Holiday Inn Portland-Airport (I-205) by IHG — Hotel in Portland

VERY BAD MANAGEMENT

We made our PREPAID and non-refundable reservation through Park/Stay/Fly for two nights – one at the start of our trip and one at the end – with parking for our vehicle between. We’d done this before at this hotel and it worked out well and the price for it all was reasonable for what we got.

Our initial check-in and first night stay in late October was no problem. Upon our return near midnight on November 7th, we took the provided shuttle from the airport to the hotel and at the desk, I noted I had a paid reservation under my name, providing my ID.

The clerk did the usual tapping on his computer and then mumbled something about a temporary security fee (not unusual). When I noticed the “security fee” I was being asked to authorize on my card was for over $166, I said this can’t be right for just a temporary hold. The clerk told us if was for the room PLUS the temporary security fee.

I told him that was incorrect as I had prepaid in full. Clerk said “that’s not what I show” in a rather curt, unprofessional way.

Luckily, being a very organized traveler, I had the printed receipt of my pre-payment in my bags which I pulled out. When I produced it and put it on the counter for the clerk to see, he just waived it away and said “I’ll work it out here” without even glancing at it. Um…OK. And then magically, he produced a correct $50 temporary charge for security and our room key without ever looking at my proof of prepayment, without so much as an apology for the misunderstanding. He just curtly sent us on our way to the elevator.

How could he go from “that’s not what I show” to suddenly finding I’d already paid for the room, without the documentation I gave him and that he ignored? More than a little fishy.

That sounds like a scam…

Weary travelers returning late at night just anxious for their room, you charge them for it again and they’ll never really notice.

BUT THIS IS FAR FROM THE END OF THE STORY…

Now that we are home from our travels by several days and having time to review credit card charges, I found that this Holiday In did, in fact, charge me, without my authorization, for BOTH nights we stayed at the hotel…the beginning and end of the trip. The woman clerk when we checked in, clearly understood the ParkStayFly package I had paid for as she even took all the vehicle information for the 11 days or so of parking. Yet, and without her saying ANYTHING to me, charged my card for a one night stay at the hotel.

And then, after the issues described above upon our return to the hotel, the clerk told me “he’d take care of it” and, apparently, that is by charging me for the room without my authorization at all.

BOTH of these nights were pre-paid (and non-refundable) through the ParkStayFly offer. I’ve written to both the hotel and ParkStayFly and have yet to have either of them resolve this issue. My next step is to have my bank charge-back to the hotel for the two nights they charged me.

This is either a huge scam or very poor management. Maybe both.

This is a giant red flag and I will pursue this completely. I could NEVER recommend this hotel.

Never again PDX...

Rinske has it right: "Definitely an airport hotel." I would add, an older one, which is a plus and minus depending on what you want.

I have stayed here on nearly a dozen occasions over the past decade-plus. It is close to PDX. It offers parking. It offers a shuttle. It has one of the largest common areas I have seen in a property of this sort (likely due to the convention center located adjacent to the hotel). The hallways and rooms are rough around the edges (and smell like someone sprayed too much air-freshener or a grandmother exploded). Rooms can be quite roomy and/or oddly configured. But the rooms provide plenty of places to plug in your devices, have comfortable beds, and provide the usual basic amenities.

This visit highlighted one thing that has been a near constant: the front desk staff are great (see my comment below regarding this). They logged my preferences, noted them when I came in, and made sure to make them happen (sidebar: the Holiday Inn app needs to do a better job of logging preferences for members, especially when other hotels are already doing so). They answer a couple of questions with grace and a smile. I have never eaten here. So, I can’t comment. I had one drink here a long, long time ago. So, I can’t really comment. I will note, however, that they did remove the security gates at the entrances to the parking lot. Not that those would keep out highway interlopers interested in the cars. But, still.

Some of the more recent negative or partially negative reviews seem to be based more on a certain ice storm than on the actual hotel. Others? You know that restaurants and bars in hotels, particularly airport hotels, aren’t known for deep discounts, right? No free breakfast? Did they advertise that they had that option? You actually worry about being acknowledged for your tier-status?!?! With what, trumpets? Perhaps a parade? Yikes. Do people really care about that? All that said, I can see how some issues—poor locks, spotty room cleaning, etc.—could happen. So, good for you to note them. But I have to add . . . in some cases, perhaps a less than welcoming response from staff is reciprocal. Just saying.

Me? I will continue to use this hotel when I need to do so. There are other, newer, pricier choices a touch closer to PDX. Perhaps some might do well to look to those options. But I am perfectly fine staying here, rough...

I tried calling to speak with Lisa and let her know, I left a message asking her to reply...as the information I wanted to give her wouldn't fit on VM. Return trip from NYC, landed about 8:30 ish, made a comment that it would be 10 pm before we got home, more out of sarcasm, we were both tired. She was messaging someone at Holiday Inn. The first Holiday Inn van pulled up. Short lady got out, we asked if it was the right van, she said something I couldn't here and pointed to another van. We went that direction along with about 20 others. Loaded the van 7 or 8 people. Another lady radioed leaving about 10 people. About 30 minutes later same van and blonde lady arrives, loads up radios about 15 people left. Another 20 or 30 minutes, another van starts loading and pilots and flight attendants cut in and take seats...van lady says they have a contract with these people. ( if you have a contract maybe get them an Uber or ???very unprofessional to have paying customers waiting over an hour for your service). One of these vans 2nd or 3rd had a heavy set man in the front passenger seat taking up space.

Next van we got on.

Traffic on airport way was terrible and I know they were doing the best they could.

Got back to Holiday Inn, to my car and someone had messed with my car while there. The spare tire cover was removed and sitting on top of car. We checked the car before leaving. Les schwab said the tire was 8 lbs low. I didn't think to check the ground to see if anything was under the tires. I pulled through instead of backing up.

My concern is that someone watching the parking lot and trying to car jack or wait till you're out somewhere with a flat and the spare is flat.

I did inform the young lady before leaving and she wrote it down.

A day or two later I tried calling the Manager, ended up on VM and left a shorter message than this. So far I've gotten no response.

I do like this service, with this area you can never tell about traffic. A few mentioned they need more shuttles or bigger shuttles.

I did see while reading other reviews that the Manager - Lisa - I think her name is responds.

We've both worked customer service positions for 20 ish years.

This isn't meant as a bad review, but safety and informative hopefully. Looks like someone might be wondering around your parking lot. Just...