Holiday Inn Express Blowing Rock South — Hotel in Blowing Rock

Dear Vonda,

Thank you for your e-mail, but that is not something that I expected. I’ve stayed in hotels a lot over the last 50+ years, mostly because I’ve had to travel for business. Very infrequently have I had a bad experience in my hotel stays, but I’ve never gotten a response like yours.

You are being ill informed or simply not telling the truth in your response to me. First of all, the clerk at the front desk told me that y’all had The IHG Daily Room Refresh and if I wanted fresh towels just throw the used towels on the floor. They also said that they would make the bed, Replenish coffee amenities and empty the trash. So, you are being disingenuous about your staff informing me about you offering daily refresh. You should know that there is a printed card in the room that says The IHG Daily Room Refresh and list the services mentioned above. If you don’t believe me, I’ll be glad to send you a copy.

We had a three night stay, so what were supposed to do? Not drink coffee after the first morning, put the trash on the floor when the small trash cans filled up and towel off with wet towels that did not dry the next day because of poor ventilation in the bathroom?

We came back to the room at mid afternoon the second day and called the front desk. The clerk said that the maids had all left. How long would it take to perform the simple refresh task, probably just a few minutes. I don’t buy your short staff excuse for denying us some basic services.

We visit Blowing Rock often and I’m sure that we can find a place to stay with a better manager that doesn’t have a clue of how to operate a hotel. Maybe IHG will wise up and find someone more competent.

Sincerely,

James Cadle

Sent from Mail for Windows

From: Vonda Damron

Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2023 6:05 PM

To: James Cadle

Subject: Your recent stay at Holiday Inn Express BLOWING ROCK SOUTH

Dear James Cadle,

Thank you for choosing Holiday Inn Express and for taking the time to provide feedback about your experience at Holiday Inn Express BLOWING ROCK SOUTH.

I would like to start by apologizing to you for the inconveniences you faced during your stay.

I am glad to hear the desk staff took care of you during your stay and you enjoyed the digital check-in process. As for housekeeping, I do apologize. I am short staff as it seems most employers are these days. My housekeeping staff work hard on getting the rooms cleaned everyday. My desk staff should have informed you upon arrival that we do not offer daily refresh at this time because of the shortage in staffing. I am sorry they didn't inform you upon arrival.

Please know we strive to make each stay as pleasant and comfortable as possible, and we appreciate that you brought your experience to our attention. We take feedback seriously and will coach our team to make the necessary changes so we can provide a better experience in the future.

I hope you will give us a chance by staying with us again to show you that your unsatisfactory stay was...

We recently stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Blowing Rock and had a mixed experience. While some aspects of our stay were satisfactory, there were several areas that left us disappointed.

Firstly, the coffee was consistently cold on multiple occasions throughout our stay, which was frustrating. However, the Saturday night staff was quick to address this issue and made a fresh batch promptly.

Another issue we encountered was the lack of a highchair during breakfast for our 1-year-old. This made it challenging for us to enjoy our meals, and when we raised this concern with the morning staff, they seemed disinterested and unwilling to assist. When ask if their was a highchair I was met with an "I don't think so" and the two girls working wen back to their conversation about what they were planning to do that evening. I asked again Saturday evening when returning to the hotel and the woman working was extremely helpful, looking all around and asking her manager. There was none. This is unfortunate and they should at least have 1-2 on hand. We saw another family on Sunday morning struggling as they tried to eat their breakfast with their little one. Sunday morning we used our travel stroller during breakfast. NOTE* There is one booster seat for older children.

Additionally, we noticed cleanliness issues in our room, including dirty floors upon our arrival and the cleaning staff failing to remove garbage and empty plates (from our breakfast as we had to eat in the room because the lack of highchair). The cleaning staff did remove our used towels but failed to replace the towels and I had to get them from the desk.

While we generally enjoy staying at Holiday Inn Express properties, it was evident that this particular establishment fell short in terms of quality and attention to detail compared to others we've visited.

On a positive note, we appreciated the helpfulness and friendliness of the gentleman on Friday night and the woman working Saturday night. However, the lack of attentiveness from the Saturday morning front desk staff was disappointing, especially considering the busy lobby.

Overall, while there were some positive aspects to our stay, the shortcomings in cleanliness and service detracted from our overall experience at the Holiday Inn Express in Blowing Rock. When going back to this area we will stay at a different Holiday Inn Express or Holiday Inn and certainly not recommend...

The check-in process went well; the desk person was helpful. The staff is cordial. ||Their " IHG Clean Promise", the "Commitment to Clean" policy, was noticeably evident. I was impressed to see the staff cleaning the lobby area at various times, even into the evening when I saw a man swabbing the floor. When you turn on the television you'll see that statement as the first screen that pops up and it appeared that they were living up to that promise. The guest room itself was very clean, including the bathroom. The only thing not good is that the exterior windows really need washing! You can tell it's been a while when you pull back the drapes and look out. Looks like it's been awhile.||When they re-painted the rooms, whenever that was most recently, they did an excellent job! The edges looked noticeably crisp with no drips and the paint on the walls looked fresh. It may be a little detail to have noticed, but we did, and those kinds of things lend well to the overall impression of this hotel compared to others. ||The shower stall was quite attractive too. And the water flow was great! Very unusual in our travel experiences these days. ||The room lighting was excellent. A hotel that has finally gotten it right!||I greatly appreciate their computer/printer availability; it is very useful for my purposes when traveling. ||The breakfast selections were excellent and kept fairly well-stocked over the several days we were there. Hot and cold foods and drinks. As tea drinkers, I would prefer that they would have regular (and decaffeinated) plain black tea bags, not just the Earl Gray and herbal types that they do. ||I have only a few "complaints":||The mattress was VERY lumpy and uneven and really needs replacing. ||There is not a fan for ventilation in the bathrooms, just a small vent that circulates the air throughout the hotel so it gets and stays very steamy in there for a long time after you shower. Not sure that can be remedied though. ||Also, some potholes in the parking lot need to be filled. ||And I would appreciate staff and others not smoking outside right near the the front doors to the lobby!||Overall, as previous guests several times over, this stay exceeded our past experiences and we couldn't be much happier with our...