Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago - Prospect Heights, an IHG Hotel — Hotel in Wheeling Township

I made a reservation through NEA for August 7th. I booked my hotel at Holiday Inn Express in Prospect Heights, IL at 600 N Milwalukii Dr. I have been driving some time trying to locate the hotel through my GPS. I used another GPS device, and I was still unable to locate the hotel. I decide to contact the hotel to see if I could get some assistance in finding the hotel. The young lady who answered the phone didn't speak English well, and therefore I could not understand what she was saying, and she was limited in telling me the different landmarks around the hotel.

I call the hotel the second time and ask for the manager. I spoke to the manager; she said, " Did you talk to the front desk, and I said yes, but I could understand what she was saying, and she could not tell me how to get to the hotel—my thoughts what difference did it make if I spoke to her or not. I am trying to get to the hotel to rest. The manager says go North. Her directions were very vague. The tone in her voice was not friendly, and seems as though she wasn't helpful. I then asked what some landmarks were that are nearby. She names a couple of places.

I finally find the hotel. I walk in the same young lady I spoke to the first time is on her cell phone talking to someone. I stood there for about 10 minutes or longer. She never acknowledges me and never said I would be with you. Once she got off the phone, she never spoke or told I am sorry for your wait. I asked for the manager; she says let me get you checked in. The manager comes out. I said, ma'am, I was having a hard time finding the hotel, and I told you were not helpful. She's nodding her head and saying I was too helpful. I said no, you were not, and you were rude on the phone. She continued disagreeing with me, speaking loud. I tell her your customer service as a manager is horrible. She says we have excellent customer service here. I told her she didn't, as a manager. She did not have good customer service because you continue to go back and forth with a customer. This lady refused to acknowledge how she treated me on the phone. She says I will be glad to give you your money back. I said that is fine. I refuse to give you my business. Then she says I can't give you your money back because you booked through Expedia. I advised her that I didn't book through them but National Education Association (NEA). I said I am staying because my hotel was non-refundable. She says we aren't accepting you as a guest. I advised her that I needed my refund back. She helps the lady cancel my room, and meantime, she gives me the most prolonged stare as if she wants to attack me. I asked her what her name was twice she finally yells MAGGIE! If these are the type of managers Holiday Inn has to represent the organization, I refused to book another hotel in any city. I was treated horribly and with disrespect. Therefore this is the purpose of this long email. It took me 46 minutes to get to the hotel. I had to drive back to the state of Ohio because I didn't have a hotel, and with the disrespect I received, I was skeptical about staying anywhere else.

The last thing that I would like to add is that it takes you to a shopping center when trying to locate this hotel. I had been driving around in circles. I am unsure what can be solved, but someone else may have the same issues finding the property. I am sure this post will be removed but...

I was not going to put a review here on my stay, but the fact I am going back to Des Plaines every two weeks for work the rest of this year and am paying more on my next stay to avoid this place as an IHG Platinum member was a sign I needed to say something.

During my stay in May, the customer service was very smug here on checkin and checkout and a smile is not part of the rate I guess. While the rooms are clean and newer (why I gave 2 stars), the traffic noise is surprisingly bad like others have said.. Milwaukee Avenue is just as loud as hotels along the tollway (or at least here it is).

Even with that, I would probably have stayed again or given them another chance. But the kicker was the breakfast the next day- the breakfast attendant basically acted like I came off the street to steal her breakfast. I was in a hurry (flustered is a better description) and dropped off my bags at my car and walked in the front door to get food to go. She was sitting on a couch (first time i've seen that) and followed me in and immediately asked me if I was a guest in a not-so-friendly way.. Here I am dressed in dress clothes and a jacket with the gov't agency logo I work for and basically she thinks I am stealing an IHG breakfast (sorry, it's not that good guys... though greatly apprecated as part of the rate). I assume she also thought me bringing my own small paper bag was unusual (it probably looked like Uncle Eddie with his burlap sack at the buffet in Vegas Vacation!) but my history is a lot of HIEs I have stayed at do not offer a to go bag and I do not have time to sit and eat in the morning at the hotel. After I told her I was a guest, she then stayed in there on guard while I grabbed my food and watched me intently in an intimidating and uncomfortable way. I actually had to ask her to please move so I could get a cinnamon roll and go (she was leaning against the counter as if to protect them)..

I was extremely disappointed as I thought this could be my replacement to the Holiday Inn in Mt. Prospect which I liked very much and stayed at for work before it closed during Covid... but I guess the search continues for a good hotel without the "O'Hare Overprice". If you stay here, you might not have an unusual situation like I did, but don't expect much when it comes to friendly service. I rather get no breakfast and treated well vs. getting breakfast and dealing with a surly staff.

BTW note to IHG- this is the 2nd really bad experience me or my family had with a breakfast attendant this year (the other was in TX). I don't know why this is now an issue but it needs to...

I had one of the most disappointing hotel experiences of my life at this Holiday Inn.

When I checked into my first room, I discovered bed bugs. I reported this to the manager, Nick, expecting the issue to be handled immediately. Instead, I was made to wait more than 8 hours of excuses before finally being switched to another room. This kind of delay is unacceptable when a guest is dealing with a serious health and safety issue.

To make matters worse, instead of acknowledging the bed bugs, Nick told me I would be charged $700 for a “damaged mattress.” I never spilled anything on the bed. His explanation was that it was somehow because of “wasted food being in the room,” which makes no sense basically he was saying there was food from the free breakfast that I brought to the room and didn’t finish. It felt like retaliation for reporting the bed bugs rather than a fair charge.

Even worse, Nick threatened that he “wouldn’t be able to rent to me again if I made a mess in the room” — despite me not even knowing there was supposedly a mess in the first place. I had been in the previous room for four days with no housekeeping service before being switched. Then, when I was finally being moved, Nick came into the room and rudely sprayed chemicals while I was still inside the room, which immediately affected my health I was coughing ended up leaving some personal items in the room as I couldn’t retrieve eberyting while inhaling chemicals

As you can see, I have never left a negative review for any business in my life. I am not someone who complains lightly. But this situation left me no choice. Instead of showing concern for guest safety, I was treated rudely, threatened, exposed to chemicals, and charged $700 without evidence of any real damage.

This is unacceptable and deeply unfair. I am requesting that this $700 charge be removed...