Holiday Inn Express Bradford

Shannon was great, gave us useful tips, and made sure we had everything we needed. The pool was clean and warm, and the place was very clean in general. Friendly staff and a great stay. I’d highly recommend it if you’re visiting beautiful Bradford.

A train engine was stopped on the railway right outside our first-floor window, running noisily and puffing all night. The room itself wasn’t cleaned when we came back the next day, though the late-shift desk staff eventually cleaned it. Our keys didn’t work on the first day, so we had to wait for staff to let us in every time. The shower curtain had yellow stains, and we had to replace it ourselves. We’d called several times before arriving to confirm our dog could stay even though it wasn’t a service animal. The front desk said yes and promised us the right room, but the booking sites, including their own, didn’t offer that option. The next day, staff seemed surprised the dog wasn’t a service animal and added a charge we thought was already in the price. When we explained how disappointed we were, they only offered points, as if it were a game. I was told upper management was trying to work through some of the problems, but I’m not sure I’ll return to find out. We’d had high hopes after an emergency stay before, when the staff were very kind, and the front desk seemed helpful while we booked this visit.

We drove nine hours from northern Michigan with my two children under five, my husband, and his parents to surprise a family member for her birthday. Before the problems started, my FIL had called to confirm our rooms would connect, but at check-in the receptionist said they wouldn’t. He handed her $20, and suddenly there were connecting rooms. Then my husband deadbolted our room while we went through the connecting door to get the kids from my in-laws’ room. Somehow the connecting door shut and locked us out. Our wallets, tablets, car keys, shoes, everything was inside. My FIL explained it at the desk, but the new key she gave us was useless with the deadbolt on. The receptionist said she needed to contact her boss, who lived about 15 minutes away. We waited over an hour before she called our room to say help was on the way, then another 40 minutes passed. When a man arrived, he said he was the head maintenance person. He told us the door couldn’t lock on its own and someone must be inside locking it behind us. We kept telling him none of us was in the room. He went to the front door, knocked and called “housekeeping,” then tried an electric key. We were frustrated, it was nearly 10-10:30 at night and we wanted to sleep. My FIL asked for the manager, but was told the manager wasn’t available. At the desk, we asked why no one had a master key for emergencies, and what would happen if our kids were stuck in there. They said they didn’t know. Absolutely ridiculous, a huge liability, and completely unacceptable. I asked for a refund, but the man said that wasn’t going to happen. In the end, my husband had to break down the connecting door with his whole body to get our things. On checkout day, my FIL said we wouldn’t pay for the door. I’ll call corporate and hope for some kind of refund for this awful stay. The whole thing was handled so unprofessionally.

The place was clean, breakfast was good, and the location made it easy to get to Pitt-Bradford campus, restaurants, and a supermarket. I really appreciated the housekeeping woman and the front desk woman who gave us advice on the best route to Pittsburgh in the snow. They knew the area and were generous with their help.