Holiday Inn Allentown-I-78 (Lehigh Valley)

We've stayed here several times. The gym is very nice, and if you just need a nice room at a good price, this place works. But we've had a few issues: the bar wasn't open during its posted hours, and the Starbucks either didn't have the drink I wanted or had nobody there to serve me.

The rooms were very clean, and the service was great. The conference room felt a bit cold. We moved from the general food area by the bar because a few people were bothered by the lingering mop smell. The parking lot is also an oddly long way from the hotel entrance.

The cramped parking made getting our things inside a hassle. If you can't unload at the door, the closer parking area has stairs, while the farther one has a considerable incline. Couriers also aren't allowed past the lobby, so I had to get dressed and walk downstairs to collect takeout. I'd thought about ordering from the bar, but the overpowering curry smell throughout the hotel killed my appetite. Hours later, I decided to order food anyway.

We were expected to put up with the situation and pay full price, and nobody offered our group any compensation. I was at a Scrapbooking retreat, and the hotel staff didn't seem to have control of the place. Hockey teams' kids ran around and played hockey in the hallways until 3 am, while their parents drank at the bar and lobby and were nowhere in sight. The catering staff were excellent, and the concession menu staff were accommodating until we needed food delivered to our ballroom. At that hour, they would only deliver room service. The bartender ignored us for 15 minutes. This was a one-star experience overall.