Holiday Inn Norman

I was unsure after reading the web reviews, but Jennifer Tilse and Krystle Ross made planning a conference here a great experience. Jennifer checked that we had everything, emailed the contract that same day, invited me to come see the place, and even picked me up from the bus stop. She then showed me the whole hotel, including the meeting spaces, room, and amenities. The hotel had just been renovated and looked beautiful, with modern furnishings, greenery, and vibrant new carpet. My room had a flat-screen TV and an alarm clock loud enough to wake me after just a few hours of sleep, and the water pressure was excellent. Every employee greeted me whenever they saw me, and they seemed just as friendly with everyone else. If the previous reviews made you nervous, check it out for yourself. I’m glad we chose the Holiday Inn - Norman.

We chose this Holiday Inn because we’ve usually had good experiences with the chain. We weren’t expecting luxury, just working facilities, a comfortable room, and the room we booked. Instead, we reserved queen beds and found only double beds on the property. The group ahead of us had paperwork for adjoining rooms but the hotel had no record of it, so they had to take what was left. One compliment: the breakfast was adequate, though nowhere near worth the trouble of staying here. We had to move right away because our first room had a broken toilet. Back in the replacement room, the new keys wouldn’t work, and we were next to a generator that made a loud grinding noise all night. The fridge never got cold, the curtains were dingy, the hot tub wasn’t hot and its jets didn’t work, the pool sides were grimy, and the bathroom wall by the tub was crumbling. The available computer was out of order too. Save yourself or your family the hassle and stay somewhere else.

I paid $61 a night, so I guess you get what you pay for. I was there on business for two weeks. The location was handy for roads, gyms, shopping, Starbucks, and lots of chain restaurants, and the staff were friendly. But the rooms were just meh, the hotel was freezing, and the HVAC was lousy. The water pressure was way too high, the toilet barely flushed, and the place had a strange smell. I’ve stayed in worse places, though.

Friendly service, and the hotel was kept really clean. Nice place!