Holiday Inn??? What's it like?
Posted by heychadwick
#1

Hi All,

I'm a GM and I always get put somewhere that I don't pick.  We usually get a bit if a fancy hotel on the strip.  This time I got Holiday Inn Express.    It has 4.3/stars, but is rated as a 2 star hotel.  I am not sure what to expect.  Just curious.

For one, I am running events in Lucas Oil, so that is close.  Also, the bigger hotels tend to be super crowded and getting an elevator can be rough.  Maybe the HIE is better?

I have an open mind, but am just asking about the differences.  I'm guessing no pitchers of lemon water in the lobby.

CORRECTION: HOLIDAY INN DOWNTOWN 

Posted by crusader77
#2

I stayed at the HOI 4 years ago, and they DID have the lemon water AND coffee in the lobby

Posted by heychadwick
#3

SWEET!  

Thanks a lot!

Were the elevators more manageable?  Was everything nice enough?

Posted by maijstral2
#4

I've never stayed but I have friends who have and they swear by Holiday Inn express. Rooms are all suites and free breakfast. I stayed in the regular holiday Inn right next door when it was comfort Inn  and the rooms were sweet and the free breakfast, while nothing to write home about, was decent and plentiful...and free. I have never heard a complaint about Holiday Inn Express and its always my second choice in the hotel lottery but I never get it because its so popular.

Posted by heychadwick maijstral2
#5

bobvilla wrote:
I've never stayed but I have friends who have and they swear by Holiday Inn express. Rooms are all suites and free breakfast. I stayed in the regular holiday Inn right next door when it was comfort Inn  and the rooms were sweet and the free breakfast, while nothing to write home about, was decent and plentiful...and free. I have never heard a complaint about Holiday Inn Express and its always my second choice in the hotel lottery but I never get it because its so popular.

Great to hear!  Thanks so much for that!   I feel a lot better now.

Posted by heychadwick
#6

Ah, looks like my buddy got it confused and we are staying at the Holiday Inn Downtown.    

Anyone been to it lately?

Posted by maijstral2 heychadwick
#7

heychadwick wrote:
Ah, looks like my buddy got it confused and we are staying at the Holiday Inn Downtown.    
Anyone been to it lately?
That's the one I was talking about that I stayed at. It used to be comfort Inn and suites when i stayed there about 5ish years ago. Rooms were big, breakfast was decent* don't depend on the internet it was overwhelmed by a full hotel of gamers, although technology has come a long way in 5 years so who knows. The last time I stayed there 6 of us were in the room though an error in booking on a friends part so I let them stay with me. It was crowded but doable. With the Stadium right across the street its now even closer to the convention.

 
 
* the dining room has about 8 tables and maybe half a dozen more outside so when gamers show up for a free breakfast by the dozens and more trying to fill up so they can skip lunch :) they got overwhelmed easily. It was easier to just fill up a plate and get a bowl of cereal maybe an apple and go back to your room and eat.

Posted by heychadwick
#8

There is no free breakfast anymore.   :(

Posted by fethbone
#9

The “2 star” hotel designation and the guest rating have little to nothing to do with each other. The former generally refers to the overal amenities and “classiness” of the hotel, if you will, while the latter are indications of the customer experience. You can stay at a hotel like Le Meridien or JW Marriott, which are 3-or 4- star hotels in terms of amenities and target guest demographic, and have a terrible stay, or vice versa for a great stay at budget hotels. The main difference between the “regular” Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express is that Holiday Inns have a full-service restaurant onsite and no free breakfast, which HIEs have free breakfast but no restaurant. IMO as far as rooms or guest service, one is not inherently inferior or superior to the other. In full disclosure, I have not stayed at either of those properties in downtown Indy, but besides the restaurant you’re not necessarily getting an upgrade or downgrade by going with one or the other.

Posted by braewe
#10

We stayed in the Express last year and while it was a walk from say, Union Station, it was fairly close to the dealer hall through the ramp, and VERY close to the stadium. The free breakfast wasn't terrible, and the room we were in was more than large, it was positively ginormous. We looked it up later and according to the floorplan it was the largest room. We seriously could have comfortably fit ten people in this thing. First, it was a suite, second, it was just HUGE. Foldout couch, king bed(we couldn't get a double double) with room for about five air mattresses, maybe more.

Can't help on the regular Holiday Inn though. Oh, the parking for this was right outside, not in a garage, which was super nice for putting into and out of the car. Would most definitely stay here again.

Posted by heychadwick
#11

Now I am wishing I was at the Express! Free breakfast sounds great.

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