Stay Report: Holiday Inn Express Almaty, an IHG Hotel (Almaty, Kazakhstan - September 2024

Stay Report: Holiday Inn Express Almaty
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I was traveling to Almaty and was looking for a decent but inexpensive place to stay.  I also was arriving early in the morning so needed to book an extra day to ensure the room was available, so keeping all this in mind I found the Holiday Inn Express Almaty.  I generally do not stay in Holiday Inn Express in the States because their quality is generally an issue, but overseas their quality seems to be better and I recently stayed at one in Warsaw which was very nice (review here).  I was able to book the reservation through the IHG website and was able to manage the reservation through the app.  I was able to communicate with the hotel via email, but the communication was a challenge and I will expand on that a bit later.

I arrived early in the morning so I wanted to prebook a car pickup but unfortunately due tocommunication issues this was not possible.  Communication continued to be a challenge at check-in and throughout my stay with the front desk as English was not their language of communication.  The hotel itself is located on the outskirts of the city, approximately 45mins away from the airport, but within walking distance to many sights and shops including about a 5-7mins walk to the Forum and a 20min walk to Kok Tobe.  From the outside, the hotel is a very tall building and looks like a converted Soviet-esque building that was remodeled into the Holiday Inn Express.  Inside, the hotel looks recently updated and newish.  As you enter the building, straight ahead are the check-in desks and a small waiting area.  The elevators are the to left and as walk through you pass more seating area, the bar area, the 'business center' and next to the elevators is the dining area where the breakfast is served.  Due to the communication issue, check-in took some time but I finally got my key and went to the room.

As I opened the door, the room looked updated and resembled the modern layout of the HI Express room.  As you entered the room, on the left was the entrance to the bathroom and straight ahead was the main room.  The bathroom was a bit tiny and was more along the European size of the bathroom and contained a toilet, a sink, and a shower.  The sink had Dove hand wash and Dove products were also in the shower.  The bathroom was decent but tiny and compact.  The room itself though was not compact and had enough room to maneuver around and for the luggage.  Just next to the door to the bathroom was an open closet and next to the that was a luggage stand with a safe underneath.  There was a small nook across from the closet on the other side of the room that contained the iron and ironing board.  Further into the room, along the left side of the wall was a table/desk plus chair and the along the wall was the bed with a nightstand on either side.  The bed was a decent size and comfortable enough for a good nights sleep.  The table/desk was small but big enough to get some work done and there were charging ports and plugs near the desk which were convenient.  Across from the bed, along the other side of the wall, was a TV mounted on the wall and underneath was a stand for additional storage, the coffee maker, and complimentary bottles of water.  The complimentary bottles of water was a nice touch and each day the bottles were replenished.  Overall it was a decent if not compact room; the bed was comfortable and provided a good nights sleep and there were enough charging ports that were easily accessible.

Holiday Inn Express hotels are not full service hotels but they do provide some amenities.  This hotelincluded complimentary wifi, complimentary breakfast, a business center which contained two computers in the lobby, plenty of seating area in the lobby, and a bar area.  The wifi was decent and you could connect as many devices as you wanted.  The breakfast was complimentary and included complimentary tea and coffee, but the selection was a bit limited and not as plentiful or varied as the one in Warsaw.

Overall, it was an average and comfortable stay at the Holiday Inn Express.  The room was a decent size and provided a good nights sleep; the wifi was decent and could connect many devices; and the hotel was within walking distance to sights and shops.  Negatives included limited variation for the breakfast and communication issues with the front desk.

Stay Report: Holiday Inn Express Warsaw - Mokotów (Warsaw, Poland - June 2022)

 Stay Report: Holiday Inn Express Warsaw - Mokotow
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I was traveling to Warsaw and was looking for a place to stay.  There are many options either within the city, near the airport, or somewhere in between.  I was only there for a short period and was flying in and out so decided to stay near the airport and that is when the Holiday Inn Express Warsaw Mokotow came into my search.  Even though I am an IHG member, I am hesitant to stay at Holiday Inn Express hotels, especially in the U.S., because some of them are good but others are really disgusting.  I did some research and found that this hotel was relatively new so given that I decided to go ahead and book it.  

It was very easy to book the hotel through the IHG website or app and easy to manage through the both.  The hotel is located about 10 minutes from the airport by car or also a 10 minute train ride plus 10 minute walk - the walk from the hotel to the train does involve some steps and is somewhat lengthy so would not recommend it for those with lots of luggage.  The hotel is located in the Mokotow region which is a suburb of Warsaw.  The main entrance is on a side street while on the back there is a tram stop directly in front of the hotel (backside).  One or two stops away from the hotel is a big mall with lots of services and shops - the city center is about a 30-45min tram ride from the hotel.  If you take the train or the tram, you enter the hotel through the back parking lot and have to walk around the hotel to the main entrance which is the only entrance - my suggestion is that the hotel create an entrance to the back that guests can access with their key card.

As you walk up to the main entrance there are many seating areas outside - this was very nice in the 

Spring/Summer months when its really nice to sit outside and enjoy the weather.  As you enter into the lobby, there are some seating area to right and straight ahead is the check-in desks.  Further into the right is the kitchen and more seating area.  This is also where breakfast is available in the morning (more on that below).  Check-in was easy, received my key, and proceeded to the elevators on the left to head to my room.  

As you entered into the room, the first thing you noticed is how large the room is.  As you enter, on the right is the bathroom which contains a sink, a shower, a toilet, and a towel warmer.  There were no individual bathroom toiletries but rather refillable bottles - one by the sink and one in the shower; they both smelled really nice and of high quality.  The bathroom was standard and was a decent size.  As you move further into the room, also on right hand side was a narrow open closet - given the size of the room not sure why the closet was so small.  Next to the closet was an open area with the coffee maker on top, safe and fridge down below; again great amenities but given the size of the room not sure why it was narrow.  Further into the room, on the right side was a desk and a chair next to the wall - this would be a great working space and there were additional plugs and USB ports to make working in this area easier.  The table/desk was not connected to the wall so it could be moved and that was helpful as you could move it closer to the bed since there was some distance between these two areas.  

The bed was also on the right side of the room with one side really close to the window - there were mini nightstands on each side of the table and above each nightstand were plugs and USB ports.  Next to the bed was a large window which let in light during the day but also were blackout curtains which were helpful since the sunrise was very early in the morning.  Across from the bed was the TV mounted on the wall and underneath was a ledge which contained complimentary water - with gas and without - as well as a bottle opener and other items to enjoy your time there.  The ledge was a smart idea as it provided more space to store items.  The bed itself was nice and comfortable and a large size for Europe. 

Amenities at the hotel included complimentary wifi, connected parking facility, complimentary breakfast, and access to transportation.  As I mentioned earlier, right behind the hotel was the tram stop and a 10-15 minute walk was the train stop to the airport.  Wifi was complimentary and relatively fast and the complimentary breakfast was decent - it was medium size but generally had a good selection with something for everyone's appetite.  Overall, it was a nice stay at the Holiday Inn Express.  I was not sure what to expect since HI Express can vary but this was clean, modern, had great facilities, and overall provided a good nights' rest.

Stay Report: Holiday Inn Express Dubai Airport (Dubai, UAE - March 2019)

Stay Report: Holiday Inn Express Dubai Airport
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I was spending about 24-hours in Dubai and I was meeting someone who was spending only 12hours in Dubai, so I was looking for an inexpensive place near Dubai Airport that provided shuttle as well as early check-in.  The Holiday Inn Express Dubai Airport is located across from T3 and in my previous travels I have passed by the hotel numerous times, so I looked online and found a good rate and decided to check it out.  It was very easy to book the hotel through the IHG website or app, and I had some additional requests that I emailed to the hotel and they were very quick to respond.

According to hotel’s website, the shuttle from the airport to the hotel runs every 30 minutes but I was not sure where the shuttle actually stops so I tried to call the hotel but no one every picked up the phone.  The shuttle finally came and it was a 10-15 minute shuttle ride from either T1 or T3 to the hotel.  The hotel itself is quite large and there are a lot of rooms, but there is nothing around the hotel that is within walking distance; everything is about a 10-15 minute car ride away.  Considering the hotel caters to passengers departing and leaving at various times, their policies are a bit different than other hotels.  For example, if you check-in that day and are leaving that night (ie not staying until the next morning) then the breakfast in the morning you check-in is complimentary.  Check-in times can also be early as well, but only as early as 8am if you have booked one night; if you want to get a room earlier you have to book a room for the previous night.

As you enter the hotel’s lobby, the check-in desks are to the left while straight ahead is the waiting area with couches and chairs.  To the right is a little shop where you can buy snacks, drinks, and some basic items.  Further ahead on the right is the breakfast area and the room is large, spacious, and can accommodate a lot of guests.  There is a tour agencies desk in the middle of the lobby as well as bathrooms and meeting rooms as well.  I had arrived around 6am, which was too early for me to check-in but early enough to access the breakfast so I decided to enjoy the complimentary breakfast while waiting for my room.  I have stayed in Holiday Inn Express hotels in the U.S., and their complimentary breakfast is standard and a bit unappealing.  That is what I was expecting here, but at this hotel the complimentary breakfast is very large and has a decent variety of various breakfast items (the breakfast was comparable to that offered in 3-4 star hotels).  There were hot dishes – including eggs, beans, and potatoes – bread, cheese, salad, fruit, coffee, and a variety of other items; overall, I was very impressed with the breakfast. 

I was finally able to check-in and access the room around 8am, and the room itself is a bit underwhelming.  The layout and quality of the room and bathroom reminds me of the ibis hotels, which are also basic hotels that offer lower rates with lower standards of rooms.  As you entered into the room, on the right was the bathroom which contained a side sink, a toilet, and small stand-up shower, as environmentally-friendly, refillable toiletries – one in the shower and one next to the sink (very similar to the ibis hotels).  Further into the room, on the right were the two beds, double-size beds, with a nightstand in between.  Across from the beds was a desk and above the desk was the TV while below was a mini-fridge.  Next to the desk was an large armoire that also was the closet, and if you opened up the closet there was full-length mirror in there.  The beds themselves were of decent size and quality and provided a decent night’s sleep.  The size of the room was also decent, not too grand but not too compact either.  It was a good layover or transit-size hotel room, but only good for a day or two. 

Amenities for guests at the hotel included the complimentary breakfast, parking, a health and fitness center, shuttle to/from the airport (at select timings), laundry service, complimentary wifi, and a computer and printer in the lobby.  The complimentary wifi was available in the lobby for all guests and in the room as well as for guests.  The wifi speed was good enough for checking email, doing work, and streaming videos on YouTube.  The airport shuttle was convenient, but it was limited in its timings so you had to make sure to schedule around the shuttle timings.  As I said, there was little to nothing around the hotel in terms of walking distance; the only thing in walking distance was the metro station, which was a 5-10 minute walk and you are one-stop way from T1 or two stops away from T3. 

Overall, the hotel provided complimentary shuttle, complimentary breakfast and a decent night’s sleep.  The room was basic but clean and updated, and the considering the low price it was a good value.  Overall, the hotel provided a nice and affordable transit or layover hotel.