Holiday Inn Express Blowing Rock South

The sound carried easily through the walls: we could hear the hallway from our room, and noise from our room could be heard out there too. It sometimes disturbed the otherwise peaceful feel. We also found the healthy breakfast choices pretty limited, although the breakfast was better than what you usually get at a hotel. The entryway and bathroom tiles felt a little sticky, and a rag picked up quite a bit of dirt when we wiped a spill. Still, the bed was comfortable and nicely set up for a good night’s sleep. We enjoyed the stay and felt the hotel gave us a good experience for its four out of five rating.

We picked this hotel to be close to attractions and shopping. Check-in was easy, check-out even easier, and the shower was nice. The morning breakfast was filling, but the juice machine, which was also supposed to dispense water, stayed broken the whole time. The only milk I tried on the first morning tasted sour. Luckily, I brought my own juice the next day, and my husband had the hot chocolate. There were three of us and the sleeper sofa had no mattress, sheets, or pillows. We asked for pillows and an extra blanket, so my husband had to go downstairs because the room phone didn’t work. We took turns on the sofa, which was horribly uncomfortable. The bed wasn’t much better, and the pillows went so flat they felt like nothing.

The staff made the stay, especially the front desk clerks. Kyle, who works the day shift, was especially helpful from our first day, showing me how to get around the hotel and the local area. Breakfast was decent, and I liked that the breakfast bar was tucked behind barn doors. Outback is walkable for supper after 4, but otherwise you’ll need to drive. The driveways come up quickly and are dangerously steep, and the parking lot needs work. Everywhere you go, you have to head uphill first. I had a great stay. Having worked in hotels, though, I’d suggest chairs at the front desk. Standing on concrete for eight hours a day can’t help with keeping employees long term, especially as feet and backs become a problem with age.

They cancelled our reservation twice at the last minute, with no apology, compassion, or compensation. After the first cancellation, a few days before our stay, customer service offered to help find another room somewhere else at a higher last-minute rate. The 800 number staff said they didn’t know why it had been cancelled, then offered to rebook the same room at a higher price. I’d booked months ahead, but they told me rates depend on capacity and last-minute bookings cost more. The second cancellation came at 10 a.m. on the day we were due to arrive. They don’t care or help, and I wouldn’t trust them again.