Holiday Inn Express & Suites Surrey by IHG

I spent three nights here. The staff were helpful and friendly, especially at check-in, and the room had a nice open layout with plenty of space. It was clean, though there's room to improve. The bathroom could use an update and some maintenance. By my last day, the shower tray had become a walk-in puddle because the water wasn't draining well. The location was okay for my first visit to Vancouver, but downtown is a good 45-50 minutes away by transit, and there's not much to see or do nearby. There's plenty of parking, or a bus stop right outside. If you're heading west toward downtown, you'll need to cross the road. Breakfast was included, with limited choices and okay quality. It's complimentary, so I can't complain, but it can get busy and seating is limited. My room faced a busy main road, and the outside walls don't block sound well. Light sleepers should ask for a room on the other side or use earplugs. Also, if you don't plan to use the fridge in your room, ask to have it switched off. Mine got very noisy.

It was a good stay, and the location worked well. The room was clean, the bed and pillows were comfortable, and we liked the quiet hours. The staff were very friendly, and housekeeping did a good, efficient job. The eggs were a little dry, and the oatmeal hadn't been refilled by around 8:30. The TV channels weren't great either.

The parking lot was nice and open, and the breakfast staff were very kind. The stay was decent, but the hot tub was the biggest problem: clumps of hair, gross floaters, cloudy water, and mould or scum on the walls made it obvious it hadn't been properly cleaned in a while. We called the front desk around 8:30am to arrange a 12:30pm late checkout. Before that time, we got two calls asking why we hadn't checked out. Housekeeping walked in on us, and then at 12:30, as we were just about to leave the room, the manager knocked and asked why we hadn't checked out. The communication clearly hadn't reached everyone. Having to explain to about four different people that we'd arranged a later checkout made the whole thing uncomfortable and off-putting. We chose this hotel after being really impressed by a different Holiday Inn Express the night before. Compared with that one, this location was disappointing.

Christine helped us check in and was so friendly, with lots of information about our room, our stay, and the area. The rooms were very clean and quiet, and the location is great, close to shopping and food. Lovely hotel in Surrey!