Holiday Inn Express & Suites S Lake Buena Vista by IHG

The room felt dated and musty. The shades were broken and fell to the floor when closed, and the bathroom needed fresh caulking. It did have the basics, including a coffee maker, fridge, safe, and TV. The free breakfast was very good, and I liked that the coffee machine ground beans for each cup. Desk and breakfast staff were great. When we pulled up, there was a smell of pot coming from the parking lot. I don’t mind people smoking, but I wish it were kept away from the front door. The hotel has potential, but needs cleanup and better management of smoking in the lot near the lobby.

I chose this Orlando hotel for a business trip to attend the IBS show because I’m loyal to IHG and usually find its properties consistent. As an IHG Elite Member who travels for work and personally throughout the year, I was disappointed that this stay didn’t meet the standards I expect. In several ways, the overall experience fell short of IHG’s usual quality, professionalism, and service. I hope management takes the feedback seriously and makes improvements so future guests get the level of service associated with the brand. I’m hopeful this was an isolated experience and that a future stay will reflect the IHG standard.

We ended up leaving for another hotel because the conditions were so concerning, especially with my infant, and I was genuinely worried about our health. After three room changes, every room still had serious problems. In the first, the smell of mold and urine was overwhelming, and we walked straight back out. The second smelled a little better, but the next night we found mold on the bathroom door and wall. Reception said they would need to peel the paint and repaint, so they moved us again. The third was just as bad: common surfaces didn’t look wiped down, there seemed to be cigarette ash on the bed, and the curtains had what looked like mold and blood stains. The hotel felt filthy and poorly maintained, completely unacceptable for families with children. I’m very certain there’s mold throughout the building, and we were essentially breathing it in during the stay. I wouldn’t recommend it and will never return. We did contact management about the problems, and they refunded my dad the points he’d used to book.

We’ve stayed here twice and plan to come back more during the year for theme park visits. The rooms have been quiet and the staff friendly both times. On our latest visit we were on the first floor near the breakfast area, but it wasn’t noisy like I expected. Breakfast is fantastic, the pools are great, and my husband and I both found the beds comfy.