Holiday Inn Express & Suites Pittsburgh North Shore by IHG

We spent two nights at the Holiday Inn in Pittsburgh, booking one room with a queen bed and another with two beds. Both were remarkably roomy, more spacious than places we usually find in Canada, including some pricier hotels. The bathrooms were roomy and laid out well, and there was extra hanging space for clothes besides the closet. Each room also had a sofa bed, fridge, microwave, coffee maker, TV, safe, and a proper desk setup. Breakfast was fresh and organized, with hot choices like omelets, sausage, and waffles, along with oats and the usual staples. For the price, the space, comfort, and amenities were a great deal. We've stayed at plenty of hotels across Canada, even higher-end ones, and this place had more space than most. We were very happy with the stay and would recommend it to people visiting Pittsburgh.

The room was extremely clean, the curtains made it nice and dark, and the shower was roomy with wonderfully hot water. The heat worked well too, which we appreciated since it was freezing in May. There's also a handy little food shop downstairs by the desk. Front desk staff were nice, including the young woman with the beautiful nails and the friendly, outgoing gentleman. And housekeeping was amazing. I think our housekeeper was named Munire, if I read the paper she gave me correctly. She was so sweet, kind, friendly, and professional. Thank you, ma'am, for doing such a great job! We were here to see the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the location is hard to beat: PNC ballpark is across the street, about half a block away. But several things in the room were frustrating. The pillows were ridiculously flat and flimsy for what we're paying, the kind I wouldn't expect even at a cheap hotel. The old, beat-up Keurig was a pain too. I had to press power several times to get it on, then it would turn off again; I had to refill the water for every cup, and after brewing it made noise for about three minutes, like it had frozen. Three switches didn't work: the one by the entrance, one in the little entryway, and the bathroom's left light switch. It was hit or miss whether they worked at all. Next time, I hope the Keurig is better, the switches work, and the pillows are at least decent.

The room was clean and pleasant, and parking couldn't have been easier. Even with the NFL draft bringing a big crowd, the hotel kept things private and safe. We appreciated all the information they sent ahead of time. My wife and I had a great two-night stay and would return for football or baseball games.

The blinking smoke detector light was my main gripe. Once the lights were off, it flashed very brightly every four seconds all night. I counted, and it bothered me each night. When I mentioned it to the front desk, the response was that all the rooms were like that, and she offered an eye mask. It seems like a small thing to fix, and an eye mask felt like a poor substitute. Still, the hotel worked very well for our baseball trip to PNC Park, just a block away. We had great views of the ballpark and city, and could walk to restaurants, bars, the riverfront paths, and across the bridges to downtown. There was a large lot next door and, I think, a garage too, but we didn't need the car all week. The beds were comfortable and came with a nice variety of pillows. I heard no noise at night, though my husband did notice some loud trucks outside. We only got three towels for two people, which wasn't enough when we walked all day and showered twice a day. Breakfast was included, but the pancake machine was broken during our visit, which was disappointing since that's my favorite. The staff were all wonderful, and our room was serviced perfectly every day. A great base for a game or seeing the city, as long as you can deal with that blinking light.