Holiday Inn Montgomery Airport South by IHG

Mr. Tony Dumas made us feel so welcome that I booked right away. I’d canceled at another hotel after checking in and learning its pool wasn’t available. My wife and kids wanted to swim, so I asked Mr. Tony Dumas whether the pool here was working. He said yes, asked why I wanted to know, and when I explained what had happened, told me to bring my family and that he’d take care of us. He really did look after us. He wasn’t there for the rest of my stay, but I’ll never forget Mr. Tony Dumas. If I come to Montgomery again, I’ll always book here because of him.

I’m staying here for work for a while, and I didn’t feel welcome walking in. That seems odd for a business that’s supposed to be about hospitality. It’s sad seeing such a nice hotel turn into a dump because people don’t take pride in their jobs. I inspect for a living, and if this were my hotel, the rooms would be tended to DAILY. The nightly price warrants daily cleaning, even if it’s light. And if you’re going to run a business in hospitality, take time to find the right people for the job.

I slept reasonably well, and the bed was comfortable enough. The room was fairly clean, but there were lots of small things left dirty, like streaks on the TV, mirror, and shower door. The shower door wouldn’t stay shut, the hot water was very weak, and the room’s “night light” lit up the whole bedroom. The ice machine had two trays full to the brim with stagnant water. When I arrived, the lobby was taped off for major construction, and the work blocked all but one elevator. Noise traveled up the elevator shaft. The reservation site never mentioned renovations, and I would have stayed somewhere else if I’d known. On checkout, I told the clerk about the issues, but she didn’t seem interested.

The location was great, with several places to eat within walking distance and a restaurant in the lobby. The staff were phenomenal and friendly. I would have given 5 stars across the board, except IHG central reservations, not the hotel itself, didn’t say the hotel was being remodeled. That matters to a lot of travelers.