Holiday Inn Express Tampa-Brandon by IHG

The sheets were dirty when I woke up, and there was a roach in the bed. The room had seemed fine at first, but that was disgusting, especially at these rates. The billing was a mess too. For my one-night stay at Holiday Inn Express Tampa-Brandon, they charged me twice for $239, then added $289 because the front desk employee had forgotten the $50 deposit. Nearly $500 was held on my card and would take days to clear. They said they were comping me $50, but that was the same deposit they'd failed to charge properly, so it didn't really make up for the overcharges, inconvenience, or unsanitary room. A terrible stay. I wouldn't recommend it.

The hotel itself was nice, but it smelled like weed and cigar smoke, and I didn't feel welcome. Check-in was difficult, and the service was below what I'd expect from a Holiday Inn. After I used a different card at the hotel to buy a drink, I was billed twice on two separate cards. The amounts didn't even match. I had to catch it myself, call the hotel, and point out what I believe was fraud. A mistake? I don't think so. I wonder how many people this happens to.

I'm writing about what my husband has faced during his eight-month stay at this hotel as an IHG Platinum Elite member. For two weeks there has been no hot water, after an earlier outage that lasted another two days. That's a basic necessity, and there's been no urgency about fixing it. His room has also had AC trouble, leaks, and lighting problems, all signs of poor maintenance. Though he is meant to have a corporate rate, he's had to dispute charges several times because he's been billed at a higher rate. The staff's response made things worse. When I told the front desk I'd complain to corporate, the receptionist laughed in our faces. Another employee said the manager who approved the corporate rate was “dead” and the rate couldn't be honored anymore. The grounds are clean, but the service is horrible. Nobody has taken responsibility or tried to make it right. We've had empty apologies and no offer of compensation. It's been frustrating to watch a loyal Platinum Elite member deal with this. I wouldn't stay here, especially for a long-term visit.

I stayed one night. The room was pretty decent and had a small fridge, microwave, and Keurig. I couldn't find a cooler setting on the fridge, and it wasn't cold enough for one. The bathroom was spacious, but the vanity top was so limited that I couldn't fit my toiletries bag, skincare items, and curling iron. Continental breakfast was included, though there wasn't anything I liked. That may just be me, since I worked in the food industry for over 10 years.