Holiday Inn Express Havelock NW- New Bern by IHG

The breakfast was pretty decent, and the booking.com process was easy. Our room was clean and spacious. I do wish they’d make the bed without having to ask, but I’ll know for next time. We arrived late and called ahead to let them know, and they appreciated the call. I’d stay here and at any Holiday Inn Express again.

That roach coming out of the closet while I was checking myself in the mirror was the final cherry on top. I called him Randy Roach, the room mascot. I travel three days a week, but after this stay, I doubt I’ll return to this Holiday Inn. I included pictures, though I know it all sounds crazy. Even the desk had a sign saying staff were in the back folding laundry, which was a first for me. The bathroom sink faucet sat too far back to rinse properly, so my hands still felt slick after washing. The water tasted odd too, and the faucet made it hard not to bump my toothbrush against the back of the sink. After a shower, I struggled to rinse off soap I’ve used for 15 years, and wiped off some residue that concerned me. At checkout, I spoke to a couple from the night before, and the wife said she felt like she was going crazy because shampoo never seemed to rinse from her hair either. So it wasn’t just me. The room was large but felt oddly empty, with no coffee table or side table by the couch, so there was nowhere to put food or a drink except the floor, which I’d never do in a hotel. The couch’s fake leather was badly cracked and peeling, and the TV remote battery was nearly dead. I had to stand close to the TV and take the battery out and put it back in to get it working. The A/C rattled all night, the room setup meant I couldn’t see the TV from the desk, and the iron leaked brown water onto my clothes. Check-in itself was smooth, and the counter staff member was really nice and got me settled quickly.

During the last four nights of my 10-day work stay at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Havelock, North Carolina, I regularly saw cockroaches on the floor and walls in the evenings. I hadn’t left any food out, and managed to kill some and get photos and videos. Since I was near the end of a long trip, I kept my things closed up and stayed rather than try to move rooms. I thought other rooms might have the same issue, and decided to report it quietly and give the hotel a chance to make it right. At checkout, the front desk clerk apologized and said I’d get at least a couple thousand IHG points, with a later follow-up to confirm. They called that day and offered 5000. Once home, I checked the value: at $0.006 each, that’s $30. I’d spent close to $1000 USD for 10 nights, so that felt like a letdown, to say the least. I wasn’t looking for a big payout, but 0.003% of the stay’s value in points felt insulting. I tried calling the hotel a few times, but there was no answer and the mailbox was full. I’d booked through Expedia, so they opened a ticket and sent the hotel my photos and videos. Over four days and several attempts, the hotel never replied to either of us. This morning, I contacted IHG corporate Guest Services. They said it wasn’t their responsibility because I booked through a third party and told me to contact Expedia. I explained again that Expedia had already tried and the hotel wasn’t responding, but they just repeated that I should talk to Expedia and that they couldn’t help. Their final offer was another 1000 IHG points, worth $6.00. I turned it down. I’d rather put this out there for posterity than take points for a future stay I’ll never make. Great work, IHG!

The rooms and common areas were clean and bright. The hotel is next to a nice Visitor's Center and Museum, a walking trail by the water, and an Amtrak bus stop. The front desk team was awesome and very helpful. Breakfast staff were quick, efficient, accommodating, and hospitable, and the food had a nice variety and tasted good.