Holiday Inn & Suites Across From Universal Orlando, an IHG Hotel

We stayed at the Holiday Inn for the dance competition this past week. I am so disappointed in the entire hotel experience we had. The front desk staff, was so disrespectful (there was one gentleman in the evening who was super helpful, young kid). I had eyerolls, ignoring, unwillingness to be of service, and lack of any customer service skills. Our housekeeping staff, never had a vacuum, never came in our room, told me NO (when I asked for a garbage bag to help clean up my area). The convention center area was so hot (and while I know it wasn’t entirely the hotels fault, but it was ridiculous and the fact I had two dancers pass out, one puke, and many others have terrible heat reactions.) I had asked for help, when one dancer passed out, the front desk said “eh it’s hot”.

The restaurant was not informed at all that it was a huge event (we loved them!)

We did LOVE the size of the room (we had a 2 bedroom suite) but our room should not have been rented in the state it was. The door was completely broken, the sink clogged, half the room did not have AC.

For a full service holiday inn, I’m very disappointed.

Hotel room was decent for the price paid, hotel is outdated and older. Very disappointed with the service. When we came in we waited 45 minutes to be checked in. Called down to the hotel for towels and they never came. The next day we asked for towels at the desk, we were told they were out and needed to get some, employee walked away to get some and returned without and said nothing to us. You could stand at the desk for assistance and not be acknowledged.

Very loud hotel.lots of doors slamming, people yelling.

This hotel is “across” from universal however if you choose to walk just know at least a 20 minute walk. No big deal for some people I’m sure but after walking around the parks all day and in the heat especially if you have little
Ones with you it can really be a nightmare. They do have a shuttle that is free but you have to reserve it the day before. I can’t comment on the shuttle service because we didn’t utilize it.

Spend a little more money and stay at one of universal hotels

Rude person was in the front desk, he didn’t explain anything about the hotel or where I can find the elevator and the way to the room, and he didn’t answer when I asked him. I was asking him for trolley, and he got angry and replied all in use and he can’t serve me in anything.

Rooms are not clean had a lot of problems with are first room and had to switch rooms
There was blood on the sheets they gave for the pull out bed bathroom was not the cleanest ants everywhere in the room and I was not told kids 12 and under ate for free at fridays and had payed for them to eat

The hotel got our reservation wrong- we paid for 2 nights and they kicked us out of our room after the first night while we were at Universal. No phone call. Just took all of our stuff. And then stole some of our things! We were told we would be getting a full refund for their mistake and $ for stolen items but they are dodging calls and e-mails and no reimbursements. Very disappointed and I would not recommend! Great location but not worth this terrible service.

DO NOT STAY HERE. Customer service is terrible. They act like you are bothering them every time you ask a simple question. The last night of me and my girlfriends stay we saw a ROACH crawl across our tv screen and the front desk was called to send maintenance which NEVER CAME. After 30 minutes we went to the front desk and got our room switched and got moved only down the hall from the original room and even the next morning, nobody had been to the previous room to clean it.

We were hesitant to stay here because of some reviews we saw, but our stay was excellent.

The room was spacious and clean. The hotel is walking distance from Universal Studios. We had an amazing view from the room to the pool and the park's entrance and parking.

The hotel is connected with a TGI Fridays where we had breakfast.

We stayed for five nights and had a good deal for our stay.

Title: Extremely Disappointing Experience - A Hotel Stay to Forget

Rating:

I recently had the unfortunate experience of staying at this hotel during my trip to Universal Studios, and I feel compelled to share my dreadful encounter. Initially attracted by its proximity to the theme park, I made an online reservation through IHG, redeeming 36,000 points and paying the remaining balance of $124, including tax. Unfortunately, my decision to choose this hotel quickly turned into a regrettable mistake.

To begin with, during the booking process, there was no mention whatsoever of additional resort fees or parking charges. However, upon arrival, I was stunned to find that I was being charged exorbitant amounts for these unexpected extras. Furthermore, the booking charge itself mysteriously changed, and I started receiving random charges without any explanation. The lack of transparency and inconsistent charges left me utterly bewildered.

As if these issues weren't enough, the room I was assigned was meant to be a non-smoking one, but it reeked of stale cigarette smoke when I entered. Only after complaining, I was moved to a different room. Sadly, the new room had a malfunctioning air conditioning unit, making our stay extremely uncomfortable.

To make matters worse, I was appalled to witness people smoking in prohibited areas near the back door and even in the hallway. This blatant disregard for the hotel's non-smoking policy was distressing. Additionally, I was greeted by the presence of a colossal cockroach, which left me disgusted and questioning the hotel's cleanliness standards.

The frustration continued when I requested a receipt or bill upon checkout. The hotel staff flat-out refused to provide any documentation of the charges, leaving me in a state of disbelief. Even my attempt to obtain a bill through IHG proved futile, as they claimed the hotel handles all billing matters directly. Now, I am left with no choice but to wait until the billing office opens during the week to address these unsettling charges.

In conclusion, my stay at the Holiday Inn Express across from Universal Studios was an absolute nightmare. The lack of transparency, the foul odor in the rooms, the presence of smokers, and the alarming encounter with a cockroach have left an indelibly negative impression on me. I wholeheartedly discourage anyone from choosing this hotel for their stay. If you're considering lodging near Universal Studios, I strongly recommend the neighboring Doubletree instead. I have stayed there multiple times and have never encountered the myriad issues I faced at the Holiday Inn Express. Save yourself the trouble and avoid this place at all costs.

There were too many bugs, insects. The service was horrible. Staff was not at all cooperative. They did not give towels and water bottles.

This hotel is a disgrace to the Holiday Inn brand. Probably the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed in. Issues encountered at this property include:
-Streaks of fecal matter in the shower (see pic)
-Bugs (see pic)
-No cleaning of the room (only making of bed)
-No shampoo
-Stained towels
-No extra toilet paper, had to request
-No USB ports
-Unpleasant smell in room and lobbies
-Bathroom door wouldn’t close
-Inconsistent shower water temperature
-Poor water pressure
-Unhelpful/uninterested front desk

Holiday Inn corporate needs to inspect this property to ensure their franchise is living up to the Holiday Inn standard. Currently, this property is comparable to a run down motel in the worst part of town.

And before the general manager responds with boilerplate excuses, don’t let that convince you to book this hotel. It is simply damage control as evidenced by past negative reviews that have the same complaints I made with no improvement or correction made. DO BETTER!

This is a great hotel to stay at. Conveniently located with 20 minutes of all major attractions and across the street from Universal! There's also a TGI Friday's that's attached and has easy access to dine at or carry out. Great place yo stay with the family.

That the Holiday Inn Express variant of the corporation is more upscale and features more amenities and size in comparison to the typical Holiday Inn brand. There is a bigger selection in choices of activities, pools, shuttles to the universal Orlando parks, the complimentary breakfast is extremely impressive and bigger, better selection of choices and cleanliness is a standard. Holiday Inn Express would be like Hyatt House or Fairfield by Marriott for an example.

It's a shame. Building looked great from the outside. Lobby and front looked great. The interior was a bit outdated, rundown, dilapidated. It needs a face lift. Dark rooms withni couch. Our room had a musty scent with stained bathtubs. TV was ridiculously small. Our bathroom didn't even have a toilet paper holder. Daughter thought it came out of a horror story. Told management, switched us to a room two doors down with slightly better conditions. The blinds were atrocious.

The location, service and price were great. The rooms are also large (2 bedroom suite with 2 bathrooms) but they are a bit dated and dirty. Having two bathrooms is key with a family of 6 to get ready and out the door in the morning. The larger room also provided space for our family of 6 to spread out and unwind at the end of the day. We spent the entire day at the parks so we were fine with this and it is only about 1/2 mile from Universal Studios.

Not recommended! This hotel is worse than Motel. The room is big but not clean at all. During the stay, I had nasal allergies every day, and the dust problem was serious. The room smelled bad, and the sheets had black stains, which made me sick. The air conditioner was too noisy, and the location was bad Yes, you can walk to the universal studio for 20 minutes.
This kind of hotel charges a daily destination fee of $15.95 plus sales tax of $1.04 and resort fee of $0.96, and there is also a parking fee of $24+tax+$1.56, which is not calculated.
The service quality of the lobby staff has a lot of room for improvement. The check-in speed is ok. It would be better if the staff can smile more. Every staff member looks listless and doesn't want to work, and is not very friendly.
During the stay, other guests screamed, ran around, and closed the door vigorously at night. It was very scary. No one answered the phone to find hotel services.

I got a room extremely cheap through my employer’s discount plan so it was definitely worth the $250 I paid for 3 nights.

Cons: the room and hallways smelled like a wet towel, they definitely need dehumidifiers throughout the entire place. The bathrooms were extremely small and there were no towel racks except a hook on the back of the door. Traffic was a nightmare, I wouldn’t stay here unless you are going to Universal, which we did not. Stop at a grocery store and get your own beverages or you will sell your right kidney to get a water or soda. No microwave. Phone in room didn’t work. They charge for parking which I didn’t realize.

Pros: cost, nice pool with huge covered lounge chairs. Comfortable beds. Friendly service. Refilled coffee kcups and cups, emptied trash and supplied fresh towels. Gave us a coupon for a free breakfast. Close to Universal if you are going there.