Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Rochester - Marketplace

The main reason I'm giving this stay 5/5 is the very good experience, and I'll keep coming back whenever I have business in Rochester. There are still a few minor issues, but new manager Kim is working to get things back on track. The hotel had deteriorated quite a bit over the previous two years under the last management; since the change, room cleanliness and service have improved a lot. My room was clean and nice, with a very comfortable bed. At arrival, a friendly young man welcomed me, recognized my Diamond Elite Status, and gave me the welcome gift I chose. Breakfast was freshly made, with real scrambled eggs. Chris, who was in charge, was welcoming, explained the options, and kept the breakfast room tidy. The Bar & Grill was very nice, and John prepared delicious food. New bartender Chrisy was friendly and brought a fun atmosphere to the bar, unlike the previous girl, who had a serious attitude problem.

I lost sleep over a fridge that was warm even after I plugged it in, then ticked until I unplugged it at about 2:30 am. After six hours in there, my takeout food was warm too, so I wasn't going to share it with my colleagues. This all started when I opened the fridge to store the food for the next day and realized it wasn't plugged in. The front desk woman told me room service sometimes unplugs them and asked if I could plug it in myself. I was dumbfounded, but didn't want the food to spoil, so I had to move the heavy bed, open the cabinet, pull out the fridge, and crawl in to reach the extension plug. I heard it start up and assumed it was fine. Then, after a couple hours watching TV and working, I went to bed and heard the ticking. I had to repeat the whole awkward process to unplug it. At 5 am, after less than two hours of sleep, I checked out and spoke to DEAN, the manager on duty. He apologized several times and said he'd raise it with his manager or the owners and I'd be compensated. I asked for what seemed fair, $65 for the food and the room, or part of it, and said I'd write a review if I didn't hear back within 48 hours. More than 72 hours passed, so I called DEAN. He said he still HAS NOT SPOKEN TO THE GM. I gave him a chance to explain, but in my opinion it was just a lack of customer care. After putting me on hold for a few minutes, he offered 10,000 member points, which he said were worth $50. That doesn't cover the food, let alone being their maintenance person, losing sleep, and dealing with staff who don't follow up. As a Silver Elite member, I'm extremely disappointed and seriously considering switching chains. Curious to see if anyone from IHG will follow up.

This place is a bit rough, though rates are relatively cheap. I first got keys to an occupied room and walked in on someone. My next room wasn't very clean, with lots of crumbs around, and the elevator I was told to take wouldn't open until I fiddled with the door.

The ballroom was ready for me to set up ahead of time, thanks to Kim, the organized manager. I used it for a corporate meeting and couldn't be happier with the facilities or staff. Davinia at the front desk was quick to handle anything I needed, and the tech person, whose name I didn't catch, got my presentation running in seconds. The team was kind, accommodating, and friendly. I'd absolutely use them again for a corporate meeting.