Holiday Inn & Suites San Mateo-San Francisco SFO by IHG — Hotel in San Mateo

When I arrive to check in the lady at the front desk I believe her name was Kenyana she was very short and curt and unwelcoming. We asked about things to do in the area she gave us a paper that had restaurants on it. I just brushed her off as having a bad day. Ok so i get to the room there was a stench in the hallway as were walking, the carpets looks really worn and dirty. The room was an OK room two double beds really nothing to brag about. The smell thank God wasnt in our room. However the bathroom looked dated. There was a tile in front of the tub and toilet that’s rocked when stepped on and it had black and brown tile lines around it.. i still haven’t complained my issue really didn’t come until later. We rented a Car the hotel charges $12 per night for parking my husband goes to the front desk and says can I pay for parking on my debit card the one lady (different from Kenyana) at the desk says yes you can I’ll just charge you the parking fee on your debit card. Fast forward I received the express checkout letter under the door however I still went to the front desk to hand in my keys I spoke to Kenyana (I think that’s her name) i said is this it do I have to do anything else she said no you’re fine you’re all checked out, she didn’t look in the computer or anything she just told me i was good. I get home the next day my husband says they charge the full room amount on his credit card and also on my credit card I called the hotel I spoke to Kenyana (which is the same women that was rude from check in) she basically told me the last card that was used on the account becomes the primary care that is charged OK if that is the case then why are both credit cards charged she then tells me that it’s my responsibility to tell them what card i want to be charged and I could have told them that when i checked out instead of just handing them my keys but I specifically asked her was there anything else that I needed to do and she told me no that was fine without even looking into the computer now she’s telling me it’s my fault. How would I the customer know that there are two cards on file? Apparently whatever the latest card is on file will be in the primary or will be charged im the customer I’m not supposed to know how to do her job thats something for her to explain and rectify prior to me leaving. However she had a nasty attitude and did not take the time to check the system. there was no apology given or anything and basically she stated all of this in an accusatory tone like I was supposed to know this and then told me that she can refund the charges back on my husbands card but I had to wait a couple of days for the money to be back into his account which should have never been charged in the first place!!! I have stayed with Holiday Inn prior and have never had an issue however this hotel I will not...

This is the first review I’ve posted. I’m usually not one to complain but this weekend has been one thing after another. We booked to stay three nights in this hotel. Our first night was fine with no issues and I did really like that the beds and pillows were comfortable. The second day we received a notice on our car about parking not being paid when we in fact paid it and had a confirmation and showing the money withdrawn from our account. That day we arrived back to our room around 2, room had not been cleaned which wasn’t a big deal but as we were leaving again I asked the housekeeper to just give us towels we didn’t need a full cleaning. We left for about 2 hours and when we got back we still hadn’t received any towels, after calling the front desk multiple times I finally decided to go downstairs and I asked that towels be sent to our room after two hours still no towels so I go downstairs and wait till they finally give us some. That night around 11 we have what sounds like kids/teens running down the hall again I tried calling the front desk and no answer, I forgot to mention the room phone did not work at all I was having to call from my cell. The kids running in the hall eventually stop at our door and start knocking and making farting noises I get up yell and they run off. Again I tried calling the front desk from my cell phone and no answer, I called at least three times and just gave up. The morning when we go to leave we have another notice on our car this time in Red stating we would be towed but again we had paid the $25 parking fee already. When we get back to our room that day around 2pm again no towels not even one hand towel, we see a housekeeper who tells us she’s only allowed to give us two towels. We have four people in our room. I go downstairs and talk to the same women we talked to about our parking and the complaint of kids that morning. She apologizes and says they must have been busy and that’s why they weren’t answering and said she would send towels, but of course an hour and 20 minutes later no towels. I go back downstairs and she’s no longer working but the new girl up front gets us some. My biggest issue is not being able to call downstairs and speak to someone, what if we were being harassed and couldn’t leave our room or if we were having an emergency. I had hoped to stay here next month due to the comfy beds but after this weekend I wouldn’t recommend this...

Major benefit of this spot is proximity to San Francisco International Airport. Cash & credit cards accepted. On-site breakfast available but no on-site restaurant or lounge. It seemed like they were in the midst of construction or upgrades or renovations, but I have no idea if that's the case or not. Probably the least appealing lobby I've seen yet for a Holiday Inn property.

Large IHG property spread over 2-3 separate buildings. Rooms are adequate - comfortable but not cushy. Mistakes happen and I try to take that into account - the toilet scrubber was left inside the toilet bowl (how does that happen?!) and there were other anomalies from the cleaning crew. The room seemed clean, but they clearly weren't very focused.

No toiletries provided other than liquid soap/shampoo/lotion. In room microwave as well as pod coffee maker. Nice desk area for work. Blackout curtains. Wall unit AC. Hair dryer. No in-room safe. Small closet with some hangers. Good electrical outlets near the bed but inconvenient outlets near the desk area. Mini-fridge. Reasonably sized TV.

Staff is friendly. IHG status is acknowledged with a small gift bag of snacks and a bottled water. There is no shuttle service to the airport but they can call a private firm to come and pick you up for an additional surcharge. Otherwise, try to get a taxi or Uber. Seems to be plenty of parking on site. Quiet.

Not a terribly impressive property but for an emergency stay due to flight complications/delays/cancellations you could definitely do worse. If you're staying in the area for several days you might want to look for something a little nicer, but be prepared to pay for...