Holiday Inn Express Forest City by IHG

After a long drive from the TN / AR border, we needed somewhere to stop for the night. It was the best hotel of our trip, and the staff took great care of us. The breakfast was huge and hot, and they brought extra blankets when we needed to cool the room down from 110*. The thermostat was on the wall, which I wasn't used to, but it worked well. The price felt a little steep for being outside the city, though it was still much better than where we'd stayed in Charlotte proper. I was very pleased and would recommend it and stay again.

I drove seven hours in my car with a TN tag, after Melissa said on the phone that I could check in with a TN driver's license. At the desk, I was instead told I was on a “do not rent list,” with no explanation of why I'd been put on it or what I'd done. I had booked online through Expedia and was driving in from Nashville, TN, where I live and own a house. Melissa, the general manager, had called while I was driving and was immediately rude, saying they don't rent to locals. I explained I'm a Tennessee resident, not a local, and she challenged me with, “Since when?” I moved to Tennessee a year and a half ago after selling my house. My children still have family here, and I was only coming to pick them up for one night. The whole experience was a disaster, and I found Melissa's people skills disgraceful.

The room was spacious and very clean, and breakfast had lots of tasty choices. The breakfast area and even the high chairs were clean, and the woman serving breakfast was so kind and helpful while I got food with the baby. Ashley greeted us when we came in and made a stressful, long drive feel much better. She was warm and personable, helped us check in, and had our 10 month old laughing and babbling. This was one of our best Holiday Inn Express stays. The staff, location, and cleanliness are all great. I hope someone in management sees this because I wish I could pass the praise up the chain.

I extended my stay twice, and a helpful, pleasant Jamaican woman at the desk made both extensions quick and painless. The hotel was convenient for my work in the area, and breakfast had enough options, including bacon on most days I was there. The room had a comfortable bed, plenty of space, useful amenities, blackout curtains, good outlets, and surprisingly little noise. Hot water came fast and the pressure was good. But there was mold all around the shower ceiling, and the towels were terrible. That mold shouldn't be hard to clean. At check-in, I was nearly refused because my client had booked the room and they said they don't rent to locals because of drugs. The desk clerk said it was apparently bad around there. I told her I'm not local and needed a hotel, but they checked my license anyway. After a long day of work and driving, I didn't want to find another place. The experience made me uneasy about leaving my truck full of tools outside. The lot was busy the first night, so I had to park far away and woke in the night to check on the truck. Later I could park outside my window, which was better. A truly mixed stay.