Holiday Inn St. Augustine - Historic, an IHG Hotel — Hotel in Saint Augustine

My girlfriend and I were taking a weekend trip to St. Augustine, and we looked at several hotels and Airbnb options for our trip and we ultimately settled on this hotel for our two-night stay for a few reasons. The hotel is in a good location allowing us to walk to most everything we wanted to do that weekend as well ease of access to and from the hotel itself. It also displayed and boosted about spacious and comfortable rooms, a nice open lobby area with a full bar and a pool, hot tub and patio area along with free breakfast and from the photos on the site it looked pretty delicious with ample selection. However, this hotel fell very short of everything they presented, and we were both highly disappointed and displeased with the hotel from the minute we walked in the front door. They did have a very small single sentence on their that took us several minutes to even find after looking for it as a notice that they were doing some construction on the building but that they were still open. What they failed to say was that it was more than just "some construction" but in fact a complete remodel of the entire from lobby and reception and the whole area had been completely gutted and plastic sheeting was hanging up as makeshift walls everywhere and debris and dust was everywhere and on everything. Needless to say, there was no bar, no sitting area and the breakfast that was advertised was just a small bag of basic pasties and granola bars. We checked in and got to our room on the third floor and the room itself did live up to its photos and description as it was very spacious, clean and comfortable. There was no mini fridge but we didn't mind much as we just utilized a small trash can and the ice machine as a makeshift cooler. However, the entire floor hallway smelled like straight cat pee and ammonia and from all the concrete dust and that in the lobby area and first floor, the carpet in the hallways was covered in it as well from guests walking in and out. We did make it out to the pool deck to enjoy the hot tub and it was not terrible. The pool patio area was fairly clean aside from a fair number of leaves in the pool and hot tub both but the control for the jets in the hot tub were open and accessible and the hot tub was really hot but still enjoyable after adjusting to the temperature. I will caution anyone staying here and getting into the hot tub though because the steps are severely slanted, and the bottom of the tub is very rough with the intake screens sticking up pretty high from the floor and very painful when you are trying to catch your balance after slipping off the second step and catch one with your foot as my girlfriend did. One of the biggest complaints we had aside from the full renovation construction going on and everything above is from our first morning waking up there. They had a single use Keurig coffee maker in the room with two coffee pods provided and we both really enjoy our morning coffee, so we made each other a cup using both pods and enjoyed the coffee. Then we both wanted a second cup of coffee but there were no more pods in the room so I thought no big deal I can call the front desk and just request more. Not so much, I called down and when they finally answered the phone, and I asked if we could get more coffee pods for our room, I was told by the front desk person that we could not because housekeeping did not arrive in the building until 9:00 am and I would have to wait until then and then they could speak with them and get some brought up. Mind you this was at around 7:55 am I called them. When we checked in the day before, there were three people working the front desk so we were highly displeased that not only is housekeeping not even in the building but that not a single person from reception could bring a couple coffee pods up...

We had 2 rooms for 2 nights. We ASSUMED this would be a satisfactory stay but were wrong. In the future we will stay closer to downtown AND trust the reviews. I had read bad reviews but assumed they were one-offs. Trust me… pick another hotel!

Issues: Shower/tub. No stopper for the tub. Very little soap in the soap dispenser and the plunger for the soap was broken. Water pressure was on if you wanted a cold shower. If you wanted a hot shower there was little water pressure. (This was in both rooms.)

Internet/TV: There was no local TV. The message on the screen from Dish Network was that there was an issue with the subscription. There was no internet in the rooms. We were told this on check in but were told it MIGHT work in the hallway… we didn’t try the hallway for the internet.

Breakfast: Coffee ran out and we had to wait for another pot to finish brewing. (There was only one coffee pot.). Pancake machine didn’t work the first day. Sausage was old and dry. I didn’t try any of the breads because I saw another guest touch everything in the case trying to find something fresh! (Ewe!!!) Every guest in the dining room was grumbling about the food and service so it wasn’t just us.

Staff: They seem to be Very short staffed. Those that I did encounter were very nice but really couldn’t help me. When I first complained I was told the would compensate me on the bill upon check out. I see now that was a ploy to pass the buck since upon check out I was told that “management doesn’t allow that”.

Beds/linens: The beds were very comfortable and clean. My only issue was I had to remake the bed since the top sheet had so much tucked in at the bottom that it would have only come up to my waist. As for the linens, we had just enough for 2 people. If the three of us had stayed in one room there would not have been enough. (2 hand towels, 2 washcloths,3 bath towels.)

Summary : I see other negative reviews are responded to nicely and respectfully but they really don’t care or they would take action to correct the problems. Do not waste your money on this place. It was the ONLY negative part of our trip to...

HORRIBLE! Well the reviews were pretty good and it was just for one night so we decided to stay...bad idea. First off the hallway smells awful but we kept going and our family of 6 gets in suite and settles in on the 1st floor. First off I notice ants in the room so I go down to the front desk I ask for a different room, They say they'll call me with an answer as to what room we'll be moved to. Never call, after about 15 minutes I try calling the lobby a few times with no answer finally I get someone he says he'll send someone down. Nobody comes so I go back to the lobby and ask what's going on and she says someone is going down there now. I start walking back to my room and see a guy go in with a can of raid..yes their plan was to spray some raid around and call it a day. Of course I was furious and I said uhm no that's not going to work first off I'm pregnant and we have a 2 year old sleeping in the room, second off spraying the ants you see does not stop more from coming from wherever they are which they should definitely know. Well he says, "oh thats not going to work? You'll have to go down to the lobby and tell them you want another room." So I go back to the lobby...again and say I want another room and they give us a forth floor room which would have been fine except this room has a toilet that won't flush..did I mention 6 people in here? The thermostat is broken and the sheet on my bed is wrinkly with a big yellow stain on it right where you would expect yellow stain.. All I can say is don't stay here. I wish I had known it would be like this because I honestly think sleeping in the van would be more peaceful. I am not a complainer but this is ridiculous and nobody should have to go through all the trouble while trying to have a nice stay with your family. Update my husband is now throwing up sick which doesn't have to do with the hotel..but the toilet doesn't...