Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites East Wichita I-35 Andover by IHG

I wouldn't consider this hotel fit to stay in. The pool was dirty and not working, the filtration system was broken, and it was nowhere near heated despite the ad saying it was. There wasn't even an out-of-order sign. We couldn't get a comfortable shower temperature because the plumbing wouldn't let us use hot and cold water together. It was either freezing or scorching. The room's USB outlets didn't work, and there was rust in the bathtub around the meal bits. For basic personal hygiene, I think a cheap motel with a working bed and shower would be a safer choice.

We had to ask for a refund and either drive home around midnight or find another hotel after our kids had competed that day. Other families were dealing with the same mess. This was during one of their busiest weekends, with KS State Gymnastics there, and apparently one person was working, with no cleaning staff. Our room had dirty bathrooms, trash on the floor, and used sheets that had been arranged to look like the bed was made. I've never seen a place run so poorly. Avoid this hotel.

The only compensation for all this was one free drink and one snack from the pantry, where the choices were Doritos, ramen, or Diet Coke. We stayed less than eight hours and would rather have slept in the car. We arrived close to 11 p.m. after five hours on the highway, and booked a queen suite with a pullout for the kids. The front desk was dark and cluttered, and even the luggage carts were dirty, with torn fabric hanging off and wheels that took effort to get moving. On the way to the second floor, we saw trash and debris along the carpet edges and throughout the elevator. Our first room was dark, with poor lighting. Both TVs were missing wall plates, and their wires were fastened to the drywall. The toilet seat enamel was torn, and when we opened the pullout, there was no mattress. I called the desk. The clerk said she'd contact maintenance, but after ten minutes I went down and waited five more before knocking for help. She had been behind the wall the whole time, less than six feet away. She was polite, but there was no urgency. She did find us another room with a mattress in the couch. That room was worse. We had to lean our weight into the wrapped front door to open it. The floor was dirtier, and the pullout mattress was deformed and barely an inch thick, more like a blanket. The supposedly clean sheets had a hole and a dark stain, and the cushions underneath looked unvacuumed. The queen mattress was maybe two inches thick with broken springs, and sitting on it made me sore. It took until 3 a.m. to fall asleep because we were so uncomfortable. The shower was stained black, caulk was barely holding the walls together, and paint was peeling from the drywall. TV channels didn't match their labels, and cables and power cords ran down the walls onto the floor. It looked like a slumlord had bought the place, swapped out the mirrors and curtains, and called it a Holiday Inn. We usually enjoy staying at Holiday Inn, but I won't return to this particular one. The experience started with a room that didn't have what we needed, and ended with that token pantry offer. The first room door was painted over, with wood chips and defects showing through.

The staff were quite nice, and the beds were comfortable. Breakfast was just OK, though I'd pick the cinnamon rolls. Check the apples, one was rotten. The shower was good, but some outlets and lights didn't work right. It looks like they're doing some updates. The Christmas decorations were nice, and the hallways had recently been redone.