Holiday Inn Express Circleville by IHG

The hotel had raised its rates during the weekend’s local sports tournaments, but when our family of five arrived with a booking for a two-bed room and a cot, they said they were sold out and only had a king available. They did provide a cot, but it was so uncomfortable, like lying on a chain link fence. Staff didn’t seem to care. We knew people staying nearby and had to split up our family just to get a decent night’s sleep. It was an absolute nightmare and not remotely pleasant.

The front desk girl was very sweet, even though she was visibly stressed by kids running around the lobby without parental control and other kids prank calling her from their rooms while she was speaking with me. She stayed calm and professional, which deserves recognition. Sorry I can’t remember her name. I haven’t slept yet, I’m writing this from my room. I’m not worried about sleep quality since the area doesn’t seem very busy, and I take sleep medication anyway, so I probably wouldn’t hear much even if it got busy at night. The app says the property is under renovation. At 2:30 pm there was construction noise, but it wasn’t very loud in room 122. The room is a bit dated, with a couple of scuff marks, but it’s in good condition and very clean. There are white stains on the small chair or sofa by the window. As an adult, I assume they’re what I think they are. This is the second time I’ve encountered that at an IHG location. People, if you’re going to do “the deed” in a hotel room, clean up after yourselves. As a transportation worker who needs a hotel about once a week, my criteria are clean, comfortable, safe, and not too expensive. Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express usually fit those needs pretty well, so this one gets 5 stars.

The breakfast is good and worth stopping for in the morning. Staff are incredibly helpful, and the rooms are clean and nice, with comfortable beds.

Keep driving. The room was absolute garbage, with an awful smell, nasty carpet, chipped paint on the walls, and water damage in the bathroom. The front lobby smelled dingy, and the elevator was disgusting, including its shag carpet. We stayed about 45 minutes after checking in before leaving and explaining why we were cancelling. I offered to pay a cleaning fee for a partial refund since we’d technically used the room, but they refused any refund at all. Lesson learned.