Holiday Inn St. Augustine - World Golf by IHG

I felt safe during my stay, and the hotel was close to the highway, with restaurants and shops a short drive away. The price seemed fair for the value. Still, it was a mixed stay. The room and bathroom felt outdated, and the flooring looked cheaply fitted, almost as if it sat on top of the trim. The worst issue was noise from the room next door. Thin walls and connecting doors made it easy to hear everything happening inside. It wasn’t outside noise, and it really affected my stay. The hotel wasn’t busy, yet they put us right beside other guests, which made the problem worse for no reason. There were also maintenance problems: the TV remote had sticky buttons, and several didn’t work. The thermostat was hard to control, leaving the room either too hot or too cold with no comfortable setting.

The staff and other guests were friendly, and the location was convenient. The bedding was decent, but the establishment felt neglected. Our shower fixtures were loose and leaking, and the bathroom toilet had been patched with tape. We reported the A/C outage at 8 a.m., but no one came. We went back at 4 p.m., and someone was sent around 6. The room felt humid, and the humidifier had to be emptied every four hours. The drawers smelled of mildew, and there were makeup, food, and grime splatters on the walls. Attention to detail would make the stay more enjoyable. The pool furniture looked donated, and nothing was wiped down or arranged. It felt more like an RV park than a hotel.

The pool and hot tub area was very nice. The rest of the place felt old and tired, as if it had been nice when it first opened decades ago but hadn’t been upgraded since, with only attempts to maintain what was already there. They had painted the room walls and put in cheap flooring and furniture, but the bathroom was old. The water pressure was terrible, and the toilet clogged during normal use while we were there. The elevators worked, though they felt like they were on their last legs.

The bed was really comfortable, and the person at the morning desk was consistently pleasant. Those were the bright spots. The rest of the hotel feels well past its prime. Hallway carpets were heavily stained, the place smelled damp, and rusted vents had air fresheners stuffed into them, including the room AC, apparently to cover the mildew odor. The elevator doors had carved swear words partly scribbled over, though still easy to read. Our room had been updated in the most superficial way: paint drips were left on the walls and floor, the shower had soap scum in its dish, and a towel had dark, wiry hairs embedded in it. The TV showed everything with a blue tint and was broken. Cleanliness and upkeep didn't seem to be priorities for the staff turning over rooms. Service had other lapses too. The bathroom by the Cafe had no soap either day. The breakfast buffet was sparse and often empty; we had to ask for bagels each morning because the bread wasn't replenished. I wondered how the young woman running breakfast washed her hands after using that bathroom. Our realtor had recommended the hotel based on someone else's acceptable stay, and that word fits. I wouldn't recommend it without substantial cleaning, maintenance, and updates.