Holiday Inn & Suites Lake City by IHG

The toilet wasn’t fully bolted down, though thankfully it wasn’t leaking. There was residue on the shower wall below the mounted bottles of courtesy shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. The lobby looks beautifully decorated for Christmas. The front desk also made sure I knew the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet costs $12.99, which was helpful.

The hotel itself is nice, and everything apart from my room was good. My room, though, had stains everywhere, a toothpick on the floor, and even bugs in the bed. It wasn’t the best stay for me, and I wouldn’t choose it first or recommend it over somewhere else. Other people in different rooms may have had a better time.

We paid $110 a night here and had no hot water at all. A maintenance man came after we complained, said that because we were on the 6th floor the floors below got first dibs, then said the water was hot and left. It was lukewarm at best and turned cool within minutes. We tried showering at different times day and night, with no difference. The sink stopper was shoved down so far that the sink filled quickly, and the extra towels and toilet paper we requested never arrived. We’d stayed at the quality inn next door two weeks earlier while visiting my brother. It cost $55 a night, had decent accommodations and a nice breakfast, and I’d rate it 7/10. My other brother wanted a hotel with a bar when we came back, so we chose this one. We thought breakfast was included like it is at many hotels, but it wasn’t. You have to book the “breakfast package” for $140 a night or pay $12.99 per person. We went to the chick fil a next door instead. This was one of the worst hotel experiences I’ve had in a while. I’d give it 2/10. Save your money and stay somewhere else.

The breakfast across the street is a better deal, with friendly service. If you do stay here, I’d skip the breakfast charge. For the price, the service and food weren’t worth it, and I’ve seen this trend for years: prices go up while you get less than expected. This was our second one-night stop here on the way to FL. The location works well, but the hotel needs major updates and the elevator is very slow. The first time, the good à la carte breakfast made up for some of that: our 4-year-old daughter loved the waffles, and the staff were friendly. This time I paid upfront for breakfast during online booking, only to find the buffet had changed to a continental style like Holiday Inn Express, except you pay for it. We were there early in the morning, but the two staff members seemed more focused on their phones than helping. Garbage was piled around the floor can, and nobody seemed bothered. There were no knives, the orange juice was empty, jelly was gone at almost every table, eggs, bacon, and sausage were low, and muffins came in a plastic bag. I’m used to that at Express hotels, where breakfast is free and there are more choices. Seeing other families come out wondering why we had to pay for it summed up the experience.