Holiday Inn Express & Suites Denver South - Castle Rock by IHG

The location was handy, with Culvers and Ihop right next door. We ate at culvers and found plenty of fresh options. Our room was quiet and very clean, and the staff were friendly and helpful. Breakfast was very good, with fresh coffee available around the clock. The place also looks fairly new, or recently renovated.

Room 213 looked out onto the entrance archway, with little or no view of the surrounding mountains. The same may be true of rooms next to it, so keep that in mind if a view matters. The room was spacious and functional, though not luxurious. The couch's pullout bed was awful, like sleeping on springs. Breakfast was average at best. I checked in around 10 or 11 p.m. on January 9th and felt unwelcome from the start. The entrance door was locked, and Susan, the front desk associate, spoke to us through the speaker until I said I planned to book a room. If locking the door is policy, guests should be told clearly. While I was inside, it stayed locked, so Susan had to open it manually every time I went back to the car for luggage. I asked about a two-night stay, government or military discounts, breakfast, and checkout times. Susan was abrupt and said she'd answer everything after check-in, then told me there were no discounts. Her tone made it seem like my questions and my presence annoyed her. I hadn't asked about pets, but she asked whether we had any. I said no, and she replied, “Good, because we are not pet friendly,” with an expression and tone that seemed pleased. It was an unnecessary remark, and it upset my 9-year-old daughter. The whole exchange felt short on warmth and professionalism, and far from the customer service I expect from Holiday Inn. The next morning I raised the locked door and military or government discount with Joan. She confirmed Holiday Inn does offer military discounts, though she wasn't sure how much to apply, and gave me a $5.00 adjustment. She said the locked doors were due to safety concerns connected with a nearby jail, prison, or correctional facility. If that's a known concern, guests should hear about it before arriving. I think staff here need retraining in hospitality, communication, and customer service. I don't plan to return to this location, and this stay has me reconsidering future stays with the Holiday Inn brand. This may have been my first and last Holiday Inn experience.

Breakfast gave us lots of choices and was a great start to the day. The rooms were comfortable and clean, and the facility itself looked beautiful and well kept. Front desk staff were changing shifts when we arrived, but they still treated us with friendly courtesy. It's a great place to stay.

The bathroom upkeep was startling. The toilet paper holder was nearly coming off the wall, and the shower curtain's metal rings were rusty and falling apart. Breakfast needs work too: the scrambled eggs were watery, the pork sausage was burnt and overcooked, the orange juice was spoiled, and the pancake maker wasn't working right, leaving the second pancake underdone. The in-room amenities felt very low-end or missing. The TV was the smallest I've seen in a hotel of this scale and had no sleep feature. There was no microwave, safe, or coffee maker in the room. The lamps' power plugs were loose, which made charging devices difficult. We usually choose Holiday Inn Express on vacation because the properties tend to be higher-end and well maintained, which is why they command a premium over other chains. We spent most of this vacation at the Holiday Inn Express Durango Downtown, and it was truly the best property I've ever stayed at.