INTRODUCTION:
I was planning travel for a series of College Fairs and events in the Dallas area and wanted a relatively centrally located hotel that offered free high speed internet, preferably had a breakfast offering, and offered a roomy room/suite I could spread out in for a week while traveling for work. The Holiday Inn Express at I-35/Stemmons Freeway came to the top of my list with these criteria.
LOBBY/COMMON ROOMS:
The lobby was pretty typical for this chain- nice, somewhat contemporary, and medium sized. The fitness center is small and smells unfortunate, but was outfitted with nice equipment. The pool was nice looking, but since it rained all week, I was unable to use it. The breakfast area was very nice, and I was particularly pleased with the offerings considering it was a free breakfast. There were some kind of hot eggs every morning, sausage, bacon, biscuits and gravy, or oatmeal, and it was all pretty good. They also offered the traditional continental breakfast items as well as fruit and yogurt.
AMENITIES:
As mentioned, the free hot breakfast was quite good, and the options with it were respectable. The high speed wireless internet was decent, but the wired connection was more reliable. Luckily, you have wired availability in the room by the desk if you need it. The televisions in the rooms are outdated, but functional. The hotel offers a shuttle to the airport if you need it, but the immediate area around the hotel offers very few options if you want to go shopping or out to eat.
ROOMS:
I stayed in a King Suite, which is a partially divided suite with a half wall between the living/kicthenette area and the bedroom area. The kitchenette was equipped with a relatively large mini-fridge, coffee maker, and microwave. The living area has a sofa with a fold out sofabed and coffee table, but you can't really see the TV from the couch, so I'm not sure why you would use that section unless you're using it for work like I was. The desk area is directly in front of the sofa. The bedroom area does have a closet with a safe in it, and the air conditioner is wall-mounted on the bedroom wall. As a result, the work/living side of the suite is always too warm while the bedroom side is generally too cold, but that's the downside to a wall-mounted A/C unit. The bed is reasonably comfortable and the bedding is a bit on the minimalistic side- it might be advisable to bring a blanket if you get cold easily.
SERVICE:
Service was acceptable at this hotel, the front desk staff was cordial but not very enthusiastic. Housekeeping did a good job and I did not have any issues while I was staying there. The staff that kept the breakfast bar filled did an excellent job at keeping food available and the area clean.
OVERALL:
The hotel itself is pretty standard for a Holiday Inn Express, and you won't be disappointed by those standards. The one area of concern I had with this hotel was it's location/accessibility. The hotel is easy enough to get in to/out of, but the area offers very little in the line of shopping dining. There are a few chain restaurants near the hotel, but virtually no stores if you need to run out and get something, and the area gets a bit more industrial/less reputable if you drive very far from the hotel in either direction. It is not too far from downtown, but I had a lot more difficulty getting around the area from here than I did my second week, when I stayed in the Park Central/Addison area.
- Holiday Inn Dallas
- Dallas Holiday Inn
