I am a frequent business traveler. I always stay at a Holiday Inn or Holiday Inn Express when traveling. I recently stayed in a brand new Holiday Inn. I enjoyed my stay. The rooms were spacious, the beds comfortable and the shower absolutely marvelous. I also enjoyed the flat screen tv. I often ordered room service from the hotel restaurant. The food was always delicious. I love the new look. The new look has brought the Holiday Inn chains back to life and rivals the competition.

Posted By Marie on August 6, 2009, 10:21 AM

I recently stayed at Holiday Inns in Tampa and Baltimore. Both were very nice with great staff and good food and service. Looking forward to my stay at HI Seattle in May!

Posted By albert on August 6, 2009, 11:08 AM

I agree with Marie. I have recently stayed at Holiday Inns and HI Express in several states in the US, South Africa and France and am very impressed with the facilities, amenities, meals and service. The hotels in Cape Town and Johannesburg (Sandton-Woodmead), South Africa were new and very nice. The Cape Town one, right on the pedestrian walkway near the Green Market, has a great buffet breakfast. In Avignon and Dijon, France I found the same thing. They both had GREAT restaurants with fixed price dinners that were plentiful and delicious. Loved the showers!

As a Platinum Priority Club member, I booked the hotels for our South Africa trip. This new look and upgrading was a pleasant surprise to my travel colleagues who were not initially excited by staying at a Holiday Inn overseas. They now search them out when traveling on their own and I continue to remain brand loyal! Keep up the good work!

Posted By Karen on August 6, 2009, 11:08 AM

I travel frequently and avoid HI properties like the plague. You never know when you are getting one of the nice new hotels or one of the dumps. Years ago I used to use HI occasionally and I've stayed in some real bad HI properties. Typically, I use Marriott as their consistency is far better than the HI chain and they are in as many locations.

Posted By bw on August 6, 2009, 11:27 AM

Wow, I wish I could say the same! I recently stayed at the Holiday Inn Civic Center in San Francisco and it was AWEFUL! The website said minor construction but there was no lobby to speak of, no handicap access, the main entrance changed daily from one side to the other, etc.. The halls smelled horrible, the elevators were all completely covered with cardboard so the construction workers could use them and the staff was less then helpful. We still paid standard rates.

Hopefully things will improve but if you are planning to stay at a HI or HI Express be sure to confirm exactly where they are at in the construction process. BTW - As a Priority Club member I contacted them to voice concerns about this and the rude treatment by staff. It is now 8 weeks after the fact and still no resolution! I am very disappointed!

Posted By LeAnne on August 6, 2009, 11:33 AM

Now that they have "upgraded" a traveler must "buy" a room rather than rent one for the night. Their new rates border the obscene!!!!!!!!! I know from recent experience!!

Posted By Stephen Chase on August 6, 2009, 11:52 AM

Now that they have "upgraded" a traveler must "buy" a room rather than rent one for the night. Their new rates border the obscene!!!!!!!!! I know from recent experience!!

Posted By Stephen Chase on August 6, 2009, 11:54 AM

Am delighted to see Holiday Inn's upgrading. I haven't stayed in one for several years, because they weren't clean or competitive. Happy to see they're becoming more competitive, and will be pleased to stay at them in the future if they're high quality.

Posted By Jim Bryant on August 6, 2009, 11:56 AM

I've stayed at two of the new Holiday Inn Express in Europe (one in England and one in Germany) and they were both great. Very well designed, high-tech, comfortable and a nice breakfast buffet included. I don't know if the ones in the States are like this but I would definitely recommend the ones in Europe.

Posted By Carol on August 6, 2009, 12:17 PM

I stayed at a new HI in Cinncinatti. I got a deal on Priceline and the room was very nice with the new beds I was plesantly surprised. The resturant attached was a Max and Ermas we ate there which I normaly would have not done in the past beacuse I can not stand food from a hotel. The only down side was the inside pool was so crowded we did not go near it and the elevators were very slow like 10 minutes slow.

Posted By Michell on August 6, 2009, 12:38 PM

My sister & I took our mother to Savannah for her 75th birthday. We chose the HI Express in the Historic District on a friend's recommendation. We were all astounded at the quality. Better than many 4 star places! Staff was old-school service quality ---- wonderful! The room was terrific w/top quality bedding. The bathroom was amazingly well fitted w/beautiful vanity & high quality towels. Continental breakfast was ok. Bar was very nice. I have recommended it a number of times since.

Posted By Anne on August 6, 2009, 1:28 PM

Stayed at the Holiday Inn Cleveland, OHio Rockside Road. Amazing that they would replace carpeted hallways with marble flooring, what a racket AND how slippery outside the indoor pool area! Also they redid the indoor handicap ramp in the same marble, took out the handrail and is that ever a challenge for handicapped as well as people pushing or pulling their suitcases around. A fried fell and had to have knee surgery because of it! Ridiculous and not well thought out I say!

Posted By Char on August 6, 2009, 1:35 PM

I just stayed at a Holiday Inn Downtown in Columbus OH and it did not seem remodeled but the staff was nice, the shuttle available to drop me off at meeting sites and the kids that I saw were having a great time in the pool. Rooms clean and wireless available in room. Price was right too.

Posted By Jim H on August 6, 2009, 2:53 PM

The new contemporary look will change my mind about HI. I avoided them in the past in favor of The Hampton Inn or the Marriott Courtyard. The new look is very appealing and serene.

Posted By Joan on August 6, 2009, 3:40 PM

Wow! I was impressed with the new style! I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express near Disneyworld and loved the new beds(delightfully firm) and linens(very stylish), the flat screen TV, luxury shower head and curtains, upgraded bath amenities and the free wireless connection! The free breakfasts were only okay-some stuff wasn't very good. Also stayed at HI in Montrose, CO and was less than pleased with the lobby "bar" concept that still needs work. I am a Priorty Club member who let her Platinum status lapse-but am reconsidering the whole chain again!

Posted By Kathleen on August 6, 2009, 4:03 PM

Recently stayed at a newly renovated Express in St Louis. The rooms were nicely styled and in keeping with the current decorating styles. The room was nice and large with two queen beds and I liked having the option of either firm or soft pillows to choose from. The flat screen was a nice, and we enjoyed the bonues of a mini fridge and microwave that we did not expect.

However my two down comments would be the amount of space for storage of clothing - the closet was small and not much drawer space. For a family traveling on vacation for a week - we prefer to pull clothes out of our suitcases for the duration of the stay.

Also - I always thought it would be a nice bonus if hotels had a hamper in the closet to deposit dirty clothes.

Posted By Lavinia on August 6, 2009, 5:16 PM

I recently stayed at the Holiday Inn in Houston TX, located near IAH airport on JFK Blvd. The rooms are very homey, nice 2" wood blinds covered the window, as well as the usual curtains, nice rich warmer colors, granite countertop in the bathroom, just overall a very nice stay. The restaurant and bar on-site are top-notch as well, I loved the moderately priced breakfast buffet with made to order omlettes. I give this location 5 out of 5 stars, I will be back ! !

Posted By Doug on August 6, 2009, 7:08 PM

Just completed a family trip through the Black Hills of South Dakota, then on to Colorado, Nebraska and back home to Minnesota. We stayed at two HI Express hotels. One was in Custer, SD and the other was in Lincoln, NE. Both hotels had been upgraded and were very nice.

They seem to be placing a lot of emphasis on the hot breakfasts that are included with the room. My key criteria is that the rooms be clean, rates reasonable, and WiFi included. HI Express exceeded on all 3 counts. The new remodeling efforts make a big difference as everything felt new and modern, the staff was helpful and the rates were very reasonable.

I would recommend HI Express to anyone!

Posted By Greg on August 6, 2009, 7:50 PM

The new HI logo is weary, dull, and non-inviting...it looks unfinished and cheaply done. Nothing about its look draws me in, even if there is all the refurbishing on the inside. I was surprised at the starkness of the logo. Thus, Marriott will continue to my business.

Posted By Wes on August 6, 2009, 8:47 PM

To Carol and anyone else who have stayed in England recently,
Where was that updated H.I in England?
Have all H.I's in England been updated?
I'm about to start booking England Hotels for a fall trip over the pond.

Posted By Victoria on August 6, 2009, 10:50 PM

I've stayed at the HI Express when working in Elko Nevada,and have found it to be one of the most pleasant and comfortable hotels I've stayed in comparable to the better hotels in Asia.

Posted By Dr.Lewin Wyatt Jr. on August 6, 2009, 11:12 PM

We stayed at a new Holiday Inn Express in Abredeen, Scotland in May. We thought it was wonderful. A cut above H I E's we had previously stayed at in the U.S.
Chuck

Posted By Charles A Miller on August 7, 2009, 12:03 AM

Have been a Priority Club member for many years. I use Tripadvisor to check the Holiday Inns where I am going and usually find them to be very good. Srvice nad food services have improved in many locations. An excellent one in Charleston as just one example. Some are getting to the point they need to check their prices vs. competition though. Also some Crowne Plazas that need to upgrade very soon or become regular Holiday Inns.

Posted By NickP on August 7, 2009, 10:47 AM

This blog is indicative of the 2 year overhaul of the Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brand.

Anyone over 30 years old should have wonderful memories of their family road trips, where they surely experienced the best of childhood:

Staying at a Holiday Inn with a SWIMMING POOL!

The pinnacle of the perfect family hotel for a kid in the 1960's and 1970's when Holiday Inn was at its best, were the select few HOLIDOME indoor recreation centers that were part of the final glory days of Holiday Inn in the late 1970's.

Since then, Holiday Inn HAD been on a slow downward trend until very recently with an announced complete changeover of it's brand.

Anyone traveling in the last 10 years saw good and bad Holiday Inn's and Holiday Inn Expresses in various levels of quality and service.

I have stayed in both kinds and it was kind of a crap shoot as to what you would get.

But this is refreshing to hear that as a Platinum Priority Club Member, the Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels are turning the tide to provide consistently clean, affordable and nice basic hotel rooms throughout the U.S.A and the world.

I've in the past years had wonderful experiences at a Holiday Inn in Williams, AZ where we were greeted with a gift basket upon arrival and an upgrade to a suite because of my Platinum Priority Club status. Also, the Holiday Inn Express in San Louis Obispo, CA was new, clean and nice.

This must have been 2-3 years ago, when the brand was making a decision and announcement to upgrade the minimum requirements and standards of what a Holiday Inn or Holiday Inn Express is TODAY.

You should get what you pay for, different levels of service and quality for different prices and points. The bar at the low end should be firm and that is what this changeover does. It reestablishes the basic clean and nice room at a fair price. If you want more, you'll pay more.

It's a simple as Kemmons Williams desire when he founded the Holiday Inn. Much like Walt Disney and the founding of Disneyland at that time in the 1950's.

Both wanted families/travelers to enjoy a consistent higher quality of hospitality and amusement park and get rid of the carney, lower quality experience.

It a a refreshing pleasure that the Holiday Inn and relatively new Holiday Inn Express are returning to their former basic, clean and nice glory.

I look forward to the completion of their complete turn around and refresh.

Previously, I was wary of HI and HIE, so concentrated my business and leisure travel with the Crowne Plaza and Intercontinental brands of Intercontinental Hotels Corporation (IHC), but I look forward to redeeming my points at HI and HIE as they will make my points go further and still provide a pleasant lodging experience.

This is the kind of slow turnaround that Holiday Inn needed as a company and that we need as a nation.

It would only be fair to take a look again at Holiday Inn. When one has been the underdog, they will fight harder to regain and retain one's business by treating the customer the right way.

Posted By Andy Au on August 8, 2009, 7:19 AM

Dog Box, that's what the London Kensington HI was. Ratty old carpets, '70's style lobby, at neary $200/night. You could barely open the suitcase and walk around the bed at the same time. In all fairness, the staff were very nice, and helpful. but the property was an old flop-house, and I was charged $12 for toll-free calls made to HI's tech support, to sort out why the Internet cable in my room was broken. (maybe something ate the cable...?) I'm happy they are re-tooling, but I'm not sure even a free night would get me to go back there, unless it was the last room available... They have a LONG way to go to win back my confidence... Remember Howard Johnsons? I used to make my parents take me there... decades ago. Boy did they blow that franchise...

Posted By Prince Preston on August 10, 2009, 8:51 PM

Stayed at St. Ignace, MI Holiday Express which I encourged another couple to stay w/us...expressed how great I thought the Holiday line was to this couple...well the price we paid off season..June 9, was not what I expected and really felt bad for the other couple.. I am a Priority Club member for years and really consider changing hotel lines after this expericence.... staff was wonderful and very pleasant but OLD OLD OLD and the balcon & windows were dirty (cob webbs.)... Stayed in Wixom at a revamped Baymont Inn into a Holiday express and it sort of renewed my feelings about the Holiday Chain.. the Wixom Holiday express was freshly done, but the bathrooms were small and sink was outside the bathromm.... but the room compensated for its newness....

Thanks for leting me place this comment

Thanks

Posted By DIANE EMMETT on August 10, 2009, 9:47 PM

I am sitting in a new Holiday Inn and Suites Hotel in Bentonville, AR right now and this is where I stay and where I reccomend to anyone coming to town. 2 room suite with King bed and pull out couch and TWO 37in Flatscreen HD TVs, Mini bar all at a VERY good rate!! Hotwire.com put me here first and now I just call the hotel directly!! I now look for the new Holiday Inns whereever I travel!!

Jay

Posted By Jay Gibbs on October 13, 2009, 10:15 AM

Realy good work cheers mate!

Posted By odżywki na masę on February 17, 2011, 3:25 PM

I am always impressed with both Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express in the US. Someone, somewhere along the line decided to update the properties a decade or so ago, and I have not been disappointed.
Yes, rates are a bit higher, but you get what you pay for. I don't care for the Priority Club however. Confusing promotions, curt and unfriendly email responses to issues.

Posted By Paul on June 4, 2011, 8:17 PM