Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Ex I-71/Oh State Fair/Expo Ctr

The chair had stains, and the service was frustrating. I called the front desk the second day to ask for two replacement shower towels, but was told there weren't any. When I asked when they'd have some, the person put me on hold and never picked up again. Even light housekeeping was only available on request. We were there for two nights with my daughter. On arrival, I learned the elevator was broken and the WiFi was out the first night. I really regret staying here. Any motel can do better.

The location worked for visiting OSU, but there was a lot left to be desired. Our toilet seat was coming off, and when we asked for help the front desk man was almost belligerent. He said they no longer had a maintenance person and he couldn't help. I even asked to borrow a flat head screwdriver, but he refused that too. No apology, just “we'll fix it after you leave.” It was a simple repair that would've taken a few minutes, but at 11:30pm he offered no solution.

The man and woman who checked me in were incredibly friendly, but I wouldn't stay here again. It's in a rough part of town, and while I was there, there was a drug bust at the Wendy's next door. On top of that, I was charged for miscellaneous damage even though the room was already in rough shape. I was worried about my car being broken into while also facing an extra charge. Go somewhere nicer.

The staff really went out of their way to make our stay good. When my keyless card wouldn't open the gym, a front desk staffer saw it on camera and walked down the hall to bring me another one. The breakfast crew worked hard to keep everything clean and stocked, and the breakfast itself was amazing. Our room was clean and nice, and the pool was good. The hot tub was huge, and when its jets stopped working, someone came to fix them within a couple of hours. This was one of the best hotels I've stayed at.