Holiday Inn Express Dallas Medical - Market Ctr by IHG — Hotel in Dallas

Where do I begin… before check in we were notified via email that when we would check in we would not have internet or good electricity in some parts of the building due to a maintenance issue and we could cancel without penalty if we wanted, however we were coming to Dallas to attend a Tony Robbins conference with over 13,000 people flooding the city in 4 days and all hotels were fully booked out, so we didn’t really have a choice but to stay. Now… I do have to give praise where praise is due and thats to the one and only server in the entire restaurant. I forget his name but he was such a sweetheart and greeted us by name every morning and took amazing care of us! Now where things got bad, I do have a service animal 🦮 and on the last evening of our stay arriving back to the hotel from our conference this man we’ve never seen before at the front desk abruptly and insanely rude didn't say welcome back, or hi, or how was your day, he simply saw my dog (clearly marked with her vest on) and said in front of EVERYONE in the lobby, “WHAT ROOM ARE YOU IN!!” I responded with the room # and he said “pets aren’t allowed on that floor” I responded with.. well sir we’ve been here for almost a week and on night one of check in that’s where the lady put us. As I make my way into the elevator with other guests he goes “AND WHAT DOES YOUR SERVICE DOG DO ANYWAY?! As the elevator door was about to close I decided not to respond as I was already immensely humiliated in front of everyone. The next morning I bring up my concerns to the front desk lady and telling her the story, I did disclose to her my service animal is for severe PTSD and trauma and her main job is in the evenings while I’m sleeping to wake me up from night terrors and to wake me up when I stop breathing… long story short with lots of tears while checking out due to the fact that I’ve never been harassed about my service pet before, I just wanted to go home!!! She assured me she would be refunding us the two most expensive nights of our stay, but here we are over a month after our reservation and still NO REFUND!!!! (which was made under my boyfriends card and name) This hotel clearly lacks knowledge of ADA rules and compliance on a federal level and also has zero respect and dignity for their guests and feel it’s okay to humiliate their guests in front of others. On top of that the beds are firm and not comfortable, the rooms at extremely outdated and the carpet feels unclean, our bathroom sink was leaving yellow residue from the faucet after each use, I had to brush my teeth with bottled water due to the corrosion of the bathroom faucets not making it safe to use, their was a moldy smell in the room and hallways, only one elevator worked in the entire building, and the gym was also closed… nothing that’s advertised online is available once you arrive. I highly recommend looking elsewhere for your “hospitality” stay… because you won’t find any...

Upon arrival to the hotel, we were assigned a room that reeked of mildew. The room was positioned adjacent to the Coke Machine and ice machine, so that’s clearly where the problem started… both me and my friend who stayed in the room work in the service industry and know firsthand that the smell in that room was due to improper maintenance to their ice machine. Luckily(after a 1 hr. delay), we were provided a new room which was much nicer and didn’t smell.

The next day, the hotel accused us of smoking weed in our room. The way that the staff handled this situation was completely inappropriate…. a manager checked our room and verified that we in fact had NOT been smoking in our unit. They then proceed to issue a “warning” when an apology(for our wasted time and energy) was what we should have received. Christina Ortiz at the front desk was completely unprofessional and is not suitable in a customer service position… no matter the situation it is important to remain professional, level-headed, and respectful in your approach to guests.

In addition to these problems, the room service is not great. Took me three phone calls before I could get towels delivered to my room… and they still didn’t deliver them— I had to chase down housekeeping and ask for some off of the cart.

Security at this place is a joke, too. The officer questioned me and my friend both when we were sitting in the parking lot in our car at night. Clearly trying to scare us, but once he realized we actually WERE guests(we had to show him room keys to prove it) he completely shifted his narrative and told us he was trying to protect us from fentanyl addicts that were going to come at us with guns and knives because, in the officers words, “they see you as more fentanyl”. I don’t know…. this entire experience was a little odd. Spending so much money on lodging makes me disappointed in how difficult this stay ended up being for us.

Credit where credit is due— we had many positive interactions with other staff and the management doesn’t seem bad. As far as the employees, there are only two extreme opposites in their customer service skills— some were friendly and helpful, but many employees here are not helpful nor are they overly kind when interacting with guests.

The hotel also has a gas leak… there are different places where it is more prevelant, but the reviews don’t lie— it does smell like gas in many places. We overheard the front desk employees talking about the gas leak too.

Also, only one elevator works so prepare to budget 3-5 minutes every time you need to use the elevator going either way.

Save your time, book a different Holiday Inn, even if it’s further...

During our recent stay at the Holiday Inn in Dallas, TX, we encountered several significant issues that greatly impacted our experience. First and foremost, the hotel was undergoing extensive construction. This detail was not clearly communicated to the degree in which it was in during the booking process, leading to a rude awakening upon our arrival. The construction work was pervasive and significantly disrupted the usual operations and amenities of the hotel.

For the price we paid—over $220 per our stay—we anticipated a certain level of comfort and access to amenities. Unfortunately, this was far from the case. The fitness center, pool, and breakfast area were all closed due to the construction, which left us without key facilities that were advertised as part of the hotel’s offerings. This lack of access was particularly disappointing as these amenities were a primary reason for choosing this hotel.

Moreover, the construction noise and the overall atmosphere created by the ongoing work made it difficult to relax and enjoy our stay. The hotel environment felt more like a construction zone than a place of rest and relaxation. This situation was compounded by the fact that there were limited areas available within the hotel to unwind, further detracting from our overall experience.

The misleading nature of the online booking process added to our frustration. The hotel's website and booking platforms did not adequately inform potential guests of the significant disruptions caused by the construction. This omission is unacceptable, as it sets false expectations and undermines trust.

Given the circumstances, it became apparent that we could have opted for numerous other hotels within the Dallas metroplex, many of which offered better accommodations at a more reasonable price. The lack of transparency and the diminished quality of service at the Holiday Inn made us feel that the hotel prioritized revenue over guest satisfaction.

In conclusion, our stay at the Holiday Inn in Dallas, TX was far from satisfactory. The extensive construction work, lack of access to key amenities, and misleading booking information resulted in a disappointing experience. For the price paid, we expected far more in terms of comfort and service. We strongly advise potential guests to consider alternative options until the construction is completed and the hotel can once again provide the quality of service expected from...