Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Cincinnati Se Newport by IHG

Bring your own drinking water. The fitness center dispenser wasn't filled, its fountain was disconnected, there was no water at breakfast, and the hotel didn't provide a complimentary bottle. Some bottles, including Propel, were for sale. The computer was so slow it was barely useful, and I never made it to the pool because the room before it smelled strongly of chlorine and made me gag. Still, this was a five-star stay for me. I wanted a clean room, a full breakfast, and a good location, and got those. I don't know much about Holiday Inns, but their cheese omelet and biscuits with sausage gravy are hard to find at hotels. The coffee machine grinds fresh beans, too.

The adjoining room's door wouldn't lock. Its deadbolt didn't work, and someone could push the door open. I was alone with my two medically complex children while we were in town for their appointments, and I didn't feel safe staying there. The front desk said they couldn't fix it until the next day. It was already after 10 p.m., so moving hotels wasn't convenient. I called Priceline, where we'd booked, to ask for a refund, but neither they nor the corporate office could tell me whether I'd get one. We left after less than two hours because I didn't feel safe. I had to take my kids out in the middle of the night and find another hotel, which cost me over $100. This hotel still won't give a full refund and kept the charge for a night we couldn't stay. I've called several times and only received a partial refund for the four-night booking. I tried other ways to resolve it, but the hotel refused. That's unacceptable, and I wouldn't recommend staying here. There are plenty of nice hotels in the area.

The room was great and everything else seemed fine, so I might've skipped writing a review if the breakfast hadn't been so disappointing. We stayed March 9-13 and paid over $100 a night. I know breakfast is free, but this was the worst hotel breakfast I've had. At least serve real eggs instead of that powdered egg stuff. The cheesy omelet was powdered too. Across the four breakfasts, I saw only one kind of sausage at a time, changing from unpleasant patties to links. The links were probably the best option, but they were only there one day. There wasn't even a waffle maker, and the pancake machine was useless. I know that's not the employees' fault, but the owner is cutting corners with these cheap choices and should be ashamed. If breakfast doesn't matter to you, the rest of the hotel was fine. I was really disappointed.

The room was clean and nicely furnished, and the staff made our visit to see the Reds a great stay. Jason checked us in and was especially friendly. Erika and Johnny put together a solid breakfast and made sure we enjoyed it, while Danielle was great to work with at checkout and got us out quickly. All four helped make the stay good. One tip: bring exact cash if you plan on riding the trolley.