Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites AMITE by IHG

The front desk lady was really nice, the bed was comfortable, and breakfast was good with the temperatures right. We would have given five stars, but the AC kept kicking on and waking us up. This happens at all the Holiday Inns I've stayed at, and the doors slam every time someone across the hall or next door comes or goes.

The front desk manager on the night we arrived was kind, but the next day the customer service was poor. When I asked for a refund for the second night so I could leave, the front desk refused and made me feel as if I were overreacting. I left anyway and booked another hotel. We arrived around 3 a.m. Friday, expecting to stay through Sunday, but couldn't manage even one more night. The hotel was badly outdated, the carpets were dirty, and everything smelled damp. There was visible mold inside the sinks, and even the pillows smelled damp. At $230 per night for two rooms, that was unacceptable. Definitely not what I expect from a Holiday Inn.

This place has really declined during the years I've been coming here for work. On my last visit, I paid $165 a night before fees, about $185 total, for a mostly empty Holiday Inn Express that was in shambles. The curtains wouldn't stay shut, and the AC blew them open, letting in parking lot lights as bright as the sun. There was a broken-down Chevy truck on jack stands, half torn apart, which I assume belonged to the owners. It seemed their relative was doing the work, and appeared to be living in a busted travel trailer in the parking lot. I'm not joking. When I took a little trash to the dumpster by the trailer as I left, an Indian man repeatedly gave me a mean look and stared at me for a long time. It was a very unfriendly encounter. Three visits earlier, an Indian couple, who I assume were the owners, sat just inside the main entrance and stared at me while I came in and checked in. It was uncomfortable and unprofessional. An older Indian man in the hall did the same. When he smiled and beckoned me to stand by him at the elevator, his body odor was so strong that I carried my 50-pound luggage and 30-pound computer bag up the stairs instead. He kept calling, “sir, sir, the elevator is right here,” but the smell was overpowering. Another visit was uneventful, except the rate was high for a Holiday Inn Express, $160 a night before fees, around $185, despite the hotel being mostly empty and very outdated and needing repairs. It was for work, so whatever. I'm surprised the property still carries Holiday Inn Express and IHG branding. The place is mildly subpar, but the ownership and professionalism are extremely subpar. It felt like an $80 Choice hotel room with a parking spot right outside the door.

The room was clean, the front desk person was helpful and pleasant when we arrived, and breakfast was good. We couldn't use the pool, though. The pool room was very cold after a cold front came through, and all the windows were open. The water was cold too. I'd still stay here again when visiting relatives in the area.