Holiday Inn Charlottesville-Univ Area by IHG

The room problems were the biggest letdown, especially after a late walk back from the concert. Our air conditioning didn’t work and the fridge wasn’t keeping food cold. I’d brought about $100 worth of food that needed refrigeration, but we only discovered how bad things were after walking more than 3 miles back late at night. The front desk said someone would come up when available. While waiting, I tried to find ice, but the second-floor machine seemed off, so I went to the fourth floor. I was told there wasn’t a machine on the first floor. When a staff member finally arrived, we were moved across the hall instead of having the original room fixed. The new room was cooler and its fridge worked better, though I still used ice to be safe. For roughly $350 a night, I expected working equipment and a quicker response. At checkout, a staff member listened kindly, apologized, and handled my concerns with real compassion, which I appreciated. We picked the hotel for its proximity to Scott Stadium, and that location was a real plus. Parking was easy, and the welcome at arrival was friendly. Before the concert I’d called about a shuttle and was told the hotel had none. At check-in, though, there was a flyer for Above and Beyond Shuttle Service. Staff said it wasn’t affiliated with the hotel and had just been left there. The shuttle accepted our requested time but didn’t confirm pickup, arrived late, then dropped us well short of the stadium and told us to walk. We managed, but it would’ve helped to know that beforehand. The location is great, but room upkeep and responsiveness need work. A dependable shuttle arrangement during major events, even with a drop-off within walking distance, would also help with the heavy traffic.

The bed was comfortable, the hotel was very nice and clean, and the shower was an easy walk-in. We couldn’t set the air conditioning below 70, though. We normally sleep with it at 67, so the room felt a bit warm. We made do.

The room was clean and the bed felt comfortable, but there wasn’t any bathroom ventilation, which got annoying. The lot had plenty of parking, though high traffic made getting in and out difficult. Breakfast was a mess, and the food wasn’t cooked properly. The layout made little sense: cups were in the lobby, plates by the cereal instead of near the buffet or pancake station. The pancake area was dirty, and the regular mix and syrup containers were empty. We stayed two nights and skipped breakfast the second morning.

The rooms were okay, but the beds were so uncomfortable that I left disappointed. I wouldn’t recommend it.