The upgraded Super King Premium room was noticeably larger than a typical UK chain-hotel layout.
We stayed one night at the Crowne Plaza Nottingham in October 2025 while in town for field hockey at the University of Nottingham and dinner at Restaurant Sat Bains.
On paper, this was not a particularly strong IHG redemption.
Date | Details | Regular Cost | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
Oct 2025 | Crowne Plaza Nottingham | $167.63 | 40K IHG Select Certificate |
A $167 room against a 40K certificate works out around 0.4 cents per point equivalent, below the level where I would normally become excited about redeeming IHG points.
But that was not really the relevant comparison.
The certificate was tied to the old IHG Select card, carried a $49 annual fee, and expired in December. Turning it into a comfortable one-night stay before a long dinner felt entirely reasonable.
The most memorable part of check-in was probably the welcome amenity conversation.
As IHG Platinum members, we were offered either:
500 IHG points
or a drink each at the bar
The front desk agent seemed mildly surprised that we immediately chose the drinks, as though anyone using a free night certificate must obviously prefer the points.
But 500 IHG points are worth very little in practical terms. Two glasses of wine are not.
We later used the vouchers on two £12 glasses of Primitivo at the hotel bar.
Without asking, we were also upgraded to a Super King Premium room.
The Room
The upgrade made a noticeable difference.
The room was significantly larger than a typical UK chain-hotel room, with enough space for a separate seating area instead of everything being compressed into a single rectangle.
The extra seating area made the room feel noticeably larger than many UK chain hotels.
The decor was fairly typical Crowne Plaza:
grey-blue tones, functional furniture, slightly dated finishes, and a layout aimed more at practicality than personality.
The room prioritised practicality over style, with a proper desk setup and plenty of usable space.
The bathroom was clean but unremarkable, with a shower-over-bath setup that felt consistent with the rest of the property.
The bathroom was clean and functional, although the shower-over-bath setup felt somewhat dated.
One thing we noticed immediately was the proximity to Rock City Nottingham directly outside the window. We half expected noise later in the evening, but from our floor the room stayed surprisingly quiet.
Rock City sat directly outside the window, although noise was less noticeable than expected from our floor.
For this particular trip, the location worked well:
easy enough for the hockey facilities, walkable into central Nottingham, and only around the corner from The Alchemist Nottingham, where we ended up stopping for a nightcap after Sat Bains.
There is probably not much more to say about the Crowne Plaza Nottingham than that, which was likely a good sign.
It was comfortable, quiet, conveniently located, and turned an expiring certificate into a genuinely useful stay.