Holiday Inn Madison at The American Center by IHG

Amy at the Holiday Inn at the American Center turned a long, frustrating travel day around. My flight from Miami to Chicago was diverted to Madison because of weather at O'Hare, then after several hours the flight back to Chicago was cancelled. I contacted the hotel closest to the airport online. The hotel was clean and the restaurant was excellent. I recommend the salmon. Amy promised to take care of things, and she did: she booked a taxi to and from the airport for the morning at no cost to me because the shuttle wasn’t running, made sure I got full credit for my airline vouchers, and set a wake-up call for my very early return. She did all that while helping the many other people arriving from the airport. Her professionalism and service are the best I’ve encountered in decades of work travel. I’ve always told my children that you can be the best at what you do, and that makes the work worthwhile. Amy is the best at her job. I’m sure she makes a difference for every traveler who comes through the lobby. I hope Holiday Inn knows how fortunate it is to have her. Thank you, Amy!

We waited several minutes at the front desk, then had to go to an office and ask someone to come help us check in. The receptionist didn’t smile or welcome us, and didn’t recognize us as IHG members. She seemed like she didn’t want to be there, and checkout with her felt the same. We gave her a $200 gift card toward the room. She said it worked, then we paid the balance with another card. Our statement showed the full amount charged to that card. Luckily, we still have the gift card. The customer service was terrible, so I wouldn’t recommend this hotel.

The breakfast was the only good part. The hotel felt old, with carpet stains, patched bathroom walls, and an office chair shedding its vinyl. The TV didn’t work, and the AC kept me awake most of the night. I’ve stayed in nicer places for a third of the price. Wouldn’t recommend it.

We couldn’t stay because the hot water heater broke the day we were due to arrive. Amy was incredibly kind and helpful while sorting out our booking. The care and service alone earn five stars from me.