Holiday Inn Express Red Deer by IHG

We booked a bunk bed room for our family of four, including two young kids, and my boys loved it. There’s lots of room, and the hotel was surprisingly quiet despite sitting by a busy road. The walls must block noise well, and that’s worth paying extra for when visiting a city. Breakfast was satisfying, the pool was a plus, and the service was great. Highly recommend for families!

The room wasn’t suitable to stay in. The building heat wasn’t working, and the space heater provided wasn’t enough, especially with Red Deer temperatures forecast to drop during my stay. There was also an overpowering smell of cleaning chemicals. I went straight to the front desk to cancel, and the staff member on duty assured me he’d note my file so I’d receive a full refund. That still hasn’t happened, and they’re now refusing to issue it. I’m very disappointed by the hotel’s condition and by the service and lack of integrity in not giving me the refund promised. Agoda also disappointed me by having no policy, as far as I could see, to recover payments in situations like this. Getting my money back has taken a lot of time and inconvenience. I won’t use a third-party booking app again, and I’d never recommend anyone stay here. The hotel is obviously poorly managed. I would recommend the Sandman Inn across the street instead. Its staff were very accommodating and gave me a nice room in a quieter part of the hotel.

The building’s age is hard to miss, with low toilets, dated fixtures, and a general need for renovation, though the staff seemed to keep it as clean as they could. We were disappointed, especially given the high ratings. Our first room had a strong odor, so we asked to move. The second was a little better, but the smell remained, and we both woke with headaches. The pillows were uncomfortable and there was noise all night, so we needed earplugs and slept poorly. Even the included breakfast was below average. We wouldn’t stay here again.

The pool temperature was okay, a little cold but warm too. It’s open from 8AM to 10PM, while the hot tub closes earlier. Our room was very clean and there were no bedbugs, but the shower area was a bit dirty. We didn’t really need any service. Room#104 has terrible plumbing. You have to hold the toilet button down for about 5 MINUTES before you can leave it. Cell service was zero bars in the room, so you have to use wifi for calls. @TELUS customers are especially out of luck, with 3-4 bars only by the windows or outside in the lobby. I’d give this hotel a 4/10, but would go back in the future.