Right. I visited Lincoln to see an old uni friend. However I should have chosen to sleep on her sofa. It started of with check in which was slightly off hand when they could not find my booking. Reservations had left for the day and i asked for the manager to give me a call in the morning, he never did! After waiting for 10 minutes i was checked in to my room, which was not as clean as it could have been.
I met my friend at the bar early on in the evening, the staff were either sullen or quick to finish, the service certainly did not match the price!
The next day I woke up to no water and was greeted on enquiry by a tired okay, but it was late in the morning so I suppose it was my fault, no alternative was offered. I needed to wash my hair so I didn't feel comfortable enough to go for breakfast.
Overall I was shocked at the service and although I understand sometimes things break, to leave a message for a member of the management team and not get a response is a cardinal sin!

Good views and excellent meals especially steaks - rooms comfortable and clean and staff very friendly but noisy in the summer when leaving window open in the early hours from late night revellers (students generally)
Earthquake proof !!

Having read the negative reviews of this hotel prompted me to write a review of my own. I found this hotel to be clean, the staff very friendly and in the best location. Within walking distance to restaurants, sites and shopping. Rates are good.
I would highly recommend this hotel.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn when we visited Lincoln for 2 nights this past weekend. We paid £98 per night which included breakfast.

First impressions were excellent, right on the wharf and plenty of bars and restaurants in close proximity. Impressions became even greater when we found that the front desk had upgraded us (we are Priority Club members) to an Executive Room overlooking the wharf. In truth, the front desk staff were some of the friendliest people I have ever been checked in by and they continued with the smiles and hello's throughout our stay.

Our room was 311 and was a very nice size. A nice touch was the free water, orange juice and chocolates left each morning. Plus if you are staying there midweek and are a Priority club member you also get your choice of newspaper on a daily basis. The room had a lovely king bed which was firm, and also a choice of pillows. We found the initial pillows a tad too soft, so just opened up the desk drawers to find more pillows of differing styles. Nice.
The room also had a very comfy sofa, which I guess converts to a bed if necessary, a desk and light, a huge wardrobe (with iron & board) and tea making facilities/mini bar.
The bathroom was also a nice size with a shower over bath and a nice tiled floor. It was also spotlessly clean. Very impressed with the room overall.

Breakfast was included in our rate and was an all you can eat buffet. There was plenty of choice to be honest and it was extremely hot and tasty. The toaster is a bit slow and it can get a bit queued back but it's not really anything to concern yourself with. Staff were very pleasant and made us feel welcome. The breakfast room itself is the main restaurant with excellent views across the wharf. There is also a nice bar below, which has a plasma TV and drinks were reasonably price (£5.60 for 2 pints).

Location is fantastic. There are loads of bars and restaurants along the wharf. We ate in Chimichanga on Saturday night and despite it being a chain restaurant (although we had never visited any before) it was excellent. Slightly classier Mexican food than you usually get in city centre establishments. There are other options including Ask, Nando's, Tootsies and many more. Also a lot of the bars do food as well. It does get busy but the reviews on here saying the noise is a problem are way off. We didn't hear anything both nights, and it was a Friday and Saturday night we stayed.

The car park cost £3 which was expected. A little bit annoying but a safe environment to leave your car.

As for Lincoln itself, this was our first visit and won't be our last. It is a lovely city, and if staying by the Wharf it is about a 10-15min walk up (and I mean up!) a very steep hill to the castle and cathedrals area. It is well worth the walk though and there are plenty of shops/tea rooms etc on the way to have a breather. We ate lunch in Olivers which is near Steep Hill and the food was excellent, service was a bit disappointing but well worth a visit. There are plenty of options though, some cheaper and some much more expensive.

The castle and cathedrals are fantastic. Well worth the cost to visit. There was a small market on Saturday as well which had local produce for sale.

If you are heading to Lincoln for the historic areas I would still recommend the Holiday Inn. It isn't a particularly long walk but is uphill. Fortunately there is a walk and ride service from the city centre up to this area which operates all day, although not in the evening. Lincoln isn't quite up there with the likes of York but it is well worth a visit and the Holiday Inn is a great place to stay and see the sights.

Highly recommended.