Holiday Inn Express & Suites Dover — Hotel in Dover

I will say that I enjoy IHG facilities, but my experience at the Dover location, was something that I have never experienced before. I had just traveled for hours, and once I reached the hotel, I was welcomed by a gentleman that said he could not check me in, and that the person to do that was away from the desk at the moment. I went to the restroom to freshen up a bit. I came out and Jared was at the desk and he preceded to ask me if I was checking in. I said yes. He asked for name and ID. I gave him my drivers license and he told me that I had booked a government employee rate and that I needed my government ID (then a pause). I said sure, I have that. as I reached in my bag to get it, he started to mention that I would need to have my government orders as well. I told him that I did not have any orders, but I am a government employee. he stated that the hotel updated their policy because a lot of people have been coming in utilizing that option. I mentioned to him that when I was booking the hotel, that requirement was not mentioned. He said that he was still unable to give me the rate and that I would have to take the higher normal rate. I was unhappy but we both remained professional in the situation. I asked for some type of benefit for being inconvenienced or 'Made Whole', and he said there was nothing he could do and that I could cancel the reservation and get the higher rate.

I understand that the lower rate had been abused in the past, but I didn't feel in this case I should have been punished by it. I called the IHG 800 number and was told there was nothing they could do because the hotels are individually owned and it is up to the facility on what their policies are. Jared left for the day, and after speaking with another front desk clerk, we were able to conclude that I could use points to get the lowest rate. I did so, but I feel that could have been avoided if I was able to keep original reservation. So because I had to use the little points I had, I was only able to stay for 1 night instead of 2. To make matters worse, the bathroom was not clean as I would think it should have been due to the issue I just had getting checked in! (see attached pics)

In closing, I suggest that each hotel should mention on the app and website their requirements in order to use certain discount rates. This is only fair and would help eliminate stories like mine...

Subject: Guest Complaint – Holiday Inn Express Dover, DE (Room 217)

Dear IHG Customer Relations,

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to share my recent experience at the Holiday Inn Express in Dover, Delaware (N. DuPont Highway) during a family trip to attend a special event.

Upon arrival, the front desk staff were very kind and professional, and the lobby, elevator, and hallway were clean and welcoming. However, our assigned room, Room 217, had a very unpleasant, musty odor—similar to a boys’ locker room. It was both stuffy and humid. I immediately requested a room change.

The staff was accommodating and reassigned us to a different room a few doors down. Unfortunately, this second room also had a distinct odor, though less pungent. Since we were running late for our event, we had no time to request yet another change and decided to bear it.

A staff member came up to verify that we had left the first room, and I asked if he could detect the odor in the new room. He claimed he could not, though to us it was very noticeable. He offered to send air fresheners, which were never delivered.

Later that night, we returned to the room and were met with a strong bathroom odor, similar to sewage or waste—even though no one had used the bathroom. We believe this may be due to plumbing issues and the lack of ventilation in the bathroom, possibly worsened by increased hotel occupancy over the holiday weekend.

Additionally, the bed linens did not appear to be clean, which made the stay even more uncomfortable.

While I appreciate the professionalism and positive attitude of your staff, the overall room quality and hygiene were extremely disappointing and not in line with the standards I expect from the Holiday Inn Express brand.

This experience has left me very hesitant to book with this hotel chain in the future, and I felt it was important to bring this to your attention.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope that these concerns will be investigated and addressed to prevent future guest...

My friends and I were in town for the Phish festival; we decided to go the hotel route for cleanliness, ease, the pool and air conditioning! We got those and so much more at the Holiday Inn Express. Juli and her team were so welcoming of the Phans and legitimately excited to host us and hear all about our favorite band and happenings of the weekend.

The rooms were fantastic, and they even put us close to our friends’ rooms so we could all be together. The hospitality was fantastic- welcoming phans from the moment we walked into the main lobby with Phish regalia, welcome bags and koozies in the rooms, important info about the shuttle and breakfast provided. Later in our stay, the team gave everyone room an inflated beach ball, to make it extra phestive.

The rooms were immaculate and had everything we needed for our weekend- including a cold fridge! Juli made sure we knew about the shuttle and times we could access it.

The breakfast was fantastic and hit the spot after a long night of dancing and fueled us up for the day ahead. The weather didn’t cooperate the whole time we were there, but we were able to take advantage of the pool and outdoor area. Great set up and perfect for what we needed.

The hotel was conveniently close to the racetrack, making it in an easy ride in to the festival grounds every day.

I can’t say enough about Juli and her wonderful staff. They welcomed us, chatted daily, and truly made us feel appreciated.

There’s rumblings of doing the festival there again next year- we won’t hesitate to book at the...