tangier. It is a convenient place between the two, although there is not much to see around the immediate area in Los Barrios.

I decided after Stay 1 I wouldn't mind coming back... and in truth I did return later that week. So I was a repeat customer. Positives: -offered 2 PM late checkout as IHG Platinum -rooms are quiet -price was great and I got to earn IHG points Negatives: -no conditioner provided in the shower (if you're only going to provide two bottles in the shower to save on cost, make one conditioner!) -the mattress, a Pikolin, was definitely a budget mattress for a domestic audience. In the US, that mattress would be a problem for the hotel. Very, very hard. -they should install a credit card reader for their vending machine. I know Spain is a little behind on going 100% cashless, but I saw credit card readers on vending machines elsewhere so I think they would see the benefits of doing so. -they should just charge for parking. It's "free" as it is, but most nights I could not get a spot and had to go into the neighborhood looking for one. -AC turns off after 10 hours regardless of what you do. So if you turn it on at 8 PM for an evening, it will turn off at 6 AM while you are still asleep, waking you up in a sweaty mess.

Easy access off main highway near shopping markets. Rooms basic but nice. Breakfast nothing special but staff very nice. Parking is free. This was great place to stay when we went to gibraltor. Rooms were very Inexpensive and easy access to main highway 15 min from gibraltor. Fyi Depending when you go the border crossongs can take 2 hrs so that is why most drop car in carpark and walk across to gibraltor to take tour