Holiday Inn Express & Suites Geneva Finger Lakes (NY)

What is your Priority Club status?
Spire Ambassador

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked a King One Bedroom Suite and was given the same on the fourth (top) floor; the only superior room has a jacuzzi in lieu of the sofa in the living(!) room. The hotel was relatively-full so I was ok not getting the best room in the house.

How are the rooms?
This is a relatively-new property located in a commercial area that is shared with a Microtel Inn & Suites and a small strip mall; we didn't have any issues finding a parking space that was close to the hotel entrance. The overall design is fresh and clean and our room was very comfortably-laid out. The floorplan in open (no doors to separate the bedroom from the other areas) with a small living room between the bed area and the bathroom consisting of a small sofa with a hide-away bed and small table with seating for two. There's also a small wet bar along with a Keurig machine, a medium-sized compact fridge (no freezer of any kind), and very small microwave. In the strip mall is a nice restaurant called Kindred Fare that could be considered the de facto hotel restaurant and bar; we had dinner there one night and it was excellent; it's really nice to have such a good option adjacent to the property and not a ghastly Applebee's.

There are ample power outlets and lamps throughout the room, storage is somewhat limited to the small open closet in the living room and two large drawers under the TV stand. The bed was firm, but comfortable. The bathroom has a single sink and a tub and shower. The water pressure was pretty tepid (and the water in the area is incredibly soft). Bath amenities was the standard J.R. Watkins line in bulk dispensers.

The full HIX breakfast options were largely available but one needs to order a la carte from the staff and they will plate it for you. There's a pancake machine and toaster that can be freely used as well. I noted that quite a bit of people were eating their meals in the breakfast area; I went down early enough before the crowds and ate our breakfasts at the table in our suite (plastic trays are available to bring items up).

How is the exec. lounge?
N/A

What was good and what was bad?
The property is new and everything shows no visible signs of wear and tear. The staff and GM were all very helpful with our pre-arrival requests as well as during our stay. Ample and safe parking and having a really nice restaurant adjacent to the property is a real boon. There's also relatively cheap gas and snacks and drinks at the Speedway about half a mile from the property. We used the property as a base for wine-tasting in both Geneva and the greater Lake Seneca area and it was very convenient.

Only real negative I had was that our suite was directly over the porte cochere and faced the parking lot and highway directly outside so we had no privacy and a bit of traffic noise (the jake brakes from the semi-trucks were prominent at certain parts of the day). It was also close to the elevator, so I could hear the chime. There's a gazebo/fire-pit adjacent to the front entrance for smokers and others to hang out so we got some noise from people there as well. I had asked for a quiet room in my pre-arrival requests and if I stay here again, I will explicitly ask for a room that does not face the highway or parking lot.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
The weekend rates during the Fall Leaf-Peeping season are a little steep, but not outrageous. I felt buying up for a suite was worth it to be able to have the extra room and be able to eat meals inside.