Holiday Inn Express St Albans by IHG

My room was spacious and clean, but bugs kept getting in each day, including ladybugs and flies. Housekeeping never came during my four-night stay, and the thin walls let me hear people talking across the hall. Loud guests woke me at 4 a.m., and I couldn't sleep well after that. The room itself was clean, though the facilities and housekeeping could use improvement.

The room was clean and felt safe, but I barely slept because the people above us were so loud. The $50 incidental charge and missing pool towels didn't help. A woman also complained to me about dirty towels in the fitness center, as if I could do something about it. The breakfast was so limited that people were crowded around the oatmeal, and the bacon picture on the table felt like a joke. The coffee was bitter and burnt, and everyone looked sad over breakfast on New Year's Eve morning. The heater has worked poorly on both of our visits. This time it ran on low fan, and the shower only got warm, not hot, which was disappointing after coming in from 4 degrees outside. We've visited before, mostly for the views on the way up, but honestly, I may not come again. Not the best stay, so three out of five.

The staff were great and friendly, and the hotel has improved a lot since I stayed here many years ago under another brand. It's been renovated and changed to an IHG brand. I'd come back, though we definitely didn't have enough hot water on either of the two days we stayed.

I liked the room and the location during my week-long work trip in VT, but it was never cleaned. I asked the receptionist specifically if someone could take care of it, and got an annoyed reply that it would be done that day. When I returned at 8:30 PM, nothing had been done. I'll need to be back in St Albans for at least a month next year, but I won't stay at this hotel again.