Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Bedford by IHG

The staff made the place feel welcoming, and the fresh-smelling room was just right. Check-in went smoothly. It was quiet, comfortable, and very clean throughout, with a spotless feel that showed how much care the staff put in. I’d happily come back and recommend it to anyone wanting a good stay.

We did find a room in the end, but it cost more, and my six-year-old was crushed to learn the pool would be closed for our whole stay. This was our third visit, and the rooms and breakfast have been wonderful before, with no issues on the earlier stays. I wish the service and ways to reach an actual person were better. If I’d known the card had been declined and the reservation was being canceled, I could have fixed it before arriving with my child and no confirmed room. It’s been a tough couple of weeks, and I really didn’t need this. I booked on February 3 and received a confirmation email. My husband had the flu, so it was just my son and me checking in, though the reservation had been for three. At the desk we were told the booking had been canceled because the card was declined. I never received a cancellation notice, and checked both my spam and regular inboxes. I’d like to understand how cancellations are supposed to be communicated so this doesn’t happen again. I messaged general customer service through the contact us link. After a long exchange, they told me to call the hotel because the cancellation had been made there. The number they recommended said my original reservation was fine, then disconnected me. I called the Bedford Holiday Inn and reached the AI-Bot Jolene, who gave me general advice about checking spam folders. The customer service number she provided was the same one I’d already tried. Whenever I entered my old reservation number, the call dropped, and after four attempts I gave up and wrote this review. I wanted an email address or voicemail where I could leave a message and later speak with hotel management about preventing this from happening again. I still don’t know how to reach someone there.

We’ve had a great stay. The staff have looked after us well, and the breakfasts are good, with real eggs rather than powdered ones. The internet has been reliable for both work and streaming videos. The one snag is that the laundry washer is broken.

Breakfast was good each day during our five days, and Deana was wonderful. Every morning she kept busy cleaning and restocking, always smiling. I rated the room four stars instead of five because the bathroom vent didn’t work, which might have helped with the chlorine smell from the pool. The lighting in both the bedroom and bathroom could also be better.