The Crowne Plaza brand became one of those catch-all brand for the group, similar to Sheraton for SPG/Marriott and DoubleTree for Hilton. While there are brand standards, the execution of each individual property can vary widely. They are mostly middle of the road full service hotels (so not quite a Hyatt Place), but the age of the room can show. The last major promotion that I remembered for the brand is the sleep program, including pillow choices and pillow sprays, which are still in place today. Otherwise, there's not much to write home about these properties (just like Sheraton and DoubleTree - well, other than the cookies).
Originally Posted by
Gongzuokuang
I live near a US Crowne Plaza, and it's a dump. In the US I mostly will stay in suburban properties, I see very little difference between a Holiday Inn and a Holiday Inn Express. Maybe it's different in urban areas.
Holiday Inn are considered full service hotels, with a full-service restaurant and better bedding/sheets and bath amenities. HIX is a limited-service hotel, with free breakfast in the morning, and that's it. Sheet quality is not guaranteed, although most of them have a decent shower with good water pressure.