Holiday Inn Express & Suites Deland South by IHG

My main gripe is the pillows, which smelled like sweat, as they do in so many hotels. I bring my own and spray things with lavender. The bed was comfortable, though a little high for me at 5'10", and our room was quite spacious. The bathroom could use hooks for clothes or used towels. It’s a fairly new, clean hotel with an okay breakfast. Staff were okay too, very Florida casual, and only spoke when spoken to.

I’ve stayed at the Holiday Inn in DeLand a few times over the past several years, and the breakfast has been consistently good. Kudos to the chefs. The rooms are clean, and the staff are courteous in that classic Southern way. Being on the edge of DeLand works well for getting to Orange City and Blue Springs, though the springs get crowded on cold days. Highways to the beaches and parks are easy to reach. And DeLand itself is the most beautiful small town in Florida, as far as I’m concerned.

The Wi-Fi was painfully slow, which got in the way of working remotely, and the advertised amenities didn’t match what I found. I spent three nights at the Holiday Inn Express Deland Florida Hotel, and the room wasn’t properly cleaned when I arrived. There were crumbs on the floor, the bathroom hadn’t been thoroughly sanitized, and I had to ask housekeeping for fresh towels. No body wash was provided, and there was only a little shampoo and conditioner. I’d brought my own supplies, but it was still disappointing, especially when cleanliness matters so much. I’d specifically requested two queen beds and no roll-out bed, as advertised. I was told at the front desk that my deposit would be refunded. I called many times, was told a manager would contact me, and never heard back, or was told they were unavailable. My deposit still hasn’t been returned despite all those calls. I travel mostly for leisure and have stayed at Marriott, Hilton, Omni, and other hotels, but I’ve never been treated this way. I WILL NEVER RETURN TO THIS HOTEL. THE STAFF IS UNPROFESSIONAL, AS IS MANAGEMENT. I’ll tell my family and friends to avoid this place. I hope management takes these concerns seriously for future guests. This experience did not meet my expectations.

The front desk team was amazing, friendly, and quick to help. One day they were out of pool towels, but we asked and towels arrived within minutes with a smile. Breakfast staff were attentive and kept everything clean and stocked. We haven’t had hotel staff this good on our trips around the country. Our lower rating is because of manager Stephanie alone. The small issue we had needed a manager, and Stephanie seemed to be having a bad day. Her tone, comments, and behavior weren’t professional. There’s that saying about remembering one bad thing among 99 good ones. She was enough to make us reconsider where we’ll stay on future visits to DeLand.