Holiday Inn Express & Suites Moody - Leeds by IHG

The room smelled strongly of bleach, and there wasn’t even a coffee maker in it. After an eight-hour drive, having to go out and get coffee to heat up in the morning is a real PITA. The whole place felt stark, and it doesn’t feel much like a Holiday Inn Express to me, more like a Best Western. I’m too tired to care much about that part, but the missing coffee maker has me irritated.

Praveen at the front desk turned a rough evening around after a long day at work. He stayed calm and professional, and went out of his way to help when we needed it. He clearly takes pride in doing things right and cares about guests. The hotel was clean and comfortable, just what I wanted after work, but his service was what really stood out. Thanks to him, the stay felt much smoother and less stressful. I’d recommend this location.

We picked this hotel because it was close to the Sonnet House, and it was a really good value. The building is newer, with high ceilings and wide hallways; the beds were fine, the bathrooms nice, and the staff friendly. We had both a king room and a two queen room, and neither had the full-length mirror you usually find in the room hallway near the bathroom at most Holiday Inns. The bathroom also needs more places to hang towels. There was just one spot under the sink for hand towels, and a bar over the toilet would let people hang and reuse bath towels. The perfume-like spray throughout the hotel, including the rooms, was off-putting for those of us sensitive to scents. I was glad it smelled of bleach when we first came in, probably because something was being cleaned. We didn’t try breakfast, though at this level I’ve found it’s pretty standard across IHG hotels.

The staff were helpful and very friendly, and breakfast was really good. The rooms were clean, and I even checked the mattress for bed bugs without seeing any sign of them. The hotel sits back from the main highway. My only issue was the comforter, which smelled like bug spray. We took it off and used our own, and then it was fine. Based on our stay, I’d recommend it and would come back.