Holiday Inn Express & Suites Phoenix - Tempe by IHG

After a death in my family, I realized I'd made a mistake on my reservation and needed to change it during my stay. Anita and the front desk staff were incredibly kind through a complicated situation. Manager Tiffany was understanding and considerate, and found a solution when we needed help most. The hotel was clean and comfortable, with a convenient location. What stands out most, though, is the staff. They showed real care and kindness at a difficult time. Highly recommend. We need more people like this in the world.

Breakfast was good both days, and the room was mostly clean, though there were random black spots on the sheet and the towels were hard. It was fairly noisy near the airport, as expected, but otherwise not a bad stay. I'd come back, and would give it more than three stars if the late-night check-in had gone better. The person working then didn't speak good English and didn't offer solutions to my questions, saying there was no way to help. The check-in experience could have been better, but the stay itself wasn't that bad.

My reservation was for January 15 through the 19th. Arrival and check-in went fine, but the next night a bad cesspool or wastewater smell spread through the rooms and hallways. Other guests said they smelled it too. I asked Tiffany, who I thought was the assistant manager, to come upstairs and smell it, but she said she couldn't smell anything. Several people had complained at the front desk, yet by the second day nothing had been done. I tried to book somewhere else nearby, but it was sold out, and I didn't want to be far from my doctors' seminar. I stayed one more day after being told the smell would be taken care of, but it never was. I left on the 19th and checked into a Marriott because I couldn't stand the odor. I also had to extend my time in Arizona for the seminar. Before leaving, I asked to speak to the GM. He wasn't there, so I left a message, but he never called. I found his email and wrote to him. Two days later he called, apparently without reading the whole message, and was aggressive and dismissive. He asked why I hadn't left sooner after smelling the odor and why I hadn't tried another room. I asked why the hotel hadn't offered to move me, and why he opened by challenging me instead of apologizing and asking how to fix it. He was condescending, abrupt and seemed not to care. I was shocked by how aggressive, condescending and sarcastic he was on the phone. I wouldn't recommend this place because of the GM, Ketan Desai. He needs more customer service training, and his treatment of a guest made me wonder how he treats employees. I asked him for the corporate office number, but he gave me a number for a medical-alerts provider instead. That says a lot about the kind of manager he is. If I could give zero stars, I would.

The pool and hot tub are on the small side, but they were great for the kids. The lobby is clean and roomy, so our group had a nice place to gather and hang out. The location is handy too, within walking distance of the river, shops, the river walk, and ASU. Getting in and out meant a lot of U-turns, and one night a nearby event filled the lot so much that we almost couldn’t find a space. The staff were extremely kind and helpful. Our room seemed clean, though the AC started smelling musty as the week went on. The towels looked clean but were dingy and worn. I wish hotels offered fragrance-free hand soap; they did give me a bar soap option that was a little better. The gym had decent equipment, but it didn’t seem to get cleaned. The same dirt and dust stayed on the carpet all week. They refilled wipes and towels a few times, but I wish they’d also cleaned the floor and equipment. There was filtered water in the gym, though the bubbler itself didn’t look very clean, which put me off a bit. We had a good stay overall.