Holiday Inn Express & Suites Merrimack By IHG

The pool area could have been maintained better, and noise carries near the elevator, so light sleepers may want a room farther away. The property is older and has some things that can't be changed, but it and the rooms were impeccably clean. Cleanliness matters a lot to me, and along with the comfort and service it made our stay very enjoyable. Breakfast had a wide range of choices beyond the basics. The staff were exceptionally friendly, helpful, and welcoming, and I'd happily return.

Our room was clean and quiet when we arrived, about two hours before regular check-in, and they gave us room cards. It was snowing that night, but the lot had been cleared by morning. At 9 AM the fire alarm went off, which was the worst part. The manager quickly told us it was a false alarm, so we didn't have to stand outside in the 5°F wind and cold.

The room was small and old, with electrical outlets that couldn't keep up with today's needs. Plugging in one thing made the light stop working. There was a strange bug in the room; when I told the front desk, she just shrugged. Getting luggage in was also a problem, with no proper main entrance and a tiny elevator. The hotel itself has stairs and only that small elevator to the main floor. Breakfast was sparse, with no plates and little to put on them anyway. Nobody was around to refill the trays. When we arrived, someone had already been waiting about half an hour for the front desk employee and told us good luck, they were still waiting to check in. Very poor. We normally try to stay at HIE, but I don't think we can stay in this area because of this hotel. Why take customers' money and then neglect maintenance, updates, and problems?

A bit dated and rough around the edges, but fair for the price. It covers the basics well: clean, quiet, and comfortable. Breakfast was pretty standard, and not bad for something included.