Holiday Inn Express Memphis East I-240

The staff were friendly and worked hard to make the stay enjoyable. One of them found me another room after the first had a horrible smell, and without the helpful team I would have left. I think the first room may have had a dead mouse. The next room was okay, but the hallway still needed a lot of work. The doors had been painted over poorly, which showed how little care had gone into earlier remodeling. As a building inspector, I felt the ongoing renovation was taking shortcuts. The building has been neglected and doesn't meet the standards to be called Holiday Inn. People sensitive to smells should be cautious, since odors behind the walls are hard for a cleaning crew to remove. This was December 2018, and it might be better by summer 2019, but I'd walk in and inspect before booking online. If it weren't for the staff, I wouldn't have stayed the night.

Security made me feel safe traveling across the country with most of my expensive belongings. I know another review said it made her uneasy, but I appreciated the security, and the man on duty was incredibly friendly. The staff, from housekeeping to the front desk, were polite and welcoming. The room was large and clean, with better bathroom amenities than I expected. I also had a lovely conversation with the gentleman who checked me in at 11pm, though I didn't catch his name. It's not a fancy grand hotel, but the value is great for stopping a couple of days. I had a wonderful night's sleep and would be happy to come back.

I had to change rooms three times before I got one that was clean. In the first, there was hair on the bathroom floor, dried urine on the toilet, mold in the tub, and unvacuumed carpet. Room two had hair between the sheets, more mold in the tub, a bathroom that didn't seem wiped down, and a used liner left in the ice bucket. The third room was clean but had no towels. The pool had things floating in it and slimy sides. Both front desk staff were rude when I asked to move. Then I noticed an extra $50 charge before we'd even gotten into a clean room. They said it was for incidentals, but couldn't show me where that had been disclosed. First they said it was on the check-in paper I'd signed, but when I asked to see it, they realized it wasn't there. Then they said it was in my confirmation email, which also didn't mention it. The Holiday Inn website only said incidentals were standard at checkout and that each hotel had its own policies. I asked to speak to a manager and was told he'd be there in the morning. I asked them to leave him a note to see me before he left, but when I checked out, he was off the property and wouldn't be back for an hour. I've contacted corporate about how awful this stay was.

Breakfast was stocked and okay, but the stay was poor from the start. There was visible armed security and fencing around the property, which made us question things. We'd booked ahead because my husband is a platinum member and knows what service should be like. At check-in, the front desk person acted like helping us was a problem and didn't greet us or offer any pleasantries. The room was tiny, and the worn carpet left our feet black with dirt. The AC vent had black gunk on it, and the unit was either freezing or off, with no comfortable middle setting. When we left and returned the keys, the desk person just grunted when I spoke to him. We wouldn't recommend this hotel.