Holiday Inn Carlsbad by IHG

The room was sparkling clean, with a well-stocked bathroom, plenty of towels, and a mini fridge. I was in a King room and declined housekeeping for the bonus points, 500 a night for four nights. I used points to cover the whole stay. Every housekeeper I passed said hello and was friendly. The hotel is about ten minutes from I-5, and when I booked it was much cheaper than nearby choices and had the best ratings among nearby IHG hotels. Staff were generally lovely. The tall young red-haired man at check-in, possibly named Dylan, checked my room preference, which I rarely see, and suggested 2051 Cocina Italiana. It was phenomenal. I also liked getting texts after check-in asking how things were going. One evening, a short, curly-haired young woman went out of her way to find honey when I started feeling unwell. The exception was the woman at the desk when I arrived around 1 a.m. Saturday. She didn’t look at me or speak, but everyone else was amazingly friendly. A couple of small annoyances: there’s no microwave in the room. They’re by the ice machines on each floor, which isn’t convenient. There’s also no tea or coffee setup. As a Diamond Elite member I’m used to the newer machines, and as a tea drinker I bring my own, but I like having hot water and another tea choice. The gym has hot water from a portable container, which seems odd. I imagine coffee drinkers aren’t keen on that either. Get the machine! All in all, I had a wonderful stay.

I’ve been doing events with the Holiday Inn Carlsbad team for more than five years, and they’re among the easiest, most professional people I work with in North County, SD. I’ve worked with Jenn and Cesar over the years, and most recently with Jenn, Luca, and Mario. They’ve all been fantastic. Communication is clear, they stay organized, and they make service a priority for both the coordinator and the client. They work alongside you and help you feel confident that they’ll handle whatever comes up and see the event through properly. The ballroom is spacious, as is the outdoor terrace courtyard. My clients love the Holiday Inn Carlsbad. One returning client held her daughter’s Quinceanera there on 1-10-26, after we hosted her oldest daughter’s Quinceanera at the Holiday Inn Horizon ballroom two years earlier. Many guests came from out of town, so the event space, the Stratus restaurant on site, and the hotel rooms were all convenient. I highly recommend it to planners looking for a venue for a client, or to anyone arranging an event themselves.

Rooms are clean and nice, and there’s a pool, hot tub, and laundry room. The staff were friendly, and check-in is allowed at 18, as long as you bring ID and a payment card in your own name. It’s also close to the airport, so you hopefully won’t miss your flight. Breakfast costs $12 per person if prepaid before morning, or about $17 if you wait. That didn’t bother me, though I get why people looking for free breakfast might be annoyed. Ask about the third floor, since you can hear people walking around when you’re on a lower floor. I found an online deal and paid $86 for a king room.

The breakfast was okay, just a normal hotel spread, but the way it works was confusing. You sit down and start eating, then someone eventually comes over to take your drink order and charge you. I saw several other people unsure about it too. Aside from that, the hotel was great: friendly staff, very clean and comfortable rooms, and a location close to everything.