Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ft. Washington - Philadelphia by IHG — Hotel in Whitemarsh Township

My recent stay at the Holiday Inn in Fort Washington was, without a doubt, one of the most unpleasant and embarrassing hotel experiences I’ve ever had. As a Diamond-level IHG member and an avid traveler, I expect a certain standard of professionalism and respect, but this property failed miserably on both fronts.

From the moment I arrived, I was treated with a lack of understanding and respect regarding my service dog. At check-in, I explicitly informed the staff that I was traveling with a service dog, who was clearly identified with a service dog leash. Despite this, I was stopped and questioned in the lobby by two men who demanded to know why I had a service dog, what my medical condition was, and even forced me to show identification for my dog. One of the men openly admitted, “I know I’m not supposed to ask, but what service does he provide?” before incorrectly declaring that my registered service animal was an emotional support animal. This exchange was loud, humiliating, and conducted in full view of other guests, making me feel incredibly uncomfortable and disrespected. As someone who travels frequently, I have never encountered such a blatant violation of my rights and privacy.

The issues didn’t end there. The next morning, I requested a late checkout, and the front desk confirmed 1:00 PM. However, housekeeping repeatedly entered my room without knocking or waiting for a response, even after I had placed the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door. At one point, a male and female staff member walked in while I was barely dressed, forcing me to remind them that I had a late checkout. This invasion of privacy was not only unprofessional but also deeply unsettling.

Overall, my stay at this Holiday Inn was a nightmare. The lack of respect for my rights as a service dog handler, the public humiliation, and the constant intrusion by housekeeping made this one of the worst hotel experiences I’ve ever endured. I would not recommend this property to anyone, and I sincerely hope the management takes steps to address these issues to prevent other guests from experiencing the same level of discomfort and embarrassment.

Sidebar I thought the man at the front desk was rather nice until I overheard him and the guy that stopped me at the door...

I have stayed at this hotel many times in the past, but this was my first time back post-pandemic. I stayed for 5 nights. I don't know if things are just different "out there" now, but while overall it was a good stay, I was a bit surprised by how one not so great aspect played out.

Let me start with the good: the hotel is in a convenient location, the rooms are clean and comfortable, the (free) internet service is good, and the (free) breakfast is pretty incredible. (I would have liked better water pressure in the shower, but that's not an uncommon issue at hotels.)

The not-so-good: about halfway through my stay, the heater in my room died. I woke up to a freezing cold room. When I informed the front desk, maintenance was quickly dispatched, which was great. Unfortunately, the heater could not be quickly repaired, and so a room change was necessary. I had to wait a short while while a room was cleaned (I wanted to remain in a room with a king sized bed), and then I was able to move rooms. The staff did offer to help me move rooms. But what surprised me was that I was not offered any compensation at all for the inconvenience - no discount, no rewards points. Yes, it was a minor inconvenience, re-packing and unpacking again is hardly the end of the world by any means, but in my experience when these sorts of things happen, something is offered as a gesture of apology for the inconvenience. In my past experiences with this hotel, customer service was top notch, so I was a little surprised to find it less so now. I will certainly stay at this hotel again if/when the need arises, but I was a little disappointed to find that their customer service isn't quite what...

The lobby was very welcoming, loved the color combination of the furniture and ambiance. Front desk was friendly. The rooms were nice. I liked that they had all dove products, so I didn't have to ask for an extra shampoo or condition, it was in big bottles installed in the bathroom. Everything from lobby/breakfast area always appeared to be clean. The trolley was a different than style than I was used to but much more easy to maneuver.

The hotel has free breakfast only, no room service. But for the variety and and quality offered the breakfast was pretty good. I really loved that there were multiple options for milk boxes, even chocolate milk! My faves were the sausages, breakfast potatoes and pancakes. First time seeing a smart pancake machine, with a press of a button it would prep 2 pancakes for you in less than 5 min. It was a pleasant surprise that I liked the taste and texture! They also had some delicious looking cinnamon buns but it appears they were slighty overbaked both times we were there, it was on the hard side. Other than that, breakfast was enjoyable and it's another bonus that it's open till 10am.

Very very friendly staff. From front desk to breakfast attendants, everyone was helpful and welcoming. One of the highlights from our stay was the great customer service.

Only "down side" from our stay is it was a little farther out from a lot of the attractions we were visiting, about 30+ minutes out. However, will definitely recommend to family/friends and if we're back in the area we'll likely stay here again. This is a great hotel with great value...