Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ithaca
Ithaca, New York, USA
What is your Priority Club status?
Platinum
Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes, mostly
Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked "KNG EXECUTIVE NONSMOKE" - hotel has a strange layout with many different room configurations but I think I received what I booked with no upgrade; offered 500 point amenity
How are the rooms?
Unusual. The layout of my room was more of a junior suite. Walk into an entryway with the bathroom on the left. Then beyond the entryway, also on the left, was a narrow living room area with a desk/chair on one wall, a TV, and then on either side of the far end of the room a sort of chaise lounge and a modern lounge chair. At the far end was a microwave/refrigerator behind the chaise lounge.
Then beyond the far end of the living area was a proper bedroom with another TV and a rack for luggage, and lots of empty space around the bed. For whatever reason, they decided to put the bed along the wall with the HVAC, so that the HVAC blows directly on the bed, instead of using a different layout.
The really unusual thing: there were three light switches in the entryway. One controlled all the lighting in the bathroom/entryway/living area; another controlled everything in the bedroom; and the third was decorative(?)... But I could not find a way to keep, say, the bedside light on, without also keeping all the background lighting in the room on. It was either all or nothing, controlled by the switch at the front door. Incredibly inconvenient.
How is the exec. lounge?
N/A
What was good and what was bad?
Good:- Very new and clean; more space than average in the room
- Full brand-standard breakfast ready by 6am
- Free parking
Bad:- Strange layout choices in the room (lights controlled at the entryway; bed next to the HVAC); very noticeable road noise all night, and I was there over a holiday. Probably way worse during a business day. Not sure if any rooms would have less. And I couldn't keep the HVAC fan on for white noise, since it was blowing right on me.
- Kind of a weird check-in experience. A lot of typing, gave me the keys, but never really acknowledged everything was complete. And then I got charged the IHG Points placeholder rate on my CC anyway.
- Not a great location for Ithaca; it is within the city boundaries but at the far south end, not really near downtown proper.
Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
I guess? Very mixed experience, good and bad. Would definitely rather stay downtown at the Marriott but it tends to be expensive. (There used to be a Holiday Inn downtown as well, but it is an independent hotel now.)