Holiday Inn Express & Suites Charlotte-Concord-I-85 by IHG

We’ll stay here again next time we’re in the area. The staff were attentive and really nice, and the rooms were clean and comfortable. There’s also a lovely walking and biking trail within easy walking distance. Breakfast was a great continental spread.

Breakfast was the best part of my stay. The food was great, probably the best hotel breakfast I’ve had, and I travel and stay in hotels often. Shannon, a young woman there, was so friendly and down to earth that she completely changed how I felt about the hotel. The night before, though, checking in was unpleasant. I had a lot on my mind already and didn’t need a rude interaction with staff. I asked the front desk agent Todd about some accommodations, and he just said, “No we don’t do that,” without considering it. As we went back and forth, he got more irritable, and it showed in his manner. You never know why someone is traveling, and it doesn’t take much to be kind.

I’ve stayed with IHG about 27 times this year as a silver member. That’s not a huge amount for the brand, but it matters a lot to me and my budget. I booked online, then was told the hotel chooses the room and there were supposedly no queen beds available. There was no refund so I could go elsewhere. The sofa bed in the king room was unbearable, and even the couch was obviously very uncomfortable to sleep on. Our room was right above and beside the front entrance, where doors started slamming at 6 a.m. The next morning the desk confirmed that queen rooms had in fact been available the night before. I’m guessing the night clerk just didn’t feel like moving us. Management contacted me and basically said, “so sad, to bad”.

The location was handy for our event at the motor Speedway. It’s right off the highway, with a straight shot down the road. The rooms are decent, the usual Holiday Inn layout and design, and the housekeeping staff were super friendly when I saw them in the hall and asked for extra towels. They earned an extra star from me. A big problem is that they don’t allow pets. We book a lot of IHG hotels, I’m platinum elite, and somehow I missed that detail. I spent four hours in my car trying to find a last-minute sitter on Rover, which made me late to my event. At $239 a night, it’s not the ritz Carlton, so I don’t understand why this is an issue with the local operator. We called three times before our stay to combine two reservations so we wouldn’t have to change rooms. Nobody helped on those calls, though they did sort it out at check-in. I got suspicious when I needed a key just to use the lobby bathroom. Breakfast was underwhelming, too. Don’t count on pancakes near closing time: they only use one bag of batter a day, and if it’s gone, there aren’t any pancakes. Overall it was just okay, with the pet policy being a huge inconvenience.