Holiday Inn Express & Suites Salem by IHG

I’ve stayed at Holiday Inns across the mid west as a platinum member, and this was by far my worst experience. We had two rooms for 10-12 days, almost two weeks in all, and the sheets were never changed or fresh towels brought in. Every night my guys had to go down to the desk to get towels. When we asked about it, they said the hotel was fully booked and the laundry lady hadn’t worked all week. Really disappointing.

We likely won’t stay here again if we’re back in the area. The shower pressure was awful, and the hot water ran out, leaving us with a cold shower. Our room also never got cleaned or restocked with towels. When my wife asked at the desk, the employee seemed surprised, then said the cleaner might come back, but we never saw her. We were told to leave our trash in the hallway; after it sat there for hours, my wife carried it down herself because we felt it made us look bad. The first night had been quiet and we slept well, but the second night kids upstairs were jumping so hard it sounded like they might come through the ceiling. What a bummer.

The coffee station was a nice extra, and the place had a welcoming look. We found the room clean and well equipped, the service friendly and efficient, and breakfast was good.

I’m still angry about how I was treated. I have Diamond status and had an online reservation, but the front desk employee tried to charge a $200 room reservation fee and then said I couldn’t stay because I was local. I’m not local, though I’ve been living in Carbondale for months; I just hadn’t had time to replace my ID. She was very rude about it. A nicer employee had called to confirm an early check-in, but when I arrived the situation was touch and go. She wouldn’t believe I’d called ahead and nearly refused to check, and she also wouldn’t validate my frequent-stay points. She seemed to know my family there in Salem and might have been judging me based on hearsay, though I’m not sure where the hostility came from. Rather than lose a day that cost $150 with tax, I stayed, despite being treated that way. Even after I spent almost $300, she said I should stay somewhere cheaper that I could afford. I’ll call the IHG area manager and warn people I know about this location. It’s 2025, and hotel staff shouldn’t act superior to clients. I should have taken it up with IHG upper management. No one should be disrespected over color, creed, religion, or sexual preferences. Period.