Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tupelo by IHG — Hotel in Tupelo

This hotel was definitely worth the little bit extra that we spent. This was our 2nd time staying in Tupelo. It was our halfway point on our drive to Florida. The first time, we stayed at a different hotel, and while it wasn't horrible, it wasn't exactly great. For just a few dollars more, we decided to stay here on the way back home, and I'm so glad that we did.

The hotel was very clean. Every time I came and left the room, I saw someone cleaning- either the windows in the hall, the breakfast area, hallways, rooms, etc. They were really on top of their game when it came to keeping everything clean.

The beds and linens were very comfortable and cozy. The pillows were some of the bests I've had at a hotel, as well. We rented a room with 2 queen beds. My mother and 6-year-old daughter slept in one, while my husband and I slept in the other. We ALL slept great! Everyone commented on how comfortable the beds were. The hotel was very quiet too and I never once heard any noises, voices, or weird sounds during my stay. The a/c was quiet as well and kept the room very cool.

The bathroom had nice quality, thick, towels and wash cloths. The walk-in shower was nice, had good water pressure, and the water was plenty hot. The bathroom also had plenty of amenities like hand soap, shampoo, etc. They also have a little note that mentioned they had other items, such as toothpaste, toothbrush, razor, etc., in case you forget yours. The bathroom was very spacious, had good lighting, and plenty of counter space as well.

Inside the room, there is a desk area with computer chair, a sitting chair, a wardrobe with a bench that connects the wardrobe and desk. There is also an ironing board, iron, and hangers inside the wardrobe. In the hallway area by the bathroom, there is a little mini kitchen area. It has a microwave up above, a small counter space, and then a small refrigerator under the counter. The photos made it appear there was a coffee maker as well, but our room did not have one. I'm a big coffee drinker, so that was kind of a bummer, but fortunately they had coffee 24/7 in the breakfast area.

The pool was a nice size pool and very clean. My daughter had a great time swimming and getting all that extra energy out from being trapped in a car for 7 hours. My husband used the exercise room, with my daughter as well, and the equipment was plentiful, worked properly, and updated. I liked that kids are allowed to use the equipment with adult supervision, because my daughter LOVES to work out with her dad.

The breakfast was AMAZING for a free hotel breakfast. It was one of the better continental breakfasts that I've had. There were plenty of options, the food was hot and fresh, and everything I had tasted good. Robert worked the breakfast area and was absolutely AMAZING! He was constantly cleaning, keeping the buffet going, and just an all-around hard worker. He didn't act like it was a bother either. He was positive, friendly, and upbeat. He seriously made the start to our morning a positive one.

The only reason I didn't rate this hotel a full 5 stars is because part of the reason we rented this hotel room was because they advertise roll away beds. I wanted to get one for my 6-year-old so she wouldn't have to share a bed with my mom. However, with the wardrobe and how the room was set up, it would have been very difficult to squeeze one in there without it being in the way. I like the extras in the room but just know that if you're wanting to use an extra bed, it will be very cramped.

Overall, this was a very nice hotel. The rooms are quiet, clean, and comfortable. The amenities are plentiful. The breakfast is hot and tasty. It's close to plenty of restaurants (Texas Roadhouse was great). It was one of the better hotels I've stayed at and I do a LOT of traveling. I will definitely stay here again if I'm ever back through this way.

P.S. Give...

I was greeting by a friendly staff member whom checked me into my room. The lobby area and building appeared to be very clean. Absolutely NO smell of ANY smoke which was a PLUS being that I'm a non smoker and any hint of smoke I'd notice. This is a smoke free hotel however I've been to a couple hotels that were supposed to have been smoke free environments and were not but THIS hotel I give 5 stars for that. It speaks volumes about the management and staff for me. Great job!!! The room decor was very nice and updated with a nice sized TV. And let me tell you about their A/C system. It's Like an Arctic Circle let me tell you. It gets COLD but it was needed with heat index of 100 outside and I appreciated that cold A/C unit. But you can adjust the temperature easily from the box in the wall. That was a PlUS also. The beds are extra comfy and cozy. Great mattress. I didn't want to get out of bed. Another Plus. The mini fridge was in great working condition and kept my bottled waters super cold. The only issue with the fridge was that housekeeping didn't fully clean the fridge because there was spilled milk in it prior and I didn't notice it until later that evening and I was already getting ready for bed to inform the staff about it. Then also that same night when I showered I noticed that the bathtub drain was stopped up a little and didn't drain out that fast so I had to cut my shower very short which was a disappointment because I love longer showers :-( . Those two things were the only issues I had with the room and my stay. The next morning there was free breakfast in the eating area and there was a good selection of items and food to choose from and it tasted fairly good. No complaints on the breakfast. While leaving and checking out, I did being up the issue of the drain to the staff and was told that someone would fix it soon. However I wasn't offered any incentives or anything. Overall, the stay was nice minus the spill and my shower being cut short in which those things could happen at times and it wasn't that big of an issue that couldn't be resolved for future reference. Would I stay...

During the check-in I was informed that due to the staff shortages they do not clean the rooms every day. I was fine with that initially as I don't need my bed made every day or towels and sheets replaced nor the floor vacuumed. But the trash hasn't been picked up even once and by the 4th day it was falling out of the two bins. Needless to say it is less than ideal to live with your trash in the open containers for more than one day. Could I have taken care of it? Of course, but there were no instructions on where to dispose it and the way to get the replacement bags (other than a trip to the nearby Walmart), but I felt that it was not the customer's job to do, especially considering paying the full price for the room.

You would imagine they must be really low on cleaning staff, right? Not the case. During my stay I saw 4-6 cleaning persons at the same time (and these were in addition to those attending to the breakfast bar). You might assume they would be working hard on cleaning the rooms. Nope. Every time I saw them, they were congregating either around the laundry room, the lobby or the breakfast area and having a loud chatter between themselves. Were they friendly to the customers? Yes. Did they do anything to clean their rooms? No. If each person would take a floor - they could at least pick up trash from all the rooms in 15 minutes or less and then return to their important conversations.

I am not sure what is going on at that place, but not being able to deal with the sloppy staff is clearly a management problem. I have been a loyal customer for many years. It is now hard to imagine that 5 years back they would not only clean the rooms every day, but were also able to provide happy hours with free (draft!) beer and snacks on top of that. Well, it is time to look...