Holiday Inn Express Jacksonville South Bartram Prk by IHG — Hotel in Jacksonville

Don’t recommend. Booked right through holiday inns website a week before the trip , got a email the day before to check in via email then just stop by the front desk when I get in. I get in and first was told I was at the wrong location and I showed the older lady at the desk it was the correct address (i got the address right from the reservation on the app) she then argued that I didn’t have a reservation even after giving my reservation confirmation number to her. She made me give all my info and made me a new reservation. Had to fill out a page full of my info even tho she had my number and email in the computer. I paid extra for a large king suite since traveling with my pets I wanted the extra room she gave me a standard king room and told me it was a “better room “ After trying to charge me $50 more a night than I had on my original reservation I showed her it and she still calculated it wrong. So I still paid for the big room and got a standard one. This went on for 25 minute while other guests walked right up got checked-in in a minute. I was also charged when I checked in online for the reservation and they made me run my card again if I wanted a room and argued they didn’t already charge me since I wasn’t there yet even tho I showed her the charge on my phone. I get my second floor room I requested 1st floor when I booked due to the animals. So I get my key card and go to the room and then come back out front to get my bags and the lady tells me that I already checked into a different room early today and I told her that’s impossible but she continued to argue and I then showed her that the app has me in two different reservations because she created a new one. This was so frustrating after a 8 hour drive to have all of this happen and be second guessed like I did something wrong the whole time when this lady can’t even figure out I already had a reservation number after providing it to her. Would not come back again staff...

If I wasn’t staying for just one night I would have checked out and went somewhere else. My initial room had a foul smell. I went downstairs to the front desk to ask for a different room. The people that had checked into the room next to mine were ahead of me getting the last available room on different floor. The person at the front desk was very helpful and understanding found another room a few doors down from my original room. It also had a smell but not as bad, So apparently several rooms have the same problem on this top floor. Once in my new room with the air conditioner and fan running the smell was still lingering so I drove to Home Depot and bought some Febreze and some canisters of odor absorbing gel. Those items made the room tolerable. But if I wasn’t just staying one night I would’ve demanded a refund and went somewhere else. I did say something to the front desk when I was checking out so hopefully the rooms on the top floor have been taken care of in the last month. A coworker and I were traveling this week and we shared some of our recent stories. I had not mentioned this in a review earlier, but he said if I didn’t, how would other people know what they might expect? I would still recommend this place because after I checked out, I was talking to other guests that had checked out with me and I asked them about their room on the same floor and they said there was no foul smells on their side of the hallway. Also, i am curious as to why the 3 compact parking spaces up front are also diamond elite spots? That’s like making all EV or handicap spots diamond too. It doesn’t free it up to us diamond guests without a compact… except for the driver of this truck… diamond or not (that’s on the driver, not necessarily the hotel but they could enforce it). If the truck would have parked on the left side it would have...

Usually, I give this hotel great marks in all its categories.

But, this trip was tremendously disappointing. I reserved a room with 2 beds because I needed 2 beds. When I checked in, I was told that I had been bumped because they had overbooked a College Baseball team in the 2 bed rooms. But, how wonderful, I was given a King bed with a sofa bed couch. I am an IHG member and they have my contact number on file, but never even tried to ask if that was ok with me. No other option was available except for me to forgo my trip and head home. I had chosen this hotel because of its comfortable beds and great breakfast...a great place to relax while spending time visiting family in Jax. Well, one of us slept great and the other didn't sleep. Bet you can guess which one that was! When I asked to speak to the manager the next morning I was directed to a pleasant woman who explained that there isn't really a way to secure a reservation made online at the IHG site from being bumped to a different type room. But, if I will call their desk each and every time I want to come up, I can express my wish that I not receive any other type of room. That should secure the correct room next time. BTW, I had passed over the Hotel right next door to pay a little more for the room because of the great breakfast. They had 2 bed rooms and I have never been bumped at their hotel before! Bottom line is that I paid a whole lot of money for a room that was not what I...