Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Jenks by IHG

The location was great, but this stay was stressful from beginning to end, and I wouldn't return. Check-in took far too long, and even though I'm a platinum member, nobody acknowledged it. My room had heavily stained, dirty-looking carpet. I arrived late and had unpacked, so I decided not to ask to switch rooms. The next two mornings, the elevators were out of service. I was on the top floor, had a lot of luggage, and staff couldn't help me transfer rooms without the elevators, so moving wasn't realistic. I understand locking side doors for security, but disabling key access meant there was only one way in, which was awful. At checkout, Brekell accused me of smoking in my room, which wasn't true. I invited her to inspect it, and there was no evidence of smoking. Even so, I was told they'd decide whether to keep my deposit only after housekeeping inspected the room. I spent the day worried and stressed, and didn't hear until about 7:00 PM that the deposit wouldn't be charged. Between the slow check-in, room condition, broken elevators, and baseless accusation, this fell well below the professionalism and service I expect from IHG properties.

The morning kitchen staff helped clean up my toddler's yogurt Mona Lisa so we could keep enjoying our own food. It was a quick stay, but the people here made it great. I booked by phone the same day, then needed to reschedule after I'd made a mistake. The gentleman on the phone was spectacular, and Brandy was amazing when we arrived. She went the extra mile to make us comfortable.

Jenks was a great location for our stay. We were right on the Riverwalk, a nice place to walk off dinner at one of the restaurants there, next to the Oklahoma aquarium, and just minutes from downtown and its many antique stores. The hotel was decent enough, though it could use upgrades. Breakfast was a letdown because whoever was cooking kept overcooking the food.

The hotel itself was okay, but the pool was a nightmare. A baseball team staying there took over the shared pool and were loud and rude, hitting other people in the face with balls. Their parents were outside a closed door and weren't paying attention. I know swimming is at your own risk, but large groups shouldn't be allowed to monopolize the pool and behave that way.