Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Lake Okeechobee by IHG

We had no sheets, blankets, or pillows for the futon when we got back from the wedding. I called the desk and was told we had to come down to get them. My wife went down late at night, and the front desk woman was nasty to her. She had taken off her name tag and gave a false name, but later we saw the tag. When my wife asked whether she should report her as Lacey or by the name on the tag, Yuretni, she admitted Lacey wasn't her name. There was no management at the property, we were told they were at another one. How does a hotel operate without any management present? I filed a case with IHG and was told upper management would contact me within 48 hours. Seven days passed with no contact. When I called to follow up, compensation was denied. The owner refused to compensate us, and IHG said there was nothing they could do about how this property treats paying customers and members. It felt like they didn't care because I'm not a diamond member. Even at check-in, the front desk person told me to control my kids and told a story about a baseball team throwing a ball in the lobby. She said she picked it up and threw it, hitting the kid's mother in the chest, and still has her job. The place came across as terrible from ownership down. My family stayed at the Hampton down the street and had no problems. That Hampton has a good Applebee's on site, while this dump has nothing. The treadmill doesn't work, the pool is shabby, and the pancake machine was down. I used to manage an IHG/Holiday Inn, and I'd say choose somewhere else if you're visiting Lake Okeechobee.

The rooms are spacious, the breakfast is great, and the location is convenient. The place was immaculate, and the bed and bedding felt luxurious and comfortable. Above all, the staff couldn't have been nicer. I'd highly recommend staying here if you're in the area.

We stopped here for one night while driving home from a Miami Virgin Cruise. We were worn out, but the renovations going on didn't affect our stay. The area was quiet, and the rooms were clean and updated. I'd recommend the hotel and would come back after our next cruise.

The front desk staff who checked us in were friendly, and one of them helped my son get on the WiFi. The breakfast was surprisingly lovely, with a really sweet woman running it on 8/31. I wish I'd gotten her name. We had one night here for one of our kids' sporting events, and I expected less since there aren't many choices in the area. The room was clean and smelled nice, and the beds and pillows were very comfortable. They also provided shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion. I'd stay again if I'm nearby.