Holiday Inn Express and Suites Dry Ridge by IHG

The hotel was clean, in a great location near lots of restaurant choices, and the staff were remarkable. The breakfast bar was the best I’ve had in years. Mrs Linda brought out fresh biscuits and gravy for my kids and kept breakfast open later to accommodate us. The front desk staff were so kind, and they had fresh cookies and a hot chocolate bar for the kids. We stayed at the Holiday Inn while visiting the Ark Encounter, and I’d definitely give it five stars. Highly recommend.

I brought a busload of people to visit the Ark Encounter, and my wife and I stayed at the Holiday Inn and Suites, Dry Ridge, KY. The room was well appointed, and breakfast was good with lots of choices. Ms. Bonnie did a superb job at breakfast and during the evening cookie hour. The Macadamia Nut cookies were excellent, almost as good as her service. She’s a great asset to the hotel team.

It’s close to the Ark Encounter, with a spacious, clean room, a great breakfast, and most of the amenities you’d want. This place could make for a great stay, but I had a few quibbles. The pillows were big, soft, and fluffy, but collapsed so there was almost no support between the two puffed-up sides. If you prefer a firm pillow, bring your own. Using two made it worse. The hotel should offer firm and fluffy options. The bedding still smelled of chlorine bleach and felt that way against my skin. I had trouble sleeping and woke up feeling pickled. The sheets should be rinsed thoroughly after bleaching and before drying. There’s no in-room coffee or cups, just free coffee in the lobby around the clock, and no bar soap, only soft soap in squeeze bottles. I think those are good ideas, though some guests may not. My wife liked the makeup washcloths. My stay also wasn’t automatically added to my rewards points.

We were visiting the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, and the hotel was a convenient distance away, so getting there in the morning was easy. It was clean, comfortable, and affordable. Breakfast was fresh, well stocked, and had plenty of choices. Exactly what we needed, and we’d definitely stay again.