Kiana D.
Google
My partner and I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Laurel, MS over Thanksgiving, and unfortunately it was the worst hotel experience I’ve ever had.
We arrived early in the morning and were told over the phone that we could check in early at no extra charge. When we arrived at 4 a.m., we were suddenly told we would be charged for an extra night, so we had to sleep on a couch at a family member’s house until morning. When we finally checked in around 9 a.m., the first room we were given had visible hair all over the sheets. We immediately notified the front desk and were moved to another room, room 307.
After sleeping in the second room (307) that night, I woke up with clusters of large, painful bites on my leg and back. My partner checked my back and confirmed several more bites that weren’t there the day before. Based on the pattern and number of bites, this appears to be consistent with bed bugs. We notified the front desk as soon as we returned, but since it was late, there was no manager available. We were moved to a third room, which was clean and where we did not receive any new bites.
The next morning I informed the front desk again and left my phone number and email, but never received a call. When checking out, I tried to speak to someone who appeared to be a manager, but he dismissed the concern and simply handed me my receipt, saying nothing could be done without “his” approval, though he never clarified who “he” was.
Overall:
• Poor communication about check-in
• First room was not cleaned properly
• Second room likely had bed bugs (photos available)
• No follow-up from management
• Dismissive response at checkout
I expected much better from a Holiday Inn Express. This was not handled professionally, and guests should feel safe and taken seriously when reporting something as serious as potential bed bugs.