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https://www.laveenadiaries.com - Hi friends. My today's blog is a little different. By virtue of my job and also my passion for travelling and exploring new places, I get an opportunity to stay in different hotels (including 3-star to 5-star). Today I chose to write about a hotel, the stay in which was so delightful that its memories will last for a long time to come.In October 2019 we planned a ten days vacation and decided to take a journey to Indore by road. We made a route plan. Our first destination was Agra. We started our journey from Beas on 1st Oct. A little short of Delhi; we took Yamuna Expressway. We reached Agra in eight hours. We had already booked rooms in the Hotel- Holiday Inn.Facade of Hotel Holiday InnHotel Holiday InnHoliday Inn is a British-owned American brand of hotels and a subsidiary of Intercontinental Hotels Group.Holiday Inn Agra, MG Road is situated in Agra's commercial hub at Sanjay Place. Close vicinity to the airport and railway stations is an advantage to the hotel. What's even good is that the hotel lies close to some of the significant attractions of the city like Taj Mahal, Red fort and Akbar's tomb. Kheria Airport is just 8 Km. All three railway stations of Agra are approachable from the hotel. The central railway station Agra Cantt is 6 km. Agra Fort Railway Station is 3.5 km. Raja Ki Mandi railway station is at walking distance. We travelled by our car and followed Yamuna Expressway, and the hotel is not very far from the expressway.When we reached the hotel, the staff greeted us with a friendly expression. They immediately took care of the car parking, the luggage and check-in. The vast and bright lobby combined with the amiable staff were very welcoming. They guided us about other facilities in the hotel. Bell Boy escorted us to our rooms. LobbyOn the way to Cafe-GRooms at Holiday InnThere are 150 rooms spread over nine floors. The rooms were elegantly decorated and equipped with a minibar and tea/coffee facility. The views from the rooms were fascinating. The windows of our rooms opened towards the market. The beds were comfortable enough to tie you up in the bed. We can award ten on ten to the cleanliness of the rooms. Washrooms were small but fully furnished with shower, hairdryer etc.Our RoomPicturesque Garden, Swimming Pool and Health ClubThe hotel has a charming garden, a health club and a swimming pool available to its guests. After taking a round of the garden, we preferred spending our evening in the outdoor pool. The health club has glass walls, and visitors using the club could easily see the swimming pool.  The warm weather in Agra encouraged us all to enter into the pool. We came out of the water, totally reinvigorated. After changing, we thought of visiting the market near the hotel. The famous Petha shop(original) of the city- Panchhi Petha and Bhimsen namkeen were at walking distance from the hotel, so we went and bought some Petha and Namkeen.Swimming PoolHealth ClubMe watching kids swimming in the poolRefreshed after the swimPool DeckRestaurantOur booking plan was dinner, bed and breakfast; therefore, we dined in the hotel restaurant - Cafe G- an all-day dining restaurant, with an extensive buffet. It comprised of- street food like paani puri, tikki, chaat etc.-grilled food like paneer tikka, chicken, salmon etc.-the main course.Desserts and beverages also offered a lot of variety. We savoured all kinds of vegetarian foods and were not able to decide which one was the best.BuffetBreakfastThe hotel offers the most extensive and lavish buffet spread, including both Indian and International dishes. It caters to the needs of all age groups. Freshly cut fruits, sprouts, cereals, steamed vegetables, south Indian food, cakes and pastries, different loaves of bread and several non-vegetarian dishes were beautifully laid. There was a live kitchen where one could order the cuisine of one's choice. The staff at the restaurant pampered my kids with various delicacies like pancakes and waffles. Delicious food with so much choice made sure that we healthily started our day.BreakfastBarAlthough we did not use the bar service, those who want can enjoy drinks at the bar. Puppet Show There is a live puppet show in one of the rooms of the lobby. We enjoyed a puppet show and also interacted with the artists. Adjoining this room was a small shop selling souvenirs. Puppet ShowSouvenir ShopOther facilitiesLaundry Service, Wifi, Free Parking and tour desk are also available. Children below 12 years of age can stay free when sharing room with their parents. Room service is also available.Banquet hallThe Holiday Inn Agra has a grand banquet that can cater for 600 people. It is a perfect setting to celebrate special occasions. During our visit, there was an exhibition in the hall. We also spent some time at the expo. Since it was our first day of the journey and we had planned to explore a lot more in the next ten days, we did not buy anything. But the crowd at the exhibition till the night was proof that the hotel was trendy in the city.Banquet HallExhibition AdvertisementConference HallThere is a conference hall equipped with a smart state of the art technology at your fingertip.ConclusionTo sum it all, I must say the Hotel Holiday Inn is a complete package. It comes with its architecture, the design, the artistic decor, the comfort, the hospitality and the food. All these bring positivity in you. We explored the city for two days, and we all had a great time in the hotel. And this positivity and the memories that I carry with me till today motivated me to write my this blog on  Holiday Inn.