Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago West-Roselle by IHG

My card was overcharged, and I still haven’t received my deposit or a callback. That came on top of a disappointing stay: I booked because I wanted a hot tub, but there wasn’t one. The pool was heated, though the room around it was freezing and there was ice on the windows. It never felt warm enough to swim comfortably, and when I asked if they could raise the room temperature, I was told they couldn’t. We came to swim and have fun, but over the 2.5 days we were there, we managed at most an hour in the pool. My kids were freezing.

We left without staying because there wasn’t a safe or habitable room for our family. We arrived around 12:30 AM with two children under five who are both allergic to mold. Within minutes, we found visible mold and fungus in the bathroom and shower, blood and mold stains on the bed skirt and furniture, and no proper bedding for the sofa bed. The pillows we requested were stained too. We showed photos at the desk within 15 minutes, then inspected several other rooms with staff. Every one had the same filthy bathrooms and showers, and none was clean or safe. The way the hotel dealt with it was just as upsetting. At first the desk wouldn’t give us receipts, showed no concern about the health risk, and refused to refund the room charge. The manager eventually returned the deposit, but not the room cost, even though we never stayed. Hotels.com contacted the Holiday Inn on our behalf and asked for a refund after reviewing what happened, but the hotel still wouldn’t approve it. That showed no accountability or concern for guest safety. This property fell short of basic Holiday Inn hygiene standards, and management was careless and dismissive. I strongly warn families, especially those with health concerns, to avoid it.

We asked management for a refund after finding a filthy room, visible mold throughout, what looked like blood stains on surfaces, and a bathroom that was dirty and clearly hadn’t been sanitized. They refused outright. The lack of basic customer care and accountability was shocking, and this was the worst hotel management I’ve dealt with. The stay was a waste of money and an awful experience. I’d warn others to stay away unless they overhaul both cleanliness and management.

The suite gave me some welcome extra space, though its two-room layout was odd. The rooms felt old and tired, and the property doesn’t seem to have had much updating. HVAC was weak, the bedroom TV had movies locked behind parental controls that couldn’t be undone, and the living-room TV was tiny from the couch. Breakfast was okay but limited and never changed. Staff were fine, but there was no housekeeping on my first day, and I was told it only came every third night. I was working nearby, and the location was handy for the western suburbs, though getting back to ORD still took 30 minutes. It’s attached to an event center that wasn’t in use. I stay at IHG properties often, so this one was a disappointment. It wasn’t an expensive stay, I guess you get what you pay for.