Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites San Diego-Escondido by IHG

They didn’t honor my reservation and tried to present the room they offered as an upgrade, but it absolutely wasn’t. I asked for what I’d booked, and they said those rooms were unavailable. I wanted to cancel, but after check-in time there’s no refund. How could I know they’d given my room away before I checked in? Customers shouldn’t end up sleeping on the floor because of your mistakes. The breakfast was another letdown: only a few items were out, and nothing was refilled, even with more than half an hour left. I’ll never stay at an IHG hotel again.

The beds were clean and comfortable, but the rooms are dated and need better upkeep. We ran out of regular towels and had to use pool towels instead. The microwave also kept locking shut.

Mark at the front desk gave me a warm welcome, explained the amenities and free breakfast, and got me checked in quickly. He even noticed my takeout from nearby California Fish Grill and offered utensils. I’d read reviews mentioning poor customer service, so I was surprised by how attentive he was. The location is close to plenty of restaurants and fast food places. My clean, well-furnished room on the third floor had a refrigerator and microwave, and the insulation kept the busy freeway noise to a minimum. I liked the mirror with built-in vanity lighting. The TV felt dated, though, with only a few cable channels. In 2025 I’d expect a SMART TV with streaming platforms like Netflix or HBO Max. I grabbed a coffee from the cafeteria and checked out quickly the next day. I enjoyed my stay and would return if I’m in the area. After a long workday, I’d found the hotel in an “around me” search, checked its Yelp and Google reviews, and booked because only two rooms at my preferred price were left.

I prepaid for a room through Booking.com, but Mark and Jerome, whose name I couldn’t confirm because he had no badge, said they needed photos of both sides of my driver’s license and credit card to check me in. They said payment would be processed the next morning. Booking.com later told me the hotel had asked them for a carbon copy of only my credit card. Two days later, neither Holiday Inn nor Booking.com had heard back from the hotel. They kept my money and refused to check me in unless they photocopied my credit card and driver’s license. Sure, you might get an affordable room here, but your identity could be stolen. I guess I’ll be calling corporate in Atlanta.