Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ft Myers Beach-Sanibel Gateway by IHG

The problems started at check-in. Before I arrived, the hotel had put a hold on my AMEX for the deposit and room cost. I wanted to switch to my Travel Rewards card, but Nakita at the front desk was hostile from the start. She said her break was almost due and rushed me to decide on payment. Tired from the trip, I gave up and left the AMEX on file. I felt so frustrated and offended that I asked for her name so I could report how she treated us. She laughed ironically, handed me the key, and gave no information about the hotel. I had just stayed at a Holiday Inn in Siesta Key, where the receptionist explained everything, including the elevator, room, gym, ice machine, pool hours, and breakfast hours. This was the complete opposite. Nakita should not have told me she needed to go on break as I arrived, and she should have helped with the payment method I wanted. I worried about asking her for anything else, including a towel, because I feared she might spit on it. The next morning, I told the manager about my experience so it would be recorded and she would stop giving guests such poor service. She needs feedback and retraining. My family and I felt indignant about the whole encounter. There were issues in the room, too. The bathroom floor was dirty, or some tiles needed replacing. Two towels had long black female hairs on them. There were three shower containers, one body wash and two conditioners, with no shampoo. There were four of us but only three towels, so my wife and I shared one. In the middle of the night, the blackout curtain came loose and crashed down, startling us. When the sun came up, the light woke us all. Breakfast had little variety compared with the previous hotel.

Getting to the beach was easy, with a beach bus depot next door that saved us the parking hassle. The hotel is also convenient for everything else. Our room was spacious, with a comfortable bed and an upscale coffee maker. The furnishings looked pristine, and breakfast offered lots of choices in a large dining room. I highly recommend it.

Ernesto gave great service, and we had a lovely stay. The rooms and pool were nice, and breakfast was good too. Hope to be back soon!

The room was clean and nicely furnished. If you can, choose the second or third floor, where the ice machines are. There wasn't any advance check-in or room selection like Hilton offers.