Holiday Inn & Suites Monterey Park Los Angeles by IHG

The place is nice and clean, but the amenities are terrible. Parking costs extra, and there isn't a microwave in the room or lobby. To heat anything, you have to take the elevator to some mysterious place across the breezeway. The gym is okay, though one of its three treadmills was broken. Breakfast is $16, which I've seen at some hotels, but they charge for lobby coffee too. I travel for work and have never seen a hotel without free coffee. They were still cleaning my room at 5:15 pm, when I expected to be back. I thought rooms were cleaned when guests leave.

I was charged for four days of parking even though I said at check-in that I didn't need it, and had to ask for a refund. I also requested a late checkout, but the front desk apparently never entered it in the system. They were extremely unreliable. Housekeeping isn't daily, and nobody tells you at check-in that you have to request it. The bathroom smelled strongly of cigarettes, including the towels and cabinets, and a faint smell remained after four days and two cleanings. The room was shabby, the lift was often out of order, and the soundproofing was poor enough that I could hear people next door. Seriously, stay somewhere else if you can. At best, this is a two-star hotel with an incompetent crew.

They were up early to feed our group before we headed out, and the meeting area was clean. The service was great, especially at breakfast, and they were very accommodating. This was my first stay at a Holiday Inn, and I was pleasantly surprised. If you haven't stayed at a Holiday Inn before, try this one. They earned their stars.

This is my favorite hotel in LA, especially for business trips. There's a grocery store, movie theater, and 24 hr fitness next door if the hotel gym doesn't suit you. Plenty of restaurants are within walking distance, too.