Holiday Inn Express & Suites, International Drive by IHG

The customer service was awesome, and the hotel was very clean. We loved the free breakfast and the location, close to restaurants and lots of attractions. Best of all, the bed and pillows were the comfiest I’ve ever had at a hotel.

We usually choose Holiday Inn Express because, wherever we travel, the comfort and cleanliness seem consistent and the breakfast is decent. This stay made me less confident in that. We had a suite plus a second room with two queens for our older teens, stayed six nights, and paid about $3,000 across both rooms, before parking. The hotel badly needs a remodel or at least a deep clean. Lobby floors, elevators, and the area outside them were dirty and sticky. The paint needs serious refreshing, and I could see patch lines on the ceiling in our room. The suite shower leaked water out onto the floor and looked nasty. Under the sink looked like it hadn’t been swept or mopped in a while. A leaking toilet in the double queen room took two tries to fix. Most of the staff were attentive, though a few needed to get off their phones. The breakfast met expectations, and the hotel was conveniently located for Universal Studios. But the freeway noise from our room was so loud that I needed earplugs to sleep. Parking was another frustration at $16 a day. Paying to park on top of the room cost drives me nuts. After this stay, I wish I’d taken a chance on a VRBO or Airbnb. This Holiday Inn Express didn’t meet expectations.

The sixth-floor room I chose on purpose faced Universal Studios, and I enjoyed watching the fireworks at midnight on New Year’s. The rooms looked a bit old, but were clean and nice. Our two-queen room had a small chaise longue and a sitting desk, and both could fit a four-foot kid, which I’d never seen before. It also had a small fridge and microwave, and the bathrooms were nice. I found this hotel while looking for somewhere between Universal and Disney, and it worked well enough for the trip. The complimentary hot breakfast had lots of options, though I often noticed some items weren’t cooked properly. They kept refilling the food even after the stated breakfast time, which was convenient. The shuttle to Universal Studios wasn’t their own, it looked like a public or Universal bus, and it could arrive 15-20 minutes late. There are two elevators, both very old and slow. I felt them jerk now and then, which was a bit scary. I’d consider staying again.

This was one of the best Holiday Inn Express & Suites we’ve stayed at. The employees were so friendly and went beyond what I’d expect. Our room was spacious and clean, and breakfast had a great variety, stayed well stocked, and was hot. The location is very close to Sea World, and the shuttle service is a real benefit.