Holiday Inn Express & Suites Houston S - Medical Ctr Area by IHG — Hotel in Houston

My younger sister and I were visiting Houston for the first time together for a fun girl's trip.

We stopped at this hotel to ask for help after waiting nearly two hours for our Uber to take us back to our hotel downtown.

Most businesses were closed in the area because it was after hours, but as a new mom whose pump had just died and my phone was on 5%, I needed to get back to our hotel, back to safety desperately.

We saw that this hotel was open and asked for help and a temporary power source.

When we entered, we met a man who asked if we were guests. We politely replied, “No, but we need help getting back to our hotel.”

Without hesitation, the man yelled at us like we were the scum of the earth. “GET OUT. YOU DO NOT BELONG HERE. LEAVE!”

I replied, “Sir, no, we’re not staying here. I need help. My phone is dead. My pump is dead. We’re from out of town. I will buy a room. I will buy anything from your concession. I need help.”

“GET OUT NOW!” he says.

he then proceeds towards my younger sister and I

“LEAVE!”

We were scared for our lives, so we left.

Before I left, I grab business cards for a formal follow-up and to report this business for its lack of customer service.

I went outside in the parking lot and cried. I was afraid for my life. I was fearful that I had put myself and my sister in that situation.

Based on this experience, I will never do business with a Holiday Inn.

Thankfully, we walked a little further down the road, and the owners and operators at the gas station helped us to charge our phones, and we got back home safely.

After reading the reviews from actual guests, it proves that this wasn’t a one-off situation.

Sadly, this is how this business runs without caring for people or offering any type of Southern hospitality.

Never in my life, as a grown woman and now mother, have I been yelled at in public by a grown man… and at a hotel… as a hospitality business representative at that.

Stay downtown at a 4 or 5 star hotel...

Mixed feelings.

For close to $170 a night, I would expect carpets that aren’t…. sticky & moist all over. Needless to say, we kept our shoes on in the room. Otherwise it felt clean.

At 8:30am housekeeping… scratched?? At our door… I genuinely cannot understand why they didn't just knock. I was fast asleep in bed and heard very light scratching sounds. I thought it was just a kid playing in the hallways or something. Then I heard it again. I decided to at least peep outside the door to see what was up, but before I could even sit up in bed, housekeeping was coming into our room. I said “Hello???” in complete confusion. She asked if I want her to come in and clean (clearly no, as it’s pitch black in here and I’m disheveled, confused in my PJs & sad Im touching the moist sticky carpet with my bare feet) but I told her “no thank you!” But she DIDNT CLOSE THE DOOR. She kept standing there, “do you want towels?” “No thank you! Please come back later” “do you need more pillows?” “No… thats ok thank you bye!” “Are you sure??” “YES THANK YOu!!” 😭😭😭

But we thought putting a do not disturb sign would fix the issue for the next morning… nope. Dispite a do not disturb sign outside our door, housekeeping came knocking at 10:45am…. I said “no thank you” and she said “you’re checking out today?” I said “yes! Checkout is at noon, right??” “Yes. Please get rid of the do not disturb sign when you leave.” 🙃 okay???

I’ve traveled all over the country and the world, stayed at hundreds of hotels, and I’ve never had housekeeping show up that early, not leave when it was clear they weren’t needed, and also come in even with a DND sign. It was odd.

The location is ideal and the main reason we chose this hotel. It’s very close to Chinatown & the art museum, zoo, and science museum.

Front desk staff were all SUPER...

My wife had a very early appointment at the Fondren center in Houston. Being 1.5 hours away we got a Hotel for the previous night. This 2.5 star Holiday Inn was 5 minutes away. The area around the Hotel is not the best, but it is fenced, and had security outside watching the parking lot all night. (he was even there in the drizzly rain at 5:10 am) Pros: Parking and WiFi are free, the Hotel was modern, Hotel and room was impeccably clean, AC was cold and quiet, Staff was very friendly and helpful, letting us check in 3 hours early, and changing us to a two bed room, even though I originally ordered a single King, beds were very comfortable, with both soft and firm pillows on each bed, linens were clean, and fresh, there was a microwave and mini fridge in the room, and no surcharge deposit is required at check in. Breakfast is also free, but we had to leave for our appointment before 5:30am, so we didn't get to try it. Cons: The iron they provided took a while to get hot. That is pretty much the only thing my wife fussed about, I was way beyond satisfied with our stay here. The Hotel is on Main Street, just inside the 610 loop, so there is almost zero traffic to deal with getting to the Medical complexes in Houston. I would highly recommend this Hotel for going to the Medical complexes, Reliant Stadium, Houston Zoo/Zoo Lights, or even Galleria/West side shopping, as you are away from the crowded craziness this time of year, but close enough to get there quickly. Would love to...