Holiday Inn Express & Suites Dalton - Walnut Ave by IHG

I was only there one night. The young man checking me in was nice, though clearly unsure what to do in the busy rush. My receipt showed the wrong amount. Since I have a common name, I thought it was a mix-up, but his coworker Donna took one quick look and blamed me for booking through Expedia. I told her I'd booked directly on their website and that this kind of name confusion happens to me often. She argued that I'd made two bookings and would be charged twice. Then she said she was leaving after already working an hour past her shift, while a long line still waited. He called GM Cecy, followed her instructions, and told me the first charge was only a pre-authorization and would drop off. He then charged my card $301 for the actual reservation, after the initial $199 check-in. I've called at least five times over the past month to get the money back. Cecy has been nice, but not capable of sorting it out. Today she finally said they'd refunded the wrong card. I've talked to her at least five times and sent screenshots of my bank account. People make mistakes, which is why I waited a month and a half to write this, hoping they'd fix it.

The nicest Holiday Inn I've stayed at. The one woman on staff does a great job and stays patient with some of the people she has to handle. The hotel earns five stars from me, though some guests don't: people come in reeking of weed or cigarettes, and apparently can't understand that smoking inside rooms isn't okay. The staff cleaned up well, and my room smelled amazing.

The rooms were clean, and the location worked well for an overnight stop, with places to eat and shop nearby. Continental breakfast was a nice inclusion, but the food wasn't tasty. I wouldn't use the indoor pool. Still, it was a pretty good stay.

The hotel is really nice, clean, and has good rooms, but staffing is a problem. The woman working alone was friendly and doing her best. They made a bad call having no vending machines anywhere except the desk shop. She has to answer calls and check people in, so the line backs up. I waited 20 minutes just to buy a drink. Poor planning.