Holiday Inn St Petersburg N - Clearwater by IHG

The rooms are simple but clean, and the Aviator Tavern food was surprisingly good for a small hotel. It does close a little early, especially when it's quiet. Patti and Alicia were excellent both at breakfast and in the tavern. They went out of their way to look after us, and when we returned after extending our stay by a day, they greeted us so happily. My one gripe is that the hot tub wasn't hot, and the pool area shuts at dusk, which comes very early in winter.

The people were very nice, but this was still one of the worst Holiday Inns I've stayed in. The food at the bar was awful too. They gave me Doritos with mayonnaise and called it nachos. I also found blood in my toilet. The smell was the biggest problem. It was strong and disgusting, like mold and wet walls, and it hit as soon as I got into the hallway. The office made a different impression, but the room smelled of mildew everywhere. I opened the window to try to air it out because there was no humidifier or circulation. The property is clearly very old. I didn't even want to brush my teeth or shower there. They charged me a $50 deposit the first night and $100 the second night of my trip. It felt like they were just after money. I can't understand the positive reviews unless people are used to a trailer home.

Charles at the front desk and the grounds and pool maintenance crew were kind and respectful, and they made our stay better. We would come back, though the hotel needs renovation and better coordination for services like the airport shuttle and other things.

The bed was comfortable, and the room was quiet and dark, so it did the job for a night when we were stuck near the airport. The rest of the experience was frustrating. There was a roach in the bathroom, welcome to Florida, I guess. When I booked, I called to confirm the shuttle. I told the woman we wouldn't land until 10:30 at night, and she said to call and they'd pick us up. When we called, we were told the shuttle had stopped at 10, so I had to pay $25 for a taxi. She also said breakfast came with the room, but it didn't. We waited at the host stand at 8 a.m. with nobody around, so we went elsewhere for breakfast. It couldn't have been over by then. I explained all of this at checkout, and they did nothing to make it right.