Holiday Inn Express Athens — Hotel in Athens

We were in town for a family wedding (myself, my husband and our 2 adult daughters). We booked 1 room 2 queen beds. There was plenty of room for all four of us in our room.

Upon arriving we were greeted by Misti at the front desk. My word she is a gem! The perfection of "Southern grace and hospitality". We got to our room and I realized I left my wallet on the counter at check in. My daughter busted out of the room to retrieve it, the door had not shut when the phone rang and Misti was notifying us. Then we were off for dinner with the bride and groom (and on for pre-wedding fun). The beds were so comfortable..one soft and one a bit firmer. Which was perfect for us! My oldest daughter and I do not sleep long anywhere (we are night owls and she smokes). On one of her trips to the smoking area she seen Misti still on-duty (almost 12 hours after check in). They struck up a conversation and she found out that she was covering another employee that had an allergic reaction to something. She was NOT complaining she was sharing her concern. The next morning I checked with Anna at the front desk if there was any more information . She did not have any more information. We stopped what we were doing and prayed for her. (When we checked out still no further information. So Karol we prayed again and hope you are well).

Breakfast was amazing. Sadly no bacon, waffles or bananas, but there was plenty to eat! They have two types of hot eggs (one whole egg the other only egg whites), 3 types of cereal, oatmeal, sausage patties, sausage gravy & biscuits, apples, oranges, cinnamon rolls, muffins, bagels, breads, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, pancakes, coffee, tea, juices, I am sure I am missing something. We were told they do have bacon on some days (sadly not when we stayed my oldest was BUMMED).

Since the wedding was in the evening we decided to hit the hot tub and pool area to work out the kinks from the drive down. We turned the corner to find a closed sign on the door. I went to the front desk and talked with Anna (another gem). She told us they were treating the area for red ants, but she said to hold on for a second. She and another employee checked and we were able to use the pool. Sadly the hot tub was removed a few years ago. The pool was warm with cold spots in areas (I think because they had the windows open for ventilation) but it was wonderful.

There is an exercise area (so I am told-I steer clear of that area! haha).

My daughter purchased may items from the hotel store. Great prices and good quality.

She also used the guest washer and dryer which were fairly priced. Nice coming home with no dirty laundry.

Everything about this hotel was clean and everyone was friendly.

Area foods-First night we ate at Ruby Tuesdays they give a discount if you show your hotel key. We met there at 5:30pm the staff was slow, food cold, drinks were good. My advice skip the discount and go to Applebee's 1/2 mile down the road. The next day we ordered from Papa Johns. Came quickly, very hot, it was pizza=yummy. However I think they pulled one over on us OVER $50 for 2 pizzas, delivery and tip. I checked at home and it would have been $44 So be careful!!!

My advise to the hotel is to update the pictures online. I know I book using and trusting these pictures. Pictures still show the hot tub, waffle maker and bacon. As for the food I would just add a disclaimer stating "food items change from...

My son and I stayed here in May of 2018, at or about 3:30am I was waken to something crawling on me I turned on the light and it was bed bugs I had bites on my face, neck, hand and arm. My son still asleep I woke him up to check and see if there were bed bugs in is bed also, and I could see them crawling on his pillow. He had bites all over and even in is eye. I called the desk clerk to come down to my room to check this out I showed her the few bed bugs that I was able to trap in a cup she said yes this is bed bugs. My sons eye really looked bad from the bites and since he has had 4 eye surgery's in the past I was very concerned, I asked the desk clerk to call an ambulance to take my son to the ER for treatment. After my son was treated and released we had to go back to the hotel in order to get our personal items, BIG MISTAKE, NEVER TAKE ANY OF YOUR PERSONAL ITEMS FROM A BED BUG INFESTED HOTEL ROOM INTO YOUR CAR OR HOME!. Now at home the nightmare starts. My son has anxiety, fears sleeping, says the bugs will get on him if he go to sleep. Our home is infested with bed bugs, I have had to take up two rooms of carpet, we cannot use our bedrooms, we are sleeping on cots (what little sleep there is), had to trash our luggage, clothes, bedding and many other item. I have spoken with the hotel manager asked her to email me a copy of the incident report, she told me that she would do so just as soon as she could. Bye the next day I still had not received the email from the manager, so I called the hotel spoke with someone at the front desk and I asked to speak with the manager, I was placed on hold for a while than the person at the front desk came back to the phone and told me that the manager had already left for the day. I left a message asking her to please give me a call, she never called me back, instead she had another manager to call me and he was very rude. I explained to him all the above, he told me that noway would the hotel email me a copy of the incident report, also there would be no compassion for our loss of personal items. Said that the hotel did not have any bed bugs, that it was fleas. FLEAS, THIS HOTEL HAS A NO PETS ALLOWED POLICY. THEREFORE, HOW DID THE HOTEL GET FLEA INFESTED?? I TOLD HIM NO THIS IS NOT FLEAS, THEY JUMP AND THE BUGS I SAW AND BROUGHT HOME WITH ME CRAWL. I asked him to have his employer to contact me, he said that he would, this has been about a week ago, I have heard nothing from his employer. This is one of the worst experiences I have ever dealt with, and as time passes I am finding out this is not only a nightmare but very expensive one night...

Me and my family were driving through Tennessee stopped here and was told we could not use the restroom. As soon as we walked in the whole staff was gathered around the front desk, stopped talking, and just stared at us. We knew why, but pushed through it. Asked where’s the bathroom, everyone looked at each other like deers in headlights and the manager said “because of Covid their bathrooms aren’t open to the public. And they have to make sure their guest don’t get covid” she means the guest that have their OWN bathrooms in their rooms. My family and I had on MASKS, where as the staff did not, she said it’s not enforced. Then why even mentioned covid. I told her I never heard of that before, and that we’re just passing through. My child has a disability and needs to be catheterized every few hrs and it’s about that time she’ll just go in and come out. But because of her disability it’s something that can’t be controlled. She continued to say that it’s been that way for years. And that ALL hotels do this. I told her not where I’m from and this is the first time in our days of travels that this has happened which indicates it’s not enforced. Then she said “well any hotel can do whatever they want, this is what we do” soooo which is it mam? I told her she was unethical, had no morals or consideration for a child and very unprofessional. And that she took one look at us and decided; “I don’t want THEM to use the bathroom” like it’s 1819 told us “GO ANYWHERE ELSE AROUND HERE AND THEY'LL TELL YOU THE SAME TIME THING” we literally went next door to the Hampton and the staff was so sweet and nice, Amanda I believe seemed like a doll very professional. Greeted us when we came in and wished us a safe travels as we were leaving.

Clearly the old woman with the red hair pick and choose what she wants to do, it’s 2023 if you’re this way towards people of color it’s because you...