Willow Grove by IHG

We paid $193 a night for room 207 on May 16 and 17, and the room was in poor shape. The air conditioner barely worked and the ceiling fan was broken. At check-in the front desk tried to give us one bed, even though we’d paid for two queens. When we got to the room, it was too full. There was also garbage everywhere on the patio in the morning, apparently after people were allowed to hang out there overnight. We stayed at the Willow Grove Inn and I’ve attached pictures of the room. I’m now wondering whether to cancel my Baltimore reservations at another property under this company. If this is what one property looks like, I wonder about the rest. I can see why it got a 2.7 rating.

For $88 including tax, I have no complaints. The hotel seems to have changed management, and I was lucky enough to get a beautiful view. Breakfast was included, too. The room was bigger than I expected and clean, with a sofa bed that worked perfectly for my family of four. The bathtub was clean, the plumbing worked, and the shower had strong pressure. The floor was clean, though there was no floor mat. Heat and Wi-Fi were great. This stay exceeded my expectations.

The room was very clean, so kudos for that, but amenities were minimal. Breakfast was a letdown. No one seemed to keep track when things ran out, and we had to wait for coffee and eggs to be replenished. Napkins were handed out a few at a time, as if they knew they’d run short. Once available, the sausage, eggs, and coffee were decent. This was better than the last Holiday Inn I used, but I was put off at check-in by being told there was a $100 security deposit for damage or smoking in the room. It felt like they were treating me as a criminal right away. Maybe that colored the rest of my review.

I wasn’t told about the $100 security deposit, but it was credited back the next day. The front desk staff were nice and straightforward. The room was pleasant, the bed was comfortable, and I liked having three wash cleaners in the shower. I’d return. I didn’t get to check out the gym or pool, and breakfast was good, though not unusual.