Holiday Inn Express and Suites Columbus New Albany by IHG

The beds were comfortable, the king suite was spacious and well lit, and the hot deluxe breakfast was first class. I also liked the strong bathroom exhaust fan. We knew there was no bathtub, just a walk-in shower, which was fine with us. Still, after five nights we left very frustrated and I'd recommend avoiding this hotel until it gets its act together. In four days we saw few guests, but I heard someone on the fourth floor tell the desk there was no hot water. The clerk knew about it and said they were trying to fix it. I hope that guest got a refund or another room, but I doubt it. During our stay, the shower wasn't cleaned one day, and staff couldn't tell me the linen change policy, which wasn't posted. One day we left at 10:30 AM and removed the “Not Ready” placard while the housekeeper saw us, but our room still wasn't serviced. There was no checklist to ensure rooms were done. When we asked for towels that night, the desk said all of them were being washed and someone would bring them after they dried, but nobody did. At check-in, the clerks didn't seem to know how to arrange the upper floor at the front of the hotel that we'd requested. A window shade fell off as we pulled its chain, and marks showed it had happened before. On Friday evening there were no laundry quarters in the register. At $2.50 per wash and dry, they should have $10 rolls, and the machines should take cards in this day and age. We were also charged a $50 per day incidental authorization, $250 total, which seemed excessive, and it wasn't credited until the second business day after checkout. Most hotels return that within one business day. To me, all this points to negligence by management, especially the GM, who didn't seem to be on the job.

I've stayed at lots of hotels and usually choose the Courtyard in New Albany, but this one has become one of my favorites. The issues I saw mentioned in other reviews seem to have been fixed. My room had hot water with good pressure and a TV with tons of channels. The manager was often in the lobby greeting people, and the staff were top-notch. Breakfast was unlike the usual heat-and-serve hotel food, and Dan, I think, who served it was delightful. The housekeepers were responsive and polite; the front desk women and night guy James were always up for a chat. There were tons of choices in the little market by the desk. The pool water was a little cold, but everything else was perfect. I highly recommend it.

My husband is working in New Albany, so we stayed overnight with our family. The hotel was beautiful and clean, and the service was amazing. The front desk clerk was so friendly, the room worked great for us, and the bed was the most comfortable I've ever laid on. I forgot to check the bed type before leaving. Does anyone know what it was?

The low service rating is for the situation, not the employees who were working that evening. The night auditor was kind and efficient, and moved me to a quieter room after I heard a lot of noise from upstairs. It seemed odd that, in a large mostly empty hotel, someone was put directly above me. The main problem was the indoor heated pool, which was ice cold even though the room was warm. I booked specifically for that pool and had said so when reserving. A week before, I called to ask if it was working or under renovation and was told it was working. I also stopped at the lobby the night before my booking and got the same answer. After checking in, I changed and went straight to the pool, only to find freezing water. The front desk person apologized professionally but couldn't do anything beyond passing along the issue. Whoever handles the amenities either hadn't turned on the heater or it was malfunctioning, and nobody had tested the water by touch. I used to work for Hampton Inn and Suites and know someone responsible should check the temperature in the water, not just read the heater dials. I could have chosen plenty of hotels with a heated indoor pool. I picked this one because I work at a large local business on Beech Rd and assumed the reservation would be straightforward after checking more than once. I'd prepaid for what I asked for. After caring for an elderly parent all day for the holiday, I was really looking forward to it. To say I was massively disappointed is an understatement. If I'd changed again, packed up, driven somewhere else, and paid another hotel, I'd then have had to argue to get this charge refunded.