Holiday Inn Express & Suites Houston - Downtown North by IHG — Hotel in Houston

I travel a lot but typically not with IHG. Jeff handled my initial check in, maybe he is new, but he was really incompetent. I'd ask a direct question, and get an answer completely indirect. So much so that I had to get the manager to assist me with an issue. The issue was mainly that I called the Monday before travelling to find out the policy centered around company reservation, being paid by the guest at check in. What I was told a week before travelling, Jeff gave completely different information. Just for me to speak with a person the 2nd day of my stay to confirm that Jeff told me something incorrectly. At check out- Crista gave me a hard time- she wanted to authorize another night AT CHECK OUT, after they had collected everything from me except a $7 charge from the marketplace. She likes to argue so she could not even comprehend what I was saying to her. Here I am a week after checking out, with a completed bill AND the authorization for $257 that Crista "accidentally" charged me at check out. I have never experiences a staff that was so not on the same page. During my stay, I must have spoken to 5 different people, each of them with a different knowledge base or lack there of. It is a clear indication that they need training! Training first and foremost on creating a wonderful guest experience. Instead, I was stressed out my entire stay. They sit down and politic in the lobby and when a guest comes in, they run to the desk. Just tacky!

If I can help it, I will never stay at an IGH...

NO ELECTRICITY BACK UP ** We booked at this hotel for our 5 day stay which unfortunately does not give us any good memories; in fact it ended so horrific that I will not recommend this place. Whilst there is very little one can do to stop forces of the nature - our stay showcased how ill equipped this place is if and when there is a a hurricane storm. Electricity went off on a Monday around 8:30 am and it was still down until our check out time around noon time on Tuesday. It is hard to imagine how a hotel facility in Houston can open its doors for travelers to stay with no backup electricity - knowing very well the next hurricane is round the corner. We were placed on 5th floor and had to bring down our baggage ( group of 6 with total bags =8) using the stairways in pitch dark and smelly carpets! There was no HELP whatsoever from the office staff during the adverse hours, especially with our group having two aged members. So here are my scores : Office staff - Friendly , but not efficient so its a 2/5 Cleanliness of rooms - 3/5 Breakfast - So very poor - 1/5 Preparedness to meet adverse weather - 0/5 Access to UBER / Lyft etc - For some strange reasons, we found it hard with drivers repeatedly dropping the lifts either from or to there Pool - Rarely found used - 1/5 Proximity to good...

Though the rooms are alright for the money & the place seems to look great from the outside, if you have any issues with a staff member or an honest complaint to field, don't even bother... Especially if you're not hispanic or Latino. It's sad because most of my friends from central & south america don't act like that. Not only is this the 2nd day in a row the porter had the nerve to be smug & talk smack in Spanish (thinking I didn't understand him) but he kept doing it after I complained to the front desk! I explained that this market is competitive & to have such disdain for oil & gas patrons, as well as, those who'd like one of the televisions in the lobby to be played in English, is against prudent business practices here in Houston. That is what I expressed to the lady manager who came over & not only didn't help at all but made things worse than the initial issue, by being glib, irreverent & apathetic.

This is simply another example of what happens when brands spend decades & hundreds of millions to become trusted & good at what they do only to have the least qualified chase their regulars away & completely decimate the good will that took so long to capture. Needless to say... Never again! I don't give money to people who don't respect their customers & even worse,...