Holiday Inn Express & Suites Oswego by IHG

The room we eventually got was nice, and breakfast was good, but the customer service was dismal. My adult son and I had booked two queen beds through the IHG website, yet at around 4pm we found a single bed in our room. The desk said we'd been "upgraded" to a king suite, though by any normal definition it wasn't a suite, and one of us would have had to use a pullout sofa. When I asked the clerk if she'd want to sleep on one, she sarcastically said she had for a week. We were told there were no other rooms and no manager available. Then the head of housekeeping came by and said she'd spoken with the general manager and could have a two-queen room ready in half an hour. Changing our room type without notice, even at check-in, was unacceptable. Calling it an upgrade was absurd, and saying the manager and another room weren't available felt fraudulent.

For what we paid, $284 Friday and $350 Saturday, I'd expect a better level of service. This doesn't feel like a $350-a-night hotel. The location had ample parking and was convenient, and the place seemed generally clean and in good condition. The breakfast room was pleasant, spacious, and well kept, with a decent selection. The bed and pillows were comfortable, the bathroom was well equipped with plenty of towels, and it was fairly quiet. But there were crumbs by the coffee machine, and a huge curl of black body hair on the white shower wall. After rinsing it off, the shower itself was great. Those things made me wonder how well the room had been cleaned, even though they weren't huge issues. I also hate when a hotel won't provide a bottle or two of water. At roughly 25-50 cents each, it comes across as greedy and stingy. The woman who checked us in barely acknowledged us and gave no welcome or hotel information. The next morning I went to report that the HVAC wasn't working. The male clerk had acknowledged me, but the female clerk kept interrupting to insist I was using the room AC wrong. I was being pleasant and hadn't even complained about being damp and warm all night. If she'd let me finish, or simply checked it while I was heading out, the conversation would've been quicker. One maintenance employee was the best part of our stay, greeting us enthusiastically whenever we saw him. The male clerk was pleasant too. The female staff made us feel like an inconvenience, even though we were paying a lot per night, and I try not to bother hotel staff unless I need to.

Breakfast had lots to choose from, both hot and cold, with gluten-free and vegetarian options too. It was delicious, and the whole hotel felt clean and fresh. The staff were friendly and helpful.

I called to book a room and was told to hold. After 58 minutes of silence, the call was disconnected. Maybe she forgot I was still there, but I have no idea what the wait was for. I'd like to see this place actually let me book a room next time.