Holiday Inn Express & Suites Fort Worth Downtown by IHG

The room was quite nice, and the breakfast had all the usual staples, including one of those machines that cooks a pancake as it rolls along a conveyor. That’s a welcome step up from no breakfast or a very bare continental spread. I’d planned to be here six nights, but the winter storm cut my stay down to two. The staff handled the change well, and different managers checked in with me over breakfast. My only reservation is the distance from downtown, which means food options are a bit farther away.

The employees were all courteous, respectful, and friendly. I also managed to talk down the price of the last fashionable straw hat on the shelf between the Hostress Donuts and the Five Hour Energy Drinks. There’s a photo of it attached. The “Open” door sign wasn’t telling the truth, though it was late on a Thursday. I’d gone looking for the $5 Medicine, hoping to find something new to make me feel better, and ended up buying the hat instead. This Ft. Worth Holiday Inn is right across from a historic Masonic Lodge. I’ve attached a few pictures of the Lodge, along with one of some colored foam core triangles that count as “Hotel Art.”

I stayed for two nights before an early appointment at a medical center just seven minutes away, so the location worked perfectly. The room and bathroom were very clean, and I liked having a refrigerator, microwave, and an in-room Keurig with coffee, tea, and condiments. They even had a laminated list of TV channels and numbers, a small touch I appreciated. The room felt so cozy I caught myself thinking I could live there. Everyone I met was friendly and helpful, and the lobby smelled amazing when I walked in. It turned into a really pleasant stay.

The hotel worked out well as a last minute place to stay for the Lady Gaga concert my BFF and I came to see. Parking is tight already, so oversized trucks make it harder. Sometimes we just want to park and get to our rooms, not play Tetris 😬😮‍💨. I also couldn’t find a current elevator inspection notice inside or outside the elevator, and it sounded pretty sketchy as we rode it.