Holiday Inn Express Washington DC N-Silver Spring by IHG

I was back here after a good April stay with family, since the hotel is close to where I do business in the area. This time I arrived just before midnight after a long drive from NY, worn out and without a reservation because I wasn't sure I'd make it all the way instead of stopping at a rest stop. Luther helped me at the front desk, and everyone has been consistently helpful and a pleasure. You're like my Toyota, affordable and dependable. For a decent, affordable place with a small comfy room, a good full breakfast, and easy reach to MD/DC, this does the job. People expecting Lexus, Mercedes, or Bentley level amenities should choose somewhere like Waldorf, Ritz-Carlton, or St. Regis, not the Holiday Inn. For a sub-$100/night stay, complaints about it seem unrealistic to me. I also recognized the security guard from my last visit, and he was just as helpful, though I can't remember your name, boss, sorry. Shout out to Afsaw, Elise, Gregoria, and the rest of the crew. The breakfast lady even came out from the back before closing to ask if I wanted anything else, since I was still eating with my back to the breakfast area. That's customer service. I'll be back!

The room and bed were very comfortable, the staff polite and helpful, and I liked the breakfast. But there were only a few hotel lot spaces, and they cost $20.00 a night. Otherwise you have to use the public lot behind the hotel. The key card failed repeatedly, so I needed a replacement every day. There was construction on the second floor, and workers used the only two elevators, scratching the inside walls and getting paint and drywall mud on them.

I booked a king room directly on the website, but at check-in they said those were sold out and gave me a double queen instead. It didn't matter much in practice, though I'm not sure why that happened. The hall carried sound from every room, and inside my room I could hear the family next door through the connecting door. Their kids were rowdy quite late, but I didn't complain, so I blame the parents rather than staff. The friendly staff and the breakfast spread, just what you'd expect, were nice. I appreciated the non-dairy milk options. The price was reasonable, and I'd return for a short stay. Last October, I found the location great: I walked from central downtown Silver Spring without real trouble even on one crutch. Nearby restaurants and Target were an easy walk, and DC was across the border in the other direction.

Aaron made us feel so welcome and sweetly greeted us. When we first came in, we noticed how clean the place was, and he said he'd been cleaning all day. The complimentary breakfast was great, and the price was affordable for our quick stay. Thank you, we'll definitely stay again if we're in the area. Give that man a raise!