Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Dubuque by IHG

We needed to be at the Riverview Twilight two-day cruise dock by 7:30 a.m., so we drove over from Wisconsin the night before and stayed here. The dock is about a mile away. We returned late the next day and booked another night here, too. The Mississippi runs alongside the hotel, giving it a great view. Our room was clean, the staff were great, and the shower had fantastic water pressure. We’d stay again.

The location is convenient, with easy access to Highway 20 and several chain restaurants and stores nearby. The pool and fitness room were open and in decent shape, although the pool area needed cleaning. Breakfast was a bit below average for an IHG hotel. I stay in hotels often and know I have higher expectations than average, but I generally wouldn’t recommend this one unless you need a pet-friendly option. It may be one of the newer hotels in Dubuque, but the inside didn’t feel that way. Our king suite was quite dirty. Carpets in the room, halls, and elevator looked dirty, the shower and tub didn’t seem clean, and there was dust on the furniture. Between the bed and nightstand, I found a sleep mask and chapstick left by a previous guest. Cleanliness gets one star from me.

We made the best of the visit, and thankfully the kids still had fun, but we wouldn’t return. The pool was noisy enough that conversation was difficult, and there was stuff floating in the water. Breakfast was included, but the selection was limited and the juice and water machine was broken. There was food left in our fridge from the previous guest. The shower smelled bad and wouldn’t drain, and the thin walls let us hear conversations next door. The hot tub was closed. If we’d known that when we booked a week ahead, we would have gone somewhere else.

The beds were good, I slept well both nights, the location suited us, and the staff seemed friendly. I try to find the positives, and I stay in hotels across the country more than 150 nights a year. Still, this Holiday Inn Express is pretty rough. It has the feel of an airport hotel that was new around 2009 and hasn’t kept up since. The furniture and carpet look worn, the wallpaper is scratched, and the halls and floors throughout looked neglected and dirty. Even a handle on the side entrance door was loose. The building gives the impression it needs renovation, and there didn’t seem to be any pride in maintaining it. In the rooms, things were clean enough to sleep, but the furniture and carpet felt old and the cable TV seemed analog, fine for 2009. Breakfast was an effort, but the hotel was full on the weekend and by 9:00 there wasn’t much left. I got coffee and a banana. The cinnamon rolls were good, though they couldn’t keep them coming, and I probably shouldn’t eat them anyway. For the price, I think we could do better, but Dubuque is tough. I’ve stayed at other places here, and the bar is low. If an update or rebuild isn’t coming soon, I’d wonder why. It almost feels like they’re letting maintenance slide because that’s the plan, or at least I hope so. I love staying at Holiday Inn Express, but this one needs work.