MSDZ
Google
I have been staying at Holiday Inn Express properties for years—mainly in Canada and occasionally in Europe. As a frequent business traveler, even though I’m a Hilton Honors member, I’ve always preferred IHG, especially Holiday Inn Express, because the experience has consistently been excellent. Unfortunately, my recent stay in the UAE has been the complete opposite. This has been, by far, the worst Holiday Inn Express experience I’ve ever had.
This trip was meant to be a vacation, and the hotel genuinely affected our enjoyment. As an IHG member, I feel responsible to share honest feedback so that one poor location does not damage the reputation of a brand I’ve trusted for years.
The issues began immediately. The bathroom was untidy, and the shower enclosure was poorly sealed, causing water to flood the floor every time we used it. Despite having a large number of staff, they were difficult to reach and extremely slow to respond. Our TV remote was missing, and when I called reception, no one answered. I eventually went downstairs and found two staff members free, yet no one had responded to my call.
Housekeeping answered the first time I called, but when I tried again just ten minutes later, they stopped responding entirely. I even approached a staff member in the lobby who promised to come to my room within five minutes, but he never showed up.
Another serious concern was safety. When I tried to open the curtains for sunlight, the entire curtain rail fell and hit my son on the head. The crockery provided was also chipped, which is unacceptable and unsafe.
On the first day, our room telephone wasn’t working. I informed reception, and they assured me someone would come to fix it, but no one ever did. We eventually had to fix the wire ourselves. The only positive aspect was that they honored a late checkout, which is standard policy.
I am sharing this feedback not out of bad intention, but out of genuine concern and hope that the hotel improves. IHG has always been my preferred brand, and I want to ensure that one poorly managed property does not reflect negatively on the entire chain.