Holiday Inn Express & Suites Wilson I-95 by IHG — Hotel in Wilson

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) Visited: June 26, 2025 | Family Stay

My family and I stayed at this hotel on June 26, 2025, and we were honestly very impressed with the overall experience. From the moment we walked in, we were welcomed with warm smiles and professional service. Every staff member we encountered—from the front desk to housekeeping—was incredibly friendly, courteous, and genuinely seemed to care about our stay. It’s rare to see that level of hospitality these days, and it made a huge difference in how we felt during our time there.

Room Experience: For the price we paid per night, we were surprised by how nice the room was. It was exceptionally clean and felt either brand new or recently renovated. The decor was modern but cozy, and everything—from the furniture to the fixtures—looked well-maintained. The beds were extremely comfortable, with soft linens and supportive mattresses that made for a restful night’s sleep. One of our favorite features was the shower—spacious, with great water pressure and a modern design that gave it a luxury feel.

The room also included all the essential amenities for a short stay: a mini fridge, microwave, coffee maker, iron and ironing board, and ample outlets for charging devices. The Wi-Fi was fast and reliable, which was a big plus as we were traveling with kids who wanted to stream content and stay connected.

Breakfast: This location offers a complimentary breakfast, and that was definitely a highlight of our stay. While it’s not gourmet-level food (and we weren’t expecting it to be), it was more than enough to get our day started. There was a good variety of both hot and cold items, including eggs, breakfast meats, waffles, toast, pastries, cereal, yogurt, and fresh fruit. Coffee and juices were readily available and constantly restocked. The dining area was kept clean and organized, and staff were attentive in maintaining the buffet.

Atmosphere & Common Areas: The hotel overall was quiet, clean, and had a very welcoming vibe. Hallways, lobby, and elevators were well-lit and tidy. Parking was convenient and safe, with plenty of available spots when we arrived. The hotel also had a small fitness center and pool, which we didn’t use during this visit but were happy to see available.

Final Thoughts: Overall, this was one of the better hotel experiences we’ve had, especially considering the price point. You get excellent value, comfortable accommodations, and outstanding customer service. Whether you’re staying for one night or several, this hotel delivers everything you need for a stress-free and enjoyable stay.

Would we return? Absolutely. Would we recommend this place to others? Without a doubt.

Thank you to the staff for making our stay so pleasant...

This is based on two stays, 18 and 29 May 2021.

16 May: I stayed overnight as Wilson is midway between our home and destination in SC. I chose this hotel as I am an IHG rewards member and it allows pets at a reasonable rate.

Check in was fairly easy with one glitch. I informed the clerk we had a pet and the charge was not added. When I was seen taking our luggage through the lobby, with poodle in hand, the clerk, rather loudly in front of other guests, asked what room we were in. Odd since she just checked me in but I answered and she said she would have to add the fee to my bill as she didn't know I had a pet. Huh? Ok, I did know I told her at check in.

The beds were comfortable and room adequate. There was no bath gel in the dispenser and the toilet roll holder was torn loose from the wall. Breakfast was also adequate with limited food choices but some items were hot which balanced the choice selection.

After breakfast, I attempted to enter my room and the door was inoperative. It appeared the battery in the locking mechanism had died so the desk clerk had to use this interesting device to open the lock.

Overall, a good experience.

29 May: On the return visit, I stayed at the same property. As before, the bed was comfortable and room was clean. This time, there was no conditioner in the dispenser which was a minor inconvenience. Breakfast was a little better this time with a few more selections but it does appear the famous Holiday Inn Express cinnamon rolls are much smaller.

The basis of this lower rating is primarily concerning the enforcement of the COVID-19 guidelines. IHG changed its policy on 21 May and is very clear on its website which states, "After careful review and in accordance with the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance released last week and American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Safe Stay guidelines and recommendations, guests who are fully vaccinated are not required to wear face coverings while on property."

Yet, the manager, Ms Horne, is still enforcing the old guidelines of everyone wearing a mask. I suspect it is her own policy to do so as the staff even removed masks when she was not present. It was cringe-worthy when she would approach guests to inform them to wear masks and even SAID it was IHG policy. Rather then correcting her, I have chosen to inform IHG corporate of this action. From observing the staff, I suspect there is a reluctance to discuss it with her. It is my hope this is corrected prior to my next trip in a few months or I will need to reconsider my...

Whenever we came to Wilson, this hotel was our go-to so we've stayed more than several times. I understand turnover/loss of personnel in this industry and especially through the pandemic. During a recent 10-month span, we had to travel to Wilson for bereavement reasons. Seven of those 10 stays were at this hotel. I noticed the increasingly poor performance of the cleanliness and appearance. The appearance of the lobby area is good, even great sometimes. The front desk personnel are always awesome, which is the only reason I won't rate the review 1-star. The kitchen area staff could use some pointers in mannerism when speaking to hotel guests. What takes this property downhill the decor, appearance, cleanliness, and potential sanitary conditions or lack of. Every carpet throughout the hotel and especially in the room needs deep cleaning. The furniture and decor inside the rooms need serious updating and/or cleaning. During the era of Covid, it is hard to believe the rooms are cleaned/sanitized properly to Covid-free standards as much as possible. The bathroom floors probably could use steamblasting for cleaning instead of trying to paint over the grout and that is seriously lacking. We travel with disinfectant products but I should not have to believe I need to disinfect every area of the room once we check in. Pre-Covid, that was minimum and yes, since Covid, it has become a norm. But at least try to look like we shouldn't. Oh, and the pool area looks horrible. IHG needs to audit their properties in this area because the Candlewood Hotel that's located a few miles down the road is no better. Both used to be good hotels. Hopefully, we don't have to travel much to Wilson anymore but unfortunately I cannot leave a better review. I am attaching photos but your systems only allows 6 of the 16 photos I have taken to be attached. I do hope things turnaround for the better. As I stated, the front desk staff has been awesome no matter when we...