Holiday Inn Express & Suites San Jose Airport by IHG

The friendly check-in staff were the one good part of the stay. I asked for an upgraded room, but what I got wasn’t close to one. The shower pressure was low, the bed was far too soft for my comfort, and I was charged for parking despite being an elite member. I wanted to try the pool, but it looked murky. For the price, I wouldn’t choose this place again. I wasn’t looking forward to the stay by the end, and I usually don’t post negative reviews, but this one was a no for me.

For the Bay Area, the value was decent, and it was close to the airport. There’s a small gym and free breakfast, and reception was friendly and easy to deal with. The parking charge going from $10 to $15 per night seemed pretty ridiculous to me. My king room was spacious and the bathroom was clean. The carpet felt too nasty for me to walk on barefoot. I was in a room facing the street, so there was some traffic noise, but it didn’t bother me too much.

The free breakfast was the best I’ve had at a three-star hotel, and the staff were excellent and very accommodating. I appreciated the help from the person working the front desk at 5pm on 12/24/25, though I wish I’d gotten his name. The bed and pillows were a bit too hard for my taste. Room 201 also never got hot running water. I let it run for 20 minutes without success. I might have switched rooms, but I didn’t try the shower until just before checkout, so it was too late.

I could barely see in the room, even with every light on, and there was no way to work there. The bathroom lighting was so bright it was blinding, which felt pretty ironic. The heavy bathroom door had a large metal handle and opened right against the bedroom entrance, almost blocking it completely. At night it was hard to get around the door without risking waking a partner, and the handle was loud when opening or closing it. Coming out of the bathroom in the dark felt like a hazard. The lounge chair was uncomfortable too: too high, cheap foam filling, and a scratchy polyester-like cover. Breakfast eggs were cold or barely warm and tasted like rubber. The front desk guys had hair over their faces, dressed unprofessionally, and seemed to have about as much enthusiasm for work as for life. It was a poor look for guests likely visiting Silicon Valley. There was noise from young people celebrating a science competition and, separately, adults partying across the hall with bottles or glasses clinking and loud dance music for hours. The rooms were noisy, and this isn’t my kind of place. Maybe the location was useful, close to my grateful getaway flight from San Jose airport, but there weren’t any eateries nearby. No thanks, I’m glad I won’t have to stay again.