Holiday Inn Macon North by IHG

There’s a very active railroad right behind the hotel. Even from the fifth floor I heard trains all night, so light sleepers might do better in an odd-numbered room. The lobby construction wasn’t disruptive, though only one elevator was working during my stay. The location right off the interstate is handy, with lots of amenities close by. My biggest frustration was check-in on 10/3/25. I arrived around 4:30 pm, holding out my ID and the credit card I wanted to use. The young woman asked for the last four digits of the card on my profile. I said I wasn’t sure which card that was and didn’t want to use it. She went ahead and charged that card anyway. When I asked if I could swipe mine, she asked if I wanted to use it for incidentals. I said no, it was the card I wanted to pay with, and she told me she’d already charged the other one. She offered to reverse it, but I was extremely annoyed and didn’t want funds tied up on two cards, so I let it go to keep the peace. I also wasn’t greeted as a platinum member. Apart from that service issue, my room was very clean and the stay itself was friendly.

My first stay was four stars, and they managed to work through an issue. The second was bad enough that I’d put this place on my do-not-stay list as a platinum elite IHG member. My car was broken into, the in-room coffee machine was broken, and housekeeping walked in while I was there even though checkout wasn’t until the next day. The laundry area was a mess, and the dryer didn’t dry my clothes. I ended up moving to Hampton, which was close enough to walk to. The manager was nice when I spoke with her, but didn’t seem to know how to fix things. The restaurant renovation has apparently been done for a while, yet they still haven’t put furniture in the foyer or restaurant or reopened it.

Everyone we met was so friendly, and the room was clean and comfortable. Rochelle even made me coffee before we left at 4 in the morning. We were traveling back from Florida and couldn’t have been happier with our stay.

The staff had some bright spots, especially Erica, who was great to talk with while I waited for food and knew the area well. You can buy food, which was actually pretty good, and alcohol during the renovation, but there’s no bar, TV, or place to belly up. Breakfast was free for me, thankfully, because I wouldn’t pay the $11 they charge for it. It’s not much better than a Holiday Inn Express breakfast, and the woman working sat in the hall playing on her phone. At first the room seemed comfortable, but then I figured out the smell was mold. The AC unit leaks onto the carpet. I tried to tell the front desk when I left, but no one was there. This place has potential, but I don’t think ownership knows how to run a hotel. A few staff members stood out for good service, but there were more low points.