Holiday Inn Express St. Petersburg North (I-275) by IHG

The front desk staff were friendly, and the location is close to almost everything. But if gross things bother you, you may want to stay elsewhere. This was an extremely disappointing visit, with housekeeping and cleanliness seeming nonexistent. When we got to the room on day one, there were crumbs all over the floor, an old FRY under the nightstand between the beds, and toenail clippings from a previous guest. The beds were made terribly and the whole room looked rushed and unprepared. During our four-night stay, several towels had random hairs and many had unknown stains that looked like they could be old blood. We brought towels from home, fortunately. We complained the next morning and asked them to vacuum and clean properly. After we’d been out for several hours, almost nothing had changed. There were fresh towels, but the used ones were still there, the beds weren’t made, trash hadn’t been emptied, and the floor hadn’t been vacuumed. The same fry, crumbs, and nail clippings were all still there. One night we found a baby ROACH in the shower. The whole second floor also smelled like hot piss. I could go on, but I’ll stop there. I’ve stayed in a ton of hotels, and this was by far THEE worst experience I’ve had. They won’t have to worry about me returning. Yucky yucky.

Update: I had to take a point off because none of the heaters worked. I tried three rooms without heat, and the room maintenance said they fixed was still broken. The floor’s heater wasn’t working either. It probably doesn’t matter most of the time in Florida, but it does when it’s 30 degrees outside like it is now. Otherwise, this is a nice, cozy place with comfy beds, a great breakfast, and coffee available 24 hours. Elsa was wonderful at breakfast and keeps things just right. It’s also right next door to a Cracker Barrel. There’s a pool, laundry, an exercise room, and everything else you’d expect.

Amanda at the front desk and the rest of the staff were amazing. She stayed with me and my family through every concern, making sure we were comfortable and happy. She has a great spirit, and I really enjoyed our conversations. Holiday Inn has a gem in her. She also had amazing nails, Amanda, if you’re reading this, I hope you remember me :)

I’ve had two disappointing customer service experiences at this Holiday Inn Express, and I was overcharged. Before my stay, I called to confirm the rate and was very clear about the total I expected. I was told signing up for the “free rewards” would take $30 off. When I arrived and asked them to honor that rate, the clerk was rude and said the extra charge was just a hold. I said, “Wow, you’re talking to me like I’m an idiot,” and picked up a business card to get her name since it wasn’t on her shirt. It said Zeke, manager. When I noticed the charge was still higher, I called and was told to call back. A different employee later gave me an email as the “best way to reach him.” I sent two emails five days apart and got no response. So I drove back to the hotel today. The same clerk and the manager were both there, and he was unwilling to help and seemed quite rude too. I understand policies vary, but the way they handled this lacked professionalism and basic courtesy. Customer service should mean listening and trying to resolve concerns respectfully, which wasn’t my experience. The pricing feels very shady. I hope management takes this seriously and improves how guests are treated. I travel often, and I’ll never stay at a Holiday Inn again or recommend them.