Holiday Inn & Suites Duluth Downtown by IHG

I’ve stayed here for a conference for each of the past three years. The rooms have beds and bathrooms, and the doors lock, so this definitely works as a hotel. They’re clean, and the staff are friendly and helpful. It’s also neat that you can walk indoors all the way to the DECC on heated Skywalks. Thanks to the hotel for connecting conference staff with hockey tickets and access to their suite. I got to tag along, which was a real treat. If only UMD had won... Just for information, breakfast isn’t included, and The Lyric, their attached restaurant, is closed on Mondays. When that happens, I recommend a short walk to Duluth's Best Bread.

The room itself was solid, with a great view and good lighting, plus working AC and heat. The upkeep was decent, but the fridge was locked at about 45 degrees, so we couldn’t use it. I’ve stayed at many Holiday Inns and several hotels in Duluth over the years, and this one didn’t impress me much. Some people give any Holiday Inn five stars because they’re in a rewards program, but that wasn’t my experience here. During our weekend stay, service felt like we were just one more customer in a crowd. Even when the front desk staff were free, they didn’t seem interested in helping. I think it may have just been the weekend night staff, though, so I can’t speak for everyone. One elevator was out, and the others somehow took 5-10 minutes to travel between the 14th floor and parking or the restaurant. That made meeting up with people around the hotel difficult. The parking ramp is spacious and there were plenty of spaces, though its layout is confusing. The ticket reader is buggy, so don’t leave at the last minute in case it gets stuck. The smoking area is right by the lobby, and tunnel winds blow the smoke in from the ramp. I’m not a fan. The lobby smelled like an ashtray, even though it’s the main place to meet up or pass through.

The Lyric was absolutely fantastic, and I highly recommend it. The hotel room, though, was mediocre for the price, and I probably wouldn’t stay here again if I had a choice. We were in town for a conference with lots of other guests, and only two very slow, overworked elevators were running. The room was okay and I slept alright, but the bathroom and vanity could have been cleaner. The windows were unbelievably foggy between the panes, and light shone around the hallway door as if it were too small. I wish I’d taken a photo. I liked that they supplied Dove liquid soap instead of those little hard bars. There was coffee in the room, though not Duluth brand. The comforter smelled funny and could have used a good bleach bath. The food was mediocre too.

I won’t stay here again. This was the worst IHG hotel I’ve ever stayed in. The room hadn’t been cleaned properly and smelled like a wet dog when I walked in. One bed looked like someone had been sitting on it, the sink was dirty, and the toilet and floor in that area hadn’t been cleaned. The windows were very dirty or stained, and the sill needed paint. There were no USB charging ports, so I had to use the back of the TV.