Holiday Inn Express Jacksonville South Bartram Prk by IHG

We had a quiet stay and didn't hear the people in the neighboring rooms. There are plenty of restaurants and shops nearby, and the hotel is beautiful, pet-friendly, and reasonably priced. Our room was spacious and very clean, the staff were friendly and helpful, and breakfast had lots of choices and tasted really good.

The breakfast was outstanding for a hotel at this price, and the automatic pancake maker turned out perfect fluffy pancakes. Staff were welcoming and easy to talk to. I stopped for one night on my drive from Ft Lauderdale to NC, and the location, price, and amenities all worked well. The room was clean, but I would have appreciated an extra blanket since Jacksonville was pretty cold that night.

The free breakfast was fantastic, and our room was spotless. I spent the weekend here with a friend and my one-eyed beagle, and we were impressed by how well kept the hotel was and how nice the staff were. Check-in was quick, and the receptionist was welcoming. We'll definitely stay here again, including at other Holiday inn express hotels.

The pool was a big reason we booked. I called and was told it was heated, only to arrive and learn it wasn't. They said I must have spoken with the main reservation department instead of the hotel, but the IHG/Holiday Inn system caused the inconvenience either way. The room was okay. Breakfast was the usual poor continental spread, with watered-down coffee and very low-quality eggs and sausage. Before checkout, the maids knocked to ask whether we were leaving, even though we were obviously still in the room. There was no apology. Around 10am they knocked again, and when I went to answer, one opened the door before I could. I reminded her checkout wasn't until 11 and that this was the second interruption. Again, no apology, just a dirty look, as if I were at fault for still being there an hour before checkout. I spoke to management on the way out. They were nice and apologetic, and suggested putting the Do Not Disturb sign outside so the staff wouldn't knock. I understand they want to turn rooms over quickly for arriving guests, but if people did their jobs efficiently, there'd be less need to rush guests out. To me, this comes down to inadequate training and workers not being dedicated to doing the job efficiently. If people can't be fired for not doing their work, they won't do it.