Holiday Inn Express Williamsburg North by IHG

When we arrived on 12/27, the key card machine was down with no clear idea when it would be back. Each time we needed to get into our rooms, a hotel employee had to let us in. Every single time. I’ve worked in customer service and felt bad for the staff, who still had their regular jobs while helping every guest at all hours over the holiday week. It sounded like a nightmare for them. But the employees were consistently gracious, kind, and seemed happy to go beyond their usual duties. They genuinely care about guests and did everything they could to make a difficult situation work. Things break, often at the worst times. How the staff handles it says a lot about them, and this staff was fabulous.

The service was fantastic, and the building was clean, though there were some broken tiles in the bathroom area. Breakfast was just okay, with fewer options than I expected even for a cheaper hotel with free breakfast. Some equipment was broken, and choices were limited. They had sliced white bread but only cream cheese to put on it. The bed was extremely hard and uncomfortable. I prefer medium-firm, so I’m not someone who needs a soft mattress, but this was one of the hardest I’ve slept on in a long time.

My experience at the Holiday Inn Express Williamsburg North was upsetting and stressful, largely because of the way manager DreShawn Lewis handled things. I booked in October 2025 under my daughter’s soccer team block for a February 20-22, 2026 tournament. Staying with the team was essential, and the reservation had been confirmed for months. On February 19, the day before travel, the hotel called to say it was “over capacity” and would move me elsewhere. That made no sense given the confirmed team booking. I was passed among departments before finally reaching DreShawn Lewis. I was frustrated and started speaking loudly, explaining that relocation was unacceptable. He raised his voice, was rude and dismissive, told me to stop talking, and said he could cancel my reservation. Then he said, “As a matter of fact, I will cancel,” and hung up. Moments later, I received the cancellation email. I was left without a place to stay for the tournament despite having made arrangements months ahead. I called back very nervous. The front desk agent, Brigetta, said the manager refused to speak with me. I begged her to let me talk to him; she put me on hold for 20 minutes and checked in now and then to say he was “on another call.” When he finally got on the phone, I asked him to reactivate my reservation. He said I was on a list of guests to be moved to another hotel. I explained that staying with the team was essential. He promised to call back in 45 minutes but never did. Two hours later, another front desk agent advised me to contact Guest Relations and file a complaint, which I did. About an hour after that, the manager called and said he would “allow” me to stay and had reactivated the reservation. He also said he’d received my complaint and planned to deny it, claiming my account was untrue and that he’d intended to accommodate me all along. None of that matched what happened: he canceled the booking himself, and I never agreed to that. He took no responsibility, offered no apology, and said my claim “would make him look bad.” He said he’d email the updated booking, but nothing arrived. I had to contact Guest Relations again, and they sent it themselves. The rate had changed, despite my original group rate from October. Guest Relations confirmed they would contact the property to see if that rate could be honored. The Guest Relations representatives were wonderful handling the complaint. By then, because of the manager’s hostility and lack of accountability, I worried about retaliation during the stay. I canceled because I no longer felt safe or comfortable there. I’ve trusted IHG for reliable service and respectful treatment, so this was deeply disappointing and disruptive. I’d caution anyone considering this hotel. Management’s conduct was unacceptable, and no guest should be treated this way.

We arrived at 11 p.m. and immediately had trouble. There were no luggage carts. We asked for one and waited about 10 minutes, then carried our bags ourselves. We were sent to several rooms: one had a broken shower and no phone, another seemed occupied, and another was the wrong room type. None had key cards available. At 11:45 p.m. we still had no usable room. Eventually we were given a room, but its phone was broken too. The next morning I raised the problems with manager Dreshawn Lewis. I quietly asked him to step aside so we could talk, but he wanted to have the conversation in the middle of the lobby. He interrupted me, spoke disrespectfully, and treated me like a child in front of everyone. Then he stormed off rather than have an adult conversation. The disorganization, maintenance issues, and unprofessional service made the stay extremely frustrating. I don’t recommend this hotel. There are plenty of better options nearby.