Holiday Inn Express & Suites Columbus SE - Groveport, an IHG Hotel — Hotel in Columbus

We stayed here for a soccer tournament with booking nearly 30 rooms for players. At no point during booking where we told the building was under renovations. Upon arrival we discovered a third floor window completely missing, tarps over most front windows where painting on the outside was occuring, minimal parking due to storage pods taking up spots, and a large machine being used to lift a worker up to do the painting blocking the driveway. The entire building smelled of paint and construction as well as a distinct smell of marijuana on the third floor, where we learned many of the construction crew was staying. The back door didn't not stay latched due to construction damage. The complimentary breakfast was unable to provide any warm food due to construction, and at one point the water was turned off for a few minutes without us technically being told by management instead by a wonderful housekeeper who wanted to look out for the kids. ||On our first full day at the hotel when returning after a game we discovered water pouring in to a second floor room from the third floor with enough water already having soaked through the carpet and tile to start flooding the first floor room below. We were informed by Ahmed the day manager that it was no big deal and he would get the workers to fix it but that we could not use our rooms while the work was being completed. Since our belongings were sitting in the room we stayed near the door while we watched them cut in to the ceiling on the second floor revealing a ton of mold and water damage to the drywall. Ahmed again said it wasn't a big deal and it would be fixed. By the time we returned from our second match of the day our ceiling was very poorly patched and they had put fans in to try and dry the carpet in the first floor room. When we shared the second floor room was wet the manager denied it until the head of maintenance Charles, told him it was wet and provided us drop clothes to use for the evening. Our rooms smelled of mildew, and paint/caulking the rest of the trip, causing headaches and congestion in those in the affected rooms. The next morning what they had attempted to patch was again starting to leak and turn the rest of the ceiling brown. Ahmed refused to issue any kind of refund since we did sleep in the room, when I pointed out that the goal of staying two nights was to have a place to stay in between the games which we were unable to do due to the work/water in the rooms his response was that we stayed to sleep and we did sleep so no refund. I requested to talked to another manager and originally was told there was no other managers even after housekeeping called for me and Ahmed hung up and refused to allow any of us to talk to Uma the GM. We filed a complaint with IHG who informed us they didn't realize that location was under construction and that owners are required to notify them and guests of this. Our complaint is still open in hopes of getting some compensation for our troubles, but I did assure them that our club will not be staying there for any of our future tournaments...

We stayed here for a soccer tournament with booking nearly 30 rooms for players. At no point during booking where we told the building was under renovations. Upon arrival we discovered a third floor window completely missing, tarps over most front windows where painting on the outside was occuring, minimal parking due to storage pods taking up spots, and a large machine being used to lift a worker up to do the painting blocking the driveway. The entire building smelled of paint and construction as well as a distinct smell of marijuana on the third floor, where we learned many of the construction crew was staying. The back door didn't not stay latched due to construction damage. The complimentary breakfast was unable to provide any warm food due to construction, and at one point the water was turned off for a few minutes without us technically being told by management instead by a wonderful housekeeper who wanted to look out for the kids.

On our first full day at the hotel when returning after a game we discovered water pouring in to a second floor room from the third floor with enough water already having soaked through the carpet and tile to start flooding the first floor room below. We were informed by Ahmed the day manager that it was no big deal and he would get the workers to fix it but that we could not use our rooms while the work was being completed. Since our belongings were sitting in the room we stayed near the door while we watched them cut in to the ceiling on the second floor revealing a ton of mold and water damage to the drywall. Ahmed again said it wasn't a big deal and it would be fixed. By the time we returned from our second match of the day our ceiling was very poorly patched and they had put fans in to try and dry the carpet in the first floor room. When we shared the second floor room was wet the manager denied it until the head of maintenance Charles, told him it was wet and provided us drop clothes to use for the evening. Our rooms smelled of mildew, and paint/caulking the rest of the trip, causing headaches and congestion in those in the affected rooms. The next morning what they had attempted to patch was again starting to leak and turn the rest of the ceiling brown. Ahmed refused to issue any kind of refund since we did sleep in the room, when I pointed out that the goal of staying two nights was to have a place to stay in between the games which we were unable to do due to the work/water in the rooms his response was that we stayed to sleep and we did sleep so no refund. I requested to talked to another manager and originally was told there was no other managers even after housekeeping called for me and Ahmed hung up and refused to allow any of us to talk to Uma the GM. We filed a complaint with IHG who informed us they didn't realize that location was under construction and that owners are required to notify them and guests of this. Our complaint is still open in hopes of getting some compensation for our troubles, but I did assure them that our club will not be staying there for any of our future tournaments...

Update: When my daughter & I arrived at the front desk, no one was there. After about a minute or two, Eva walked in through the front door with a cup of coffee in her hand and an attitude from the very start. She asked, "Can I help you?" My daughter said she'd like to check-in. Eva looked annoyed as if we had interrupted her break, but we proceeded to go through the check-in. When we were told that the out-of-state person who was paying the bill had to be present, I said fine I'll just pay it. Then, Eva said, "OH, that will be complicated..." and proceeded to describe all of the issues involved. However, when she stated the policy of how out-of-state guests are charged a $60 incidental fee, but LOCALS are charged a $150 incidental fee, I said the "corporate policy" was ridiculous & unfair. First, she interrupted me & said, "We are not corporate, we are a privately-owned hotel". At that point, I corrected myself & re-stated that I disagreed with the "Policy". Eva proceeded to explain how "local guests only come in and trash the rooms."

Finally, I looked at my daughter & said that I didn't want to do business with this hotel anymore (not just because of the prejudiced incidentals policy but because of the nasty attitude we got from that woman from the moment she walked in).

My daughter wanted to stay & asked me to just wait out in the car, so I handed her my credit card & ID to pay for the room which I had already agreed to pay for, I only questioned the unfair incidentals policy & voiced my opinion about it. Eva, however, with her nasty attitude, blew it all out of proportion. Unfortunately, my husband went in after me (who'd been waiting in the car) and by then Eva had threatened to call the police! I don't know what happened after I left, but whatever it was, I can tell you that it was Eva, who was clearly annoyed at us over the fact she had to cut her coffee break short, is 100% at fault for treating us like a nuisance that she just didn't want to be bothered with. She cost the hotel approximately $700 that night.

As I said, it was the worst experience ever with the worst desk clerk I've ever had the displeasure of meeting, Eva; she needs to be fired! We left & went to a different hotel, another Holiday Inn Express, and the experience was night & day. We had no issues whatsoever & they treated us like welcome guests.

If that privately owned hotel wants to defend that woman, go right ahead! The nearby hotels will be happy to welcome the guests that she chases off. Privately owned or not, they represent the IHG brand & they have...