Holiday Inn Express Oneonta by IHG

We've had one of our best hotel stays in quite a few years. The whole place was clean and well kept, and everyone was accommodating, cordial, and first class, including housekeeping. I called a few days before our evening arrival and got first-class, courteous service over the phone. Check-in was easy, and everyone made my wife and me feel comfortable. It was a wonderful stay.

Someone opened our room door at 4am, which is a major safety concern if another guest's key card worked on it. That came after a rude check-in: the front desk guy seemed annoyed to get off his cell phone, didn't greet us, and never said thank you. At 8:20am the free breakfast had old, cold, hard “omelets,” and the sausage and bacon were gone. While looking for an employee, I heard a tall, thin white male employee ask a Spanish employee, “you have esposa? You share Esposa?? Yeah all you Mexicans share your esposa's”. Esposa means wife in Spanish. It was disgusting to hear as a customer, and it was clear the Spanish-speaking employee was uncomfortable, red in the face, and backing away. I reported it to the front desk clerk, who apologized, but the white employee was clearly harassing him. Holiday Inn express has major room security and employee issues.

The outdoor patio was our favorite part. We spent seven hours there on our second night, and I'd stay here again. The front desk staff were FANTASTIC, especially the woman working the evenings of 8/22 and 8/23, whose name I wish I'd gotten. Breakfast was good, with the usual continental options. The room was comfortable and the beds were clean, but housekeeping could do better. There were handprints on the windows, black smudges on the walls, and a piece of hair in the shower.

Parking was ample, and the staff were very friendly and accommodating. The rooms, bathrooms, and dining area were all very clean.