Holiday Inn Express & Suites Carlsbad Beach by IHG

I’ve never had an experience like this at a hotel, and as an IHG member I’m very disappointed in the service and room quality. The replacement room had a hard bed and dirty bathroom tile. By then I was already upset and stunned by what had happened. At arrival, the man at the desk didn’t greet me. He was looking at his phone, was dismissive, and didn’t explain breakfast or much else. Then we reached our room and it looked like someone was already staying there. It clearly hadn’t been cleaned, which scared me because of what could have happened if we’d entered someone’s room. We went downstairs to report it. The desk worker said nothing, switched us to another room, and didn’t apologize, just shrugged us off. I’m so disappointed.

I used to live nearby for 20 years and picked this place while visiting San Diego because it’s close to the beach. For the price, it’s a decent option if you want to walk to the beach and stay in Carlsbad, and it’s very inexpensive. Just keep your expectations low. It’s an older property and one of the less desirable Holiday Inn Expresses I’ve stayed at. My room had a vinyl-covered cushioned sofa, and the bathroom was dated.

It’s easy to get to and will do for a short visit, but it didn’t meet the Holiday Inn standard my family is used to. The front desk staff were polite enough, though not very helpful, and the rooms and property looked run down. The elevators were noisy and felt scary to ride, with no certificate displayed. We found dirty towels in the room, with what looked like pieces of something on them, and there were no blankets for the pullout bed. We waited two hours after asking, then had to go back and ask again. It felt like a super-budget hotel experience, not a Holiday Inn Express. The last straw was a parking fee charged to my card days after checkout. We had paid through a third party, and nowhere had it said parking cost extra. The hotel told me they only needed my card for possible damages. I clarified that, and they still didn’t mention the fee.

The room was clean and well kept, and the hotel and surrounding area were beautiful. I was disappointed to pay for parking separately and then get another bill after my stay. Since I’d already paid for the hotel, I expected parking to be included. It felt like an unnecessary extra charge to bring in more revenue. Even so, it’s a nice place to stay.