Holiday Inn Express & Suites Las Vegas E Tropicana

Police were in the parking lot on our first night, which made the neighborhood feel questionable. We booked through Expedia and asked to check out early, but the hotel said it couldn't help and told us to contact Expedia. Expedia also said we couldn't check out early, so we moved to another hotel, planning to return for breakfast and rest in the room before our next stop. The next morning our key didn't work. The front desk reactivated it and said we were entitled to the room until 11 a.m. But when we opened the door, the room had been given to someone else, whose laptop, wallet, watch, and other belongings were inside. The other guest then came to the desk because his key had stopped working. We told him we'd just been in his room. The hotel still said it couldn't do anything for us, refused a refund, and argued with us. We ended up in a parking lot talking to Expedia and using a gas station bathroom because we had nowhere to stay. Expedia eventually got us a refund after the hotel admitted the room had been double-booked. The maid had seen us leave, cleaned the room, and apparently decided we weren't coming back, but never spoke to us. We had already been told by both the hotel and Expedia that we couldn't check out early, so we understood the room was ours until 11. They also charged us $20 a day to park in the hotel's lot. A horrible fiasco. I won't use Holiday Inn or Expedia again.

The room was comfortable, the service was good, and breakfast was very nice. Check-in was easy, and they offered us either a partial Strip view or an airport view. We chose the airport side and liked watching planes take off right outside the window. After seeing some Strip hotels, we were even happier with our choice of a quieter spot just off the Strip that was still very close. My only small complaint is parking, which wasn't included and cost $20. Otherwise, an excellent stay.

The location worked well for us: we could walk to the Strip, and the airport was only about 10-15 minutes away. We also liked having a pool and hot tub, plus no smoking on the premises. For what we paid, it was a great value. Alicia checked us in and was both friendly and professional. She suggested some good restaurants and shows, and Loraine was there too, making us feel welcome and important right from arrival.

We paid $250 for a night here after a missed connection left us stranded in Las Vegas. The room never cooled down because the HVAC wasn't working, so after a long day of travel we couldn't get any rest and were uncomfortable all night. At first, the front desk said the system needed time to start because of its sensors. Hours later, nothing had changed. They offered a box fan and two free drinks, which we appreciated, but it didn't solve the problem. At that price, I expected a working room and a more helpful fix.