Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites PERRY by IHG

The room had no working outlets by the bed, torn carpet near the AC, and no hot water either at night or the next morning. We checked at different times in case demand was high. There were only two towels for our four-person booking, and getting two more meant waiting about 15 minutes at the desk. Breakfast was awful: frozen omelets, black bits from the apple juice dispenser, sausage that looked very old, a broken pancake machine, overflowing trash, and crumb-covered dirty tables. Check-in took 35 minutes while the employee kept saying she was the only one working. We understand staffing problems happen, but she didn't handle it professionally. We had called that morning to ask for a late checkout and were told it would be fine. On arrival, the desk staff member was rude and said she couldn't honor it because she'd already given out her allowed amount. This Holiday Inn Express fell far short of what we expected. It was a frustrating stay, and we wouldn't return unless they made major improvements.

The only bright spot was the friendly breakfast attendant. The breakfast was filling, and the coffee was good. Everything else was a letdown. After our kids had been in the car for 8.5 hours, the unheated outdoor pool wasn't much help for burning off energy. You can leave through the pool gate, but it's exit-only, so your card won't let you back in. The fitness room wasn't better: the treadmill and water machine were broken, and the clock was stuck at 4-something. Our room smelled like a wrestling team had all showered in the bathroom after a meet and nobody had disinfected it. Holiday Inn used to mean a great hotel to me as a kid, but we paid far too much for all these hassles. I won't stay here again or recommend it to anyone passing through.

The first room was gross, and its AC didn't work. The afternoon employee was rude and disrespectful about towels, though we did end up getting them, so I don't know what the fuss was about. Breakfast wasn't good either, and the elevator crawled. On the plus side, the beds were fairly comfortable, though firm, and the AC in the room we had afterward worked well. Amanda at the desk was kind and personable, and quickly sorted out a few check-in problems. The breakfast coffee was great, freshly ground.

The hotel was nice enough, and the staff were kind, especially the person serving breakfast. The beds were really comfortable. I'm taking off a star because the pool was closed, and even if it had been open, it was cold.