Holiday Inn Express & Suites El Centro by IHG — Hotel in El Centro

What a delightful surprise when we were looking for a hotel in this new area for us. We were delighted with the cleanliness, welcoming front desk people, and the room!! We had a King-Size Bed which was wonderful and even the pillow selection was perfect for my husband and me (not always the case on the road) - as he likes firm and I like soft!! There was even a coffee bar in the room with an under-counter refrigerator that was very handy for our personal snacks/sodas. The bathroom is spacious with a long counter so I was able to spread out my make-up/hair prep products and my husband still had room to shave and brush teeth. Very practical and light and bright. The location is perfect as it is visible from I-8 but not noisy at all. It is so handy to get back on freeway going in either direction. We stayed long enough to enjoy 3 mornings of the complimentary breakfast bar which is delicious and waaaay more than just pastries: We had bacon one morning with eggs, sausages and cheese omelets another morning, potato selections, there is hot oatmeal or instant plus cold cereals and fruit, bagels, muffins and the HIE "famous" cinnamon rolls. The coffee bar is well stocked as is the juice bar. I'm not naming all the dishes but just to give you an idea of all there is to choose from! The hotel says they are undergoing a renovation, but we were not interrupted with any noise and from what we could see it was beautifully done. The business area has multiple computers and the breakfast room turns into a great meeting place and lounge area through the day. The pool area in back is well laid out and very spacious so no one has to feel crowded. There is also a hot tub. We didn't utilize either but were able to look down at the pool and BBQ area and see other guests enjoying the facilities. We were fortunate enough to meet the General Manager, Calista Fulton, who was delightful. She was very professional and gracious with our compliments and appreciation for her hotel and it is easy to see that her staff respects yet likes her as it is just a smooth-running and welcoming hotel. We will go back to this hotel whenever we are in...

My son and I needed to stay in El Centro for a night. There were mixed reviews for this hotel, but I chose it anyway because I am an IHG member and could use my points. Well, I am glad we did. We got in late and check in was super quick and smooth and pleasant (front desk person at desk on 06/30/22 at about 10:45 pm was awesome - named Lililia maybe?). We got a great room on the top floor as requested and they were able to give me a check out time that was a little later because the hotel was not full. Also we were going to have to be out (to work in the area) before breakfast and so they offered to make us a bagged breakfast; it was ready first thing as soon as we went down in the morning. The room was extremely clean with the usual toiletries and a pod-type coffee maker. It was quiet and comfortable with an AC that worked great. It is close to everything, including some fast food restaurants that came in handy for our late arrival. Parking is easy and very well lit so I felt comfortable leaving my car for the night. And yes, things are under construction but they are containing the mess and dust and it did not adversely impact our stay at all. Another thing that impressed me was that they really do read the notes for requests; when I double checked on the request for a top floor and late check out, they said oh yes we have your request, you are good to go! I need to stay in El Centro for about 10 nights over the next 6 months and will choose this hotel if it is the same or similar price to other same level hotels in the area (used most of my points for this stay); in other words, it will be my first choice from the top 5 rated Tripadvisor hotels as long as it is a similar price. Unfortunately that appears not to be the case for my next stay in the beginning of August, but I will keep checking to see if that changes. Thanks for a terrific visit with...

My family of 4 (2 adults and 2 small children) stayed here two nights while visiting family in El Centro. Needless to say, our experience was not a positive one.

1)Let me begin by stating that the disclaimer was made on the hotel website while booking our room that the hotel was undergoing renovations. While construction was expected upon check in, the amount of dust and debris due to the construction was unacceptable.

2. Our room was in the 3rd floor and the elevator was not in service. This information was not disclosed until check in. Carrying our luggage and small children up and down 3 flights of stairs was not an enjoyable experience.

3. We were also informed during check in that housekeeping is only available for those staying for 4 or more nights and that items such as additional towels or toilet paper would be available per request at the front desk. We did end up having to go to the front desk to request towels and toilet paper as our room only had 2 bath towels (even though our reservation was made for 4) and we were provided 2 halfway empty rolls of toilet paper in the restroom.

4. The pool was closed both days of our stay (Friday and Saturday). This information was also not disclosed on the website.

5. The mini fridge in the room was not properly working. A small pint of ice cream we placed in the mini fridge freezer melted overnight.

6. The shower in our room made a strange noise. I hope that part of this renovation process includes the outdated and calcified shower heads.

In the future, I will consider spending the extra money in the Hampton Inn down the street or book a room in...