Holiday Inn Express & Suites Newport News by IHG

The staff were nice, and I appreciated that. But I booked because Holiday Inn Express has usually been a great experience for me, and this stay changed my mind. As Platinum Elite members we weren't offered complimentary water, which wasn't a big deal, so after a full day of flying I went to buy some at the market. The coolers had only two diet Cokes. The room looked nothing like the online photos. The furniture was old and dirty. I was told the replacement furniture had fallen off the ship and they didn't know when renovations would happen, but that didn't explain why the existing pieces couldn't be cleaned. The room was moderately clean, though there was food left on the floor. My four-year-old picked up a piece of candy, and I found pretzels under the couch. The air conditioner was extremely loud, and the hotel had a strong, strange fragrance that seemed like it might be masking something. I needed a document printed for the next morning, but the business center printers didn't work. The front desk man didn't offer a solution or even to print it for me. I drove about five minutes to another Holiday Inn to use its business center, then ended my stay here two days early and booked there instead. I'm very disappointed. I'll add pictures when I figure out how.

The room was exceptionally clean and neat, and it stayed remarkably quiet, so I slept well. From the moment I arrived, the staff were warm and professional. The gym was well equipped, the pool refreshing, and breakfast had everything I needed. My stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Newport News was a delight from beginning to end.

Getting on and off the freeway was the one good thing about this place. Check-in was unpleasant. The lobby smelled nice, but upstairs and in our room it smelled like dirty mop water and mold. We were on the second floor, so I can't say about the third, though I assume it was similar. My mom gets cold, and when I asked for an extra blanket they said they had none and gave us about eight towels instead. Were we meant to use those as a blanket? The breakfast floor was sticky, like dirty mop water had just been spread around. Breakfast was awful, with no variety, no coffee, and no bowls for cereal or oatmeal. A worker offered a coffee cup for cereal. We've stayed at lots of Holiday Inn Express locations, and none were this bad. It's outdated and overrun, and shouldn't be an Express. Glad we were only passing through for one night. I wouldn't recommend it.

Meka at the breakfast bar was so welcoming and kind, and really made our stay special. The rooms were spacious, the staff friendly, and the service was great. We enjoyed the breakfast buffet, and the pool area was clean and well cared for. It's also close to nearby attractions. We'll stay here again.