I stayed here at the beginning of December so that I was close to London. It is a great location to get to, only about ten minutes from the motorway junction. Also there is a direct train from Hemel Hempstead to London Euston which takes about 31 minutes.

My husband and I arrived early evening on a Saturday, it was about 7pm and there was only one space left on the free car park so we were delighted to find it. The car park is at the back of the hotel and it was nice that there was an entrance from here which takes you through the hotel to reception to check in.

Check in was very fast and we were shown where breakfast was served. Our room was on the 5th floor and it was very quiet. The room was a decent size but a bit downside was there was a very old style tv which did not have clear picture quality. Also in the bathroom there were no toiletries, only a fixed shower gel which was attached to the wall in the shower. It seems that holiday inn express really is as basic as a travelodge.

A nice part of the room was that the pillows were labelled firm or soft which was a nice touch. The location of the hotel is great with many waterside restaurants directly behind the hotel. There was a pub and about four other restaurants including an indian, a vegetarian bistro, italian and coffee shop. It was about a minute walk to get from one to the other.

The bed in the room was comfortable and I enjoyed a nice sleep. In the morning the breakfast had a small variety but perfect for what we were after. Enough traditional fry up ingredients and just enough continental type breakfast stuff too.

The hotel was great value for money and in a brilliant location [there was a sainsburys about a minutes drive away also].

very conveniently located for car, rail and barge! check-in was speedy and helpful re free parking and we were pleased with our very well & thoughtfully designed, warm, clean and spacious room and also spotless shower room with an ingenious dual purpose door. i was delighted with not having drawers to check & re-check there was lots of hanging space and large cubby-holes instead. plenty of lighting choices, lots of work space, spare soft and hard pillows and extra blinding white fluffy towels. large and very comfortable mattress, however a good night's sleep was denied because of the car park. showering and hair-drying was perfect. breakfast was great, self-service from a well stocked fresh buffet, constantly kept full and spillage cleaned with a smile and help at hand all the time and it met the expectations of all ages and was included in the room price and a free newspaper too. all of the employees taking care of us throughout had pride in their work and in their hotel and rightfully so. the hotel is right next to a large supermarket, a pub, a picturesque canal with Apsley Lock and impressive painted barges everywhere and on the opposite bank to the hotel there's a Chinese Restaurant. went to a very friendly pub down the road and enjoyed some excellent live music and delicious ales. would have happily stayed at this hotel for much longer than 1 night and will definitely find a way of staying over here again when travelling 'up north' in 2012.

I stayed here with a friend for a weekend in November 2012 and we were delighted with the place. It was clean and modern and the rooms were a good size. The room was very warm, however and no matter how hard I tried adjusting the heating controls, it never seemed to get any cooler.
The (included in the price) breakfast buffet was great, with a selection of cereals, yogurts, breads, pastries and a hot selection comprised of scrambled egg, sausages and beans.
There's plenty of free parking and the area in which the hotel is situated sits on part of The Grand Union Canal, so there was an opportunity to enjoy a post-breakfast Sunday morning stroll along the canal side.
The hotel has its own bar, but literally a stone's throw away is a great pub right on the banks of the canal, serving great ales and fine food. There's also Indian and Italian Restaurants across the canal in the adjacent marina.
A short walk along the main street will bring you to fish and chip, Chinese takeaways and kebab type fare, so it's ideally located for any taste and budget.
Really nice place and highly recommended if you're looking for somewhere to stay in this area.

Stayed here when attending a wedding reception at a nearby location.

Good quality product for the price paid. Free breakfast and a newspaper was good too.

Would recommend to anyone who needs to stay in the local area. Free parking a bonus too!