Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tonawanda - Buffalo Area by IHG — Hotel in Town of Tonawanda

Very very rarely will I ever leave a review. But this time, I felt inclined to do so. I stayed in room 331, over the course of 4 days. That room had a pull-out sofa, which we used for kids. It was considered a king suite, and had two queen beds as well. Upon arrival, I noticed immediately that the room was stale, but assumed it was a stuffy room since the air could have been off until recently. I turned to the bathroom and was immediately disgusted. The toilet seat was broken and still had stains in the toilet and around the seat. I had to clean it myself, as I usually pre-clean a room anyway. There was a visible ring in the toilet that was disgusting.

The shower was putrid. There was yet another viable ring of dirt around the shower pan. Mold was boldly sitting in the tub corners and the shower drain, alongside a lot of rust.

The floor was despicable. Stains from previous dirt were still visible on the light, tan colored tile flooring. There was visible hair EVERYWHERE. It was lodged in corners around the shower doors, the toilet and the garbage can. The gloved photo I have taken shows the one swipe of dirt and debris I cleaned by the toilet ALONE.

The sink still had leftover hair and toothpaste in it. And the walls still had stains splattered even on the ceiling.

But the absolute worst part was: -seeing ants come into our room underneath the tv/lunggage bench. -catching a roach crawl across the wall (across from the fridge) at nearly 2am, the night before checkout. I want you to know: I CLEANED THIS ROOM from head to toe, with my own products, and even left to buy a toilet wand and shower mat, just so I could stomach staying. They were already fully booked, and there was no sense asking for another room. I also paid for this room with Priceline, a third party service. There was no way for me to leave this review there as well, so I am leaving it here.

The staff were still very friendly, and I want to make that clear. The ladies who managed the kitchen for breakfast and the staff that managed the desk were phenomenal.

But this is not fair to guests. I don’t care how understaffed your housekeeping department is: this is despicable and unacceptable. I can assure you I will never stay in another Holiday Inn property again. My peace of mind was shattered. I typically expect to do a light clean of the room. But this room had not been truly cleaned in likely months. It was filthy and infested. I really feel like I deserve some recompense for such a nasty room.

Please be sure to do your homework on your chosen hotels. This stay alone inspired me to order disposable sheets, towels and a much more preemptively prepared cleaning pack to...

Kudos for the facility smelling clean and staff were very friendly. However, this was the strangest room setup I've ever seen. Two fairly spacious rooms, TV wall-mounted in each room, comfy bed, but the electrical system was baffling. Some outlets worked, some didn't, and we hadn't a clue why not until we checked out. Some of the outlets are linked to switches at the door and inside the room, but there was no indication of how to activate those. We had our cell phones plugged into the outlets at the desk in the bedroom area, but next morning we found the phone hadn’t charged at all because there was no power unless one happened to figure out that purpose of the switches near the shelf outside the bathroom. Turning a switch on activated the electrical outlet, and also an overhead light on the unit of furniture, but we couldn't find a way to turn off that light without also killing the power at the outlets. At checkout, we were told that should have been explained. Some of the outlets would not accept out standard U.S. plugs. No information packets of any kind for the room or hotel facilities or area attractions/restaurants, etc. There were two large window shades, one which was semi-sheer and the other a "blackout" curtain. There is a small remote control off to the side to raise and lower each, but the up/down buttons for the sheer curtain were reversed. There was only one small trash can, and that was in the bathroom. The bathroom ergonomics were strange - unusual shower setup with three separate things that turned on the water, turned on the shower, and selected on of the shower heads. No towel bar near the sink where it was needed; the bar was some feet away across from the toilet. Soap/shampoo dispensers, etc., had pumps that shot the contents straight out instead of downward into one's hand. The second room - again, fairly spacious - besides the wall-mounted TV had a rudimentary work desk, a couch against one wall, and a hassock in the corner. That was it. I did like the gym; not a lot of variety, but good equipment for stationary bikes, treadmills, and free weights for curls. As far as the breakfast bar, the pancake machine either barely spit out an item about the size of a quarter, or provided two very large pancakes that overflowed the plate. Good location, and lots of potential for this hotel to be really good, but perhaps the management should stay in the rooms, check it out from the perspective of the guest, and focus on the simple things. I do appreciate the...

A Disappointing Detour on Our Fun Weekend Getaway:

We’d planned a fun weekend getaway in Tonawanda, NY, dreaming of a cool escape from the 95° heat with our four energetic kids. This hotel, with its promise of air-conditioning and a pool, seemed like the perfect spot to keep everyone happy. The friendly staff greeted us with smiles, and the blast of cold AC in the lobby felt like salvation. But, parents, let me share the tale of our stay—a mix of relief and regret that left me wishing I’d spent our money on a better spot.

Our room, at first, seemed like a win: spacious enough for our family of six, with comfy beds we could pile into. But the shine faded fast. The floor stuck to our flip-flops, the ceiling sported water stains, and a creepy brownish drip which oozed from the air vent. Ants marched across the bed, and the “clean” sheets had mysterious red stains. The two TVs were useless, and the front desk’s odd rule about keeping specific light switches up to power the outlets had us scratching our heads. The kids, bless them, didn’t care—they were just happy to cool off—but I couldn’t shake the feeling we deserved better.

The pool was our next adventure, and the kids were thrilled… until we got there. Despite the staff’s assurance that complimentary towels awaited, there wasn’t a single one in sight. As my Wife walked to the front desk to try and retrieve a few towels I noticed that Algae clung to the pool’s grout, making me hesitate, but the kids dove in, unfazed, splashing away their crankiness. My wife eventually returned with a stack of warm towels, and while they had fun, I kept thinking about the nicer hotels we could’ve chosen. The jerky elevator, which shuddered like a low-budget thrill ride, only added to my growing list of gripes after our march back across the sticky lobby floor.

By morning, the breakfast spread—cereal, packaged muffins, fluffy omelets, dry sausage, and a decent selection of milk, yogurt, and juice—kept the kids fueled, and the staff’s friendliness was a bright spot, while the tattered upholstery again caused the magic of the weekend to fade.

The location was convenient, and the beds were cozy enough for a good night’s sleep. But this was no luxury escape. The kids had their fun, and the AC saved us from the heat, but the sticky floors, buggy beds, and algae-tinged pool area left me regretting our choice. Parents, if you need a quick stop, this hotel might do—but for a fun family getaway, spend your money on a place that...