Holiday Inn Express & Suites N. Myrtle Beach-Little River — Hotel in North Myrtle Beach

I recently had the unfortunate experience of staying at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in N. Myrtle Beach-Little River, SC. As a loyal Diamond Member and IHG Ambassador, I had high expectations for this hotel, but sadly, it failed to meet them.

Before booking, I had taken the time to read online reviews, and in retrospect, I should have heeded the warnings that this might not be the best choice for my family. However, hoping for a better experience, we proceeded with the reservation.

The issues started with our 2-bedroom suite. Despite my status as an IHG Ambassador, I was not provided with an upgrade. Consequently, we ended up with a room that offered an amazing view of the A/C units. Moreover, upon entering the room, it was immediately clear that cleanliness was lacking. I took several pictures to accurately depict the dirty floors we encountered upon arrival, highlighting the need for improvement and allowing others to make informed decisions. In the pictures one will see how dirty the Clorox Wipes are from cleaning the floor.

The faux wood floor was dirty and sticky. The couch was marred with unsightly stains. The exterior of the microwave and refrigerator were downright filthy, giving a poor impression of the room. Our disappointment continued as we discovered that the bathrooms fell short of the expected cleanliness standards. Additionally, the presence of peeling paint from the bathroom ceilings left my children feeling uncomfortable and hesitant to use the facilities.

To make matters worse, our eldest son slept on the pullout couch and discovered a large blood stain. We immediately contacted the front desk, hoping for a replacement mattress. However, we were informed that no replacements were available. We settled for a clean mattress protector, although only one was provided despite our request for two. When we asked for additional comforters, we faced resistance, but eventually received one. Fortunately, extra sheets were available, but at this point, we decided to decline housekeeping services, as we felt it would be futile to rely on them for cleanliness.

Adding to our dismay, our 9-year-old daughter was startled to find a large cockroach in the bedroom, further emphasizing the disappointment we felt. While individual experiences may vary, I feel compelled to caution others and advise them to exercise caution when considering this hotel. It falls significantly short of the standards one would expect from an IHG property.

I would like to acknowledge the friendly and pleasant woman at the front desk, who stood out as a shining light in an otherwise lackluster property. However, I must express my dissatisfaction with a presumed member of the maintenance staff, who displayed unfriendliness and rudeness. When my wife approached the front desk, this individual responded with an unhelpful and curt "WHAT?" It is understandable to have bad days, however professionalism should be maintained when representing a brand. Wearing appropriate attire, such as pants and a shirt, is a basic expectation. Alternatively, visible name tags can help avoid potential confrontations. The deliberate absence of a name tag, perhaps to evade accountability, was disappointing.

Given our experience, it is reasonable to assume that others have faced similar issues, despite the presence of some positive reviews.

Lastly, I respectfully disagree with those who claim that this property is just a "standard Holiday Inn". As someone who has stayed at various IHG brands almost every month for multiple days for the past decade, I can genuinely say that this particular stay at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in N. Myrtle Beach-Little River was one of the top five most disappointing hotel experiences I have had in all these years. It falls significantly short of the standard I have come to expect from IHG....

I've stayed at other Holiday Inn Express and Suites because it's one of the few chains that offers 2 bedroom suites. Usually they are simple but clean and well maintained at an affordable price. While affordable, this location is on the verge of being run down. The staff at the front desk was great and breakfast was the standard hot breakfast for the chain, no complaints there, we got what we expected.

Now the facilities. When we stepped off the elevator we were overwhelmed by the strong smell of air freshner but not in a good way. It smelled like the air freshner used in airplane bathrooms and port-a-potties. I've never smelled that smell anywhere else let alone in a hotel. It didn't stink, but it's not exactly the aroma you'd want to associate with your hotel room and it was STRONG almost nauseating.

Walked in the room, immediately noticed the floor was both greasy and sticky at the same time. I made sure we all wore a designated pair of socks, or our shoes or slippers at all times in the room. The couch (picture attached) was gross at the bottom, looked like someone had vomited on it and it was haphazardly cleaned. The microwave worked but looked like it had been picked up from Goodwill. The bolt on the main door was installed backwards. You have to turn the lock to the left instead of the right to lock the door. It wasn't until late into our first evening that I noticed the door wasn't locked eventhough I saw my son turn the lock when we returned from dinner. As a female, the main thing I have always taught my kids is to immediately lock the door and flip the security latch every single time you enter a hotel room for safety. It was then that I realized that while the lock will rotate to the right giving an impression that you've locked it, it's not actually locked and you have to not only rotate it to the left but you also needed to simutaneously pull the door to make sure the bolt and catch were aligned for the bolt to be secured properly into the door frame.

The bathroom layout is very odd. For the master bathroom the toilet and shower were separate from the sink and was a very confined space. Other than a hook behind the door in the shower area, no place to put toiletries, change of clothes, etc. when taking a shower. Visible repairs to cracked tiles and shower area where cracks were caulked as if done DIY by a home owner making a temporary fix. The sink area is completely open to the master bedroom with no privacy if anyone needed it. The bathroom in the 2nd room was very small, my kids called it a cave, and the lock on the door was broken. The TV remote in the 2nd room was crusty. The room safe was locked shut and therefore useless. We had to hide our electronics whenever we left the room since we could not secure them in the safe. There was no iron or ironing board. I've never been to a hotel that did not at least have an iron.

Location is farther than I expected from attractions. I usually choose something that has some distance from tourist attractions so it's quiet, and I did map it prior to booking. I've had to go to Myrtle Beach every year for an annual convention and no matter where I stayed I was no more than a 10 min drive from some sort of signs of activity/dining life. This location was really just too far away from everything for me.

I had this location booked for another visit I have to do in July but will be cancelling. It wasn't a horrible experience, but it wasn't pleasant at all. It served it's purpose for a quick 2 night stay but not somewhere I'd ever want to have to stay for a whole week, and would never voluntarily stay here again. Some people who are maybe Motel 6 patrons would find this...

Please do not be fooled by the pictures of the facility. When we first arrived to the property around 3pm we were greeted by the Assistant General Manager, Lori. She was a pleasure to speak to and probably the only positive part of the entire experience. She checked us in and directed us to our room. Upon arriving to the fourth floor, the smell was nauseating. Everything smelt damp and unclean. The janitors were loudly interacting amongst each other in the hallway while cleaning the first few rooms on the floor (400-412). Upon entering our room (Room No. 416), we noticed that the vacuum and a floor dryer (which was on) were still in the room. We asked the cleaners on the floor if the room was or will be ready and she stated that the AC was leaking onto the carpeted floor and thus, the room is unavailable. We returned to Lori who began to book us into 406 at which time we informed her that we witnessed the cleaners still cleaning that room. She then booked us in Room 308. The third floor seemed clean but still had the damp smell. Upon approaching the room, we realized that the door was open and a maintenance individual was actively fixing the desk area. The room itself smelled damp and the AC was also leaking in that room. We returned to Lori and advised her that we will be reaching out to Expedia to cancel the remaining of the two nights as we are within the 24-hour timespan to do so. She reassured us that so long as Expedia can cancel it on their end, she will do so as well. Upon speaking to Expedia and Lori, the reservation for the other two nights were cancelled. However, upon returning to the room, it became unbearable to remain in there with the smell and returned to the front desk to request that Lori cancel the reservation for tonight for the repeated distress. She noted that it was out of her ability to do so and she requested the presence of the general manager, Keith. He was rude, unprofessional and unaccommodating. He refused to even listen to the state of his property and the reason why I was requesting the cancellation. Instead, he directed Lori to undo the cancellation of the other two nights and kept repeating that Expedia won't allow them to cancel when in fact, I had Expedia on the line who confirmed that it can be cancelled. When I went into the legal standard of what he can or cannot do in terms of the cancellation, he threatened to call the police. I decided to leave the property without the refund from the hotel and will address the matter directly with Expedia. However, it is pertinent to note that the pictures are a catfish and the people managing the property (except for Lori) were a complete displeasure to interact with. I wouldn't recommend this...