Holiday Inn Express & Suites Oklahoma City Dwtn - Bricktown by IHG — Hotel in Oklahoma City

Bed Bug - 🐞

I recently stayed at the Holiday Inn in Bricktown, Downtown Oklahoma City, for two nights while working as a professional DJ. I chose this hotel because of its proximity to the club/venue I was performing at and planned to attend a concert the following day. Prior to my stay, I had no issues, no complications—everything seemed fine.

Upon arrival, I was greeted by Krystal at the front desk, who was polite and professional. She made check-in smooth, and I appreciated her hospitality. My first night at the hotel was uneventful. However, when I woke up the next morning, I noticed a bump on my right arm. I didn’t think much of it at first, but my back was also itching, though I couldn’t pinpoint why.

I went about my day and returned for my second and final night. The next morning, I woke up to a shocking number of bites on my body—on the same arm, in between my fingers, on my cheek, and several more on my lower back. At this point, I realized something was seriously wrong.

I immediately informed the front desk, and I was told that the manager was in a meeting but could talk to me in five minutes. That never came. I left my phone number and assumed I would be contacted shortly. Days passed. I waited, expecting some form of communication, an apology, or at the very least, an acknowledgment of the situation. Yet, here we are—a full week later—and I still have not heard from any management from the facility.

Instead of reaching out to discuss what happened, they contacted their pest control service—whether to address the issue or to eliminate evidence before investigating, I can’t say. But what’s clear is that they prioritized this over communicating with me, the affected guest. The lack of concern, follow-up, or even the basic decency of a phone call is beyond disappointing—it’s completely unacceptable.

What’s most infuriating about this entire situation isn’t just the bites—it’s the complete lack of care for a customer. I have photo and videos from the morning I woke up covered in bites. Yet, their silence implies that they don’t believe me or simply don’t care. And that’s a problem.

This experience makes me feel deeply mistreated—not just as a guest but as a person. It raises the question: Would I be treated differently if I were someone else? Would my concerns have been handled with more urgency and respect? I can’t say for sure, but I do know this: I’ve stayed at many hotels in Bricktown, and every other establishment has treated me with professionalism and basic human decency—something this Holiday Inn has failed to do.

Because of this, I cannot and will not recommend this hotel to anyone in my industry. I will actively warn others to avoid it based on both the experience I had and the unacceptable way management handled (or rather, failed to handle) the situation.

At the end of the day, I wanted communication from management. A simple phone call. A follow-up. But they chose silence, and that silence...

I recently stayed at the Holiday Inn in Bricktown, Downtown Oklahoma City, for two nights while working as a professional DJ. I chose this hotel because of its proximity to the club/venue I was performing at and planned to attend a concert the following day. Prior to my stay, I had no issues, no complications—everything seemed fine.

Upon arrival, I was greeted by Krystal at the front desk, who was polite and professional. She made check-in smooth, and I appreciated her hospitality. My first night at the hotel was uneventful. However, when I woke up the next morning, I noticed a bump on my right arm. I didn’t think much of it at first, but my back was also itching, though I couldn’t pinpoint why.

I went about my day and returned for my second and final night. The next morning, I woke up to a shocking number of bites on my body—on the same arm, in between my fingers, on my cheek, and several more on my lower back. At this point, I realized something was seriously wrong.

I immediately informed the front desk, and I was told that the manager was in a meeting but could talk to me in five minutes. That never came. I left my phone number and assumed I would be contacted shortly. Days passed. I waited, expecting some form of communication, an apology, or at the very least, an acknowledgment of the situation. Yet, here we are—a full week later—and I still have not heard from any management from the facility.

Instead of reaching out to discuss what happened, they contacted their pest control service—whether to address the issue or to eliminate evidence before investigating, I can’t say. But what’s clear is that they prioritized this over communicating with me, the affected guest. The lack of concern, follow-up, or even the basic decency of a phone call is beyond disappointing—it’s completely unacceptable.

What’s most infuriating about this entire situation isn’t just the bites—it’s the complete lack of care for a customer. I have photo and videos from the morning I woke up covered in bites. Yet, their silence implies that they don’t believe me or simply don’t care. And that’s a problem.

This experience makes me feel deeply mistreated—not just as a guest but as a person. It raises the question: Would I be treated differently if I were someone else? Would my concerns have been handled with more urgency and respect? I can’t say for sure, but I do know this: I’ve stayed at many hotels in Bricktown, and every other establishment has treated me with professionalism and basic human decency—something this Holiday Inn has failed to do.

Because of this, I cannot and will not recommend this hotel to anyone in my industry. I will actively warn others to avoid it based on both the experience I had and the unacceptable way management handled (or rather, failed to handle) the situation.

At the end of the day, I wanted communication from management. A simple phone call. A follow-up. But they chose silence, and that silence...

Let’s start with the good:||1. The location was great for the Bricktown area. We thought that on a Friday night, walking the canal and downtown area, lit for Christmas might be romantic and relaxing. However, this area was virtually deserted aside from the strong presence of police officers in their cars patrolling. We decided to skip that entirely as we did not feel safe.||2. The sheets were nice and soft and clean as they always are with this brand. ||3. They’ve done away with sample sized soaps and such and have all Dove products in large refillable containers.||4. Shower head was great. ||The bad:||Some things, while not a big deal in general, just seemed a bit off and added up to an uncomfortable feeling. ||1. Black mold in corners of shower in room 307. Otherwise, the shower was clean. Since I’m allergic to mold, it’s sort of a big deal.||2. The hallways were stale and unpleasant smelling.||3. The gas fire- although very cold outside, was never lit in the lobby. ||4. The bed was on the hard side. ||5. The ac/heater was so loud that I couldn’t sleep, so we turned it off entirely.||6. The tv- when people talked - regardless of the channel or show, you had to turn the volume way up to hear them. When music came on, you had to rush to turn it way down because it blasted. It was really odd. The “guide” on the tv showed channels but not what was showing on any of the them, so you had to guess since it was “information unavailable.” ||7. Coffee in the morning- STYROFOAM CUPS with no lids. When carrying all of your stuff down to your car and stopping to grab a quick coffee and some protein, that makes your carrying job awkward at best. Also, styrofoam? Yuck in every way and not recyclable.||8. Hoped to grab a boiled egg and get out of Dodge. None offered. There was only one Greek yogurt, but my husband and make two people.||9. Had to pay a “convenience fee” $20 to park in a sketchy seeming area behind the hotel. No security guard. One wooden gate arm. No valet. Free street parking Friday night through Monday, but we crossed our fingers and hoped that the back lot might be safer. We are not opposed to paying for parking in a downtown area when there is an added value, but you might look check that out for yourself before paying. ||All in all, for the discounted price we paid booking directly with the hotel, we did have an okay sleep and a shower.||There are a zillion hotels all around this area. We are more likely to choose another next time unless the price was...