Holiday Inn Express Arlington by IHG

The highway is close by, which is convenient, but traffic noise inside the room was remarkably loud. Some road noise is expected, though this felt excessive and suggests the windows and building need better sound insulation. The elevator scraped and clanked whenever the doors opened or closed, and as it approached the first floor. The property doesn't seem old, but it didn't look well maintained. The bathroom was mostly clean, though the tile by the entrance and in the bathroom felt sticky, hopefully from cleaner residue. The mattress was worn, with the center in much better shape than the sides. There was also a persistent foot odor in the room. I checked, and it wasn't from my shoes or clothes. Service was generally lacking. Once I saw a desk agent sitting in the lobby talking on speakerphone and ignoring guests. Staff didn't seem very engaged with people coming and going. The person at the desk when I left this morning was a bright spot, genuinely warm and friendly, and wished me a good morning and a nice day. That helped improve my impression a little.

The hotel's location worked perfectly for the places we needed to go, and the food was good. Our beds were clean and comfortable. The staff were very helpful and friendly, which alone makes the place easy to recommend. We got a handicap room on the third floor, the top floor. I thought those rooms would be near the front or on the first floor. Maybe it was quieter up there, or perhaps the room had been converted. Being right by the elevator was convenient, although the room number wasn't in chronological order and took a bit of walking back and forth to find. One thing to know: if someone else pays for the room online, their card has to be physically at the hotel for check-in. My niece had paid online, but she wasn't there with her credit card. Even though we had her on the phone, they wouldn't charge her card, saying it was a new policy. I would still recommend this hotel.

We've stayed here before, and I can't believe this is supposed to be the same place. The room smelled like pet urine, the TV screen was blue, and the lampshade had a big hole in front. If I'd wanted a Motel 6, I would have booked one. This doesn't even compare to Motel 6. Can I please attach pictures?

We enjoyed our two-night stay, especially for the price and all that was included. There was free breakfast and coffee, a spa, pool, laundry, and a gym. The room had a mini fridge, an extra lounging chair, a TV, and they offer cribs for babies. The temperature control was perfect. The rooms were spacious, the staff friendly, and housekeeping cleaned more for us than the hotels on military bases do.