Holiday Inn Express- Downtown Charleston Reviews

Clean and functional. Nothing to make it stand out. Had all the necessary items. Pool. Not a lot of parking close by. Staff was polite. Fast food within walking distance.

The hotel is affordable and located close to MUSC. However, my room did not have a shower curtain and the hair dryer was not working.

They were very accommodating. Nice friendly staff and clean rooms. I was a cancer patient at MUSC. They gave my wife and I the discount for being in the hospital. No complaints. Everyone was very nice and friendly.

Stayed here for 3 nights this August. The rooms were simple, ample size, and clean. I didn t try the breakfast, but the front desk staff was lovely and added to my experience. They have done a decent job to refresh an older hotel. There is construction nearby but it didn t bother us during our stay. There is a small convenience store near the lobby that is (appropriately) convenient. There is a decent fitness center and a clean pool as well. Location wise, nothing is walkable but historic Charleston is a short drive away. The prices are among the most affordable in the area. I would stay here again.

I stayed at this Holiday Inn Express 2/29/16 and loved the staff!! They were very friendly and helpful. I had my little dog with me and they gave me great info about pet friendly areas. The ladies at the breakfast area was so nice and friendly, enjoyed talking to them!

Very noisy. No wash clothes or soap in room upon arrival had to ask for both.

First room we were given was horrible. They told us we booked a king size pet friendly room when we have no pets and we specifically asked for two beds. The first person we spoke to at the desk was extremely rude and uninterested in listening or helping us. Were also told the hotel was located in the downtown area but it's actually on the very edge of downtown. You are not able to walk anywhere! Already spent a ton of money on cabs. Will not ever stay here again.

Stayed here for 2 nights during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and was very pleased. Staff was very friendly and helpful, rooms were clean and well maintained, and the complimentary breakfast was pretty good. Cheap hotel that's nearby downtown Charleston, can't complain. Enjoyed being able to walk down to the lobby and select food or an alcoholic beverage without leaving the premises.

This was a very disappointing stay. When me and the other guests arrived, our first room had a soaked carpet and bathroom, as well as an extremely dirty carpet all along the hallway floor where our first room was on. When we were requesting another room originally, we were told by the employee at the front she was going to go get Houskeeping to confront the situation. A lady came from the back office with a spray bottle in her hand and asked, what s going on? I then asked, Are you with Housekeeping? She then became visibly offended and in a very snarky tone, Uh no...I am the Sales Manager. Needless to say we were caught off guard with the attitude.
Once we were moved to our second room, our key did not work, and we had to get our key fixed 3 separate times and still did not work until we were just finally issued a Master Key. Once in the room, the toilet clogged with nothing in it, the tub didn t drain, there was black dust all over one bed, and there were a few spiders visiting us in the bathroom. We were so over the inconvenience, that we just wanted a clean place to stay and didn t have the energy to move our luggage and selves to a whole different hotel.
I must also add that to receive a plunger for our toilet, it took 2 separate calls to the front and a total of a 30 minute wait. Also, when we originally asked for new keys, the employee literally told us to try kicking the door in because calling someone for maintenance and management meant they had to leave their home to come service us since the employee did not have a master key.
We were told we would have a free night due to all of the inconveniences. Upon check out, the receipt had only refunded us the $98.80 stay and not the more expensive night which was $189.05, leaving our total of $217.52 for the worst hotel services and experiences we had ever encountered. The lady at the front gave us an extremely hard time for asking for a greater discount. Eventually she did refund us another $59.00, which was far more of a fight than it should have been.
To top it all off once we finally left, we had to once again return to a front desk for yet ANOTHER refund for the parking garage fees that they had apparently validated. We only hope to see that refund along with the numerous others on our card this week.
Multiple times COVID and the lack of employees were used as excuses for very poor service and malfunctioning rooms. This illegitimate excuse was even more reason to never return to this hotel again, and to warn others to second guess their potential stay. I can only hope they confront their weaknesses and provide a better experience for future guests.

Very nice hotel. Clean, comfortable, good breakfast.

Best holiday inn on the peninsula ... I've stayed at both. Highly recommended

Everyone loves this hotel. We do too, and while everything was perfect inside the hotel when we recently stayed, there was one problem outside. There was a lot of noise coming from the restaurants on the block from loud music (on a weekday night) and patrons. It was really hard to get to sleep before midnight

friendly staff
clean rooms

Clean. Affordable. Quick Uber/Cab/Drive to downtown. Staff was extremely helpful and courteous. I would definitely stay here again.

Straight forward, room was clean, close to the hospital, free breakfast, free wifi, free parking.

We arrived we 15 minutes early only to be told it was going to be at least an hour and a half before check-in. We came back nearly 2 hours later and the room still wasn't ready

Shower doors don't work properly and don't close all the way. Next to a Publix grocery store so you can easily shop for what you need. Free parking and breakfast. Allows dogs with a fee. Very close to downtown and Uber can pretty much take your anywhere. Staff members are nice and welcoming.

171.00 for 1 small room, King bed, meldew bathroom and sink. I am so grossed out.

Possibly one of the worst Holiday Inn Express hotels that I have ever stayed at. Room was so small you could barely move around the bed. The air conditioner fan would never stop blowing unless you turned the unit completely off. It was very loud and obnoxious. They allow dogs, which we did not have but my parents who were also staying there did and while they had to pay an additional 50$ a night fee they were not given any rules or instructions on what was expected of them in regards to how house keeping was to be handled or where the dog was or was not allowed. There was a hole in front of the property that was large enough for a dog or a small child to fall through which emitted an intense sewer smell that no one seemed concerned about until we voiced our concern to several different people. The day we left they finally put a sign up. Another concern especially with children is the laundry shoot on our floor. The door was always open and never completely closed or locked. I honestly don't think that it was able to close all the way. A curious kid could get seriously hurt, not to mention when someone from a higher floor would drop laundry down it would fling open. It almost hit me once. I will never stay there again. It was by far the worst. The only positive was that the bed was comfortable.

Good location but rooms are dated and the bathroom was not the cleanest.

Very clean and friendly staff. Location is a little confusing to get to. Most people assume it is the large one you see when exiting the interstate but it is a smaller one a little farther away. Offers free WiFi, free breakfast, and a parking pass.

Unhappy with stay. When we arrived rooms were dirty with hair everywhere. Out of the entire staff only one person was polite and not apparantly annoyed with our presence or questions. Will not return and am currently talking to Holiday inn.

Convenient to historic part of town. Dog friendly with places to sit outdoors with pets.

Reasonably priced hotel. You get what you pay for and as of May 2018 in the middle of a construction zone. Entrance and exit to the hotel is not straight forward and part of the parking is sketchy. Appears to be an older hotel that has had some updates to it but needs some more. Small rooms and the balconies are locked. Some rooms have a gorgeous view of their emergency generator. Our stay was ok.

Was close to the hospital, room was clean and everyone was so friendly. O breakfast wea great.

5 stars as it it super dog friendly, helpful staff, and clean rooms.

Of all the hotel I have visited this was the worse.
In a corner of the room it had a bad smell. One of the bed was not well positioned so it would lean toward if you sat in it.
The inside curtain on the shower was short to prevent the water from getting out of the shower.
I used coffee and sugar and they failled to refill it the next day.
They also didn't clean the shower the next day.
One of the tower that was supposed to be cleaned had some type a yellow stain on it.

300 am kids screaming, running up and down hallway. Dog was barking, went on for about an hour, then had to call front desk. Horrible stay.

The staff was very nice upon check in. The lobby area is updated. Then it goes downhill. The rooms could use the same attention to detail as the lobby. A deep clean of our room is desperately needed (see pictures). This place could use new windows/sliding glass doors. The old style sliding glass doors are much thinner than newer options. Old windows, means lots of noise! Especially when right across the parking lot from an active construction site. And the old style air conditioner was also LOUD.

We got a room with a view, but no view just construction work. The complimentary breakfast was horrible. The balcony is literally a half of footwide. Just enough to stand on. If your looking for a room with a view, and a good hot breakfast don't go here!!

Rooms were as expected. Excellent breakfast and friendly workers

Very friendly staff. Great place to stay. Not in the middle of downtown but close enough to easily get there without problem.

Too bad Zero stars isn't an option. Worst staff and management I've ever dealt with in any type of business. Prior to staying there they repeatedly charged my credit card three separate times over the last 2 months, causing my account to either overdraft or I wasn't able to afford dinner for my family that night, every time my wife or I would call to speak to someone about our money we were either put on hold and no one picked up or they would put you through to management where you would get an answer machine everytime, it took calling multiple times back to back to finally get someone to do there job correctly. I will be going to the bank to change my information cause I do not trust they fixed the issue even after just getting off the phone with them! DO NOT STAY AT THIS HOTEL. Oh I forgot to mention they put us in a dirty room to begin with!!!!

Overall bad experience. Not as advertised. If you just want a room to sleep then it's alright. Otherwise you'll be disappointed.

Room was good. Allows pets here. Breakfast was standard.

Pros
The staff was very attentive and nice. They were the best part.
Close to downtown ($10 uber)
Free breakfast
Decently priced

Cons
CONSTRUCTION! It was very loud at times and started at 6am. It's not the hotels fault, but just a fair warning.
Parking is VERY limited.
The rooms themselves have pretty thin walls.

Overall it was okay. Again, not the hotels fault at all that there is construction, but it would've been nice to sleep in a little later without all the noise.

I would avoid this hotel until the construction going on next to the hotel is completed. We stayed for one night using my Priority gold member points only to be given a room on the construction side of the hotel. The beds are very comfortable but it's impossible to sleep with all the noise.

Very conveniently located. Didn't even need our car, we were able to walk directly downtown from the front doors of the hotel.

Omg. Construction going in the hallway while you try asleep. Came in our room without even knocking to clean air conditioner.

ENot eNoisy. Construction on two buildings next to hotel. Not enough parking. Nice inside!

Clean, but in need of a face-lift. LOTS of construction all around, makes it difficult to return from downtown areas.

Staff is absolutely pleasant, helpful and accommodating. Rooms are clean and cozy.

The lack of cleanliness of the rooms. My family experiences fleas and bed bugs.
Although their quick response was appreciated. It really put a damper on the entire trip.
Also, the air conditioner's are very loud and the carpets are soiled. Yes,I would like to be notified if and when some changes are made.

Always consistent, great room, amenities, free deluxe breakfast, super nice front desk folks, clean room, great beds, pillows and linens. I never worry staying at HIEXPRESS

Today trying to make a reservation and the customer service representative quickly rushes me off the phone before I could ask specific questions. He then tells me there is construction next to the hotel and because I already got the lower rate for paying up front I couldn't cancel. I guess I'll be updating this review once there. Hopefully its a better experience.

UPDATE: The hotel was good for a one night stay before the cruise. It was most definitely NOT the people who work there actually at the front desk who were rude. It WAS the IHG call center people who need to get a refresher on customer service. The two ladies at the front desk were THE MOST HELPFUL I have ever been around. They served a wonderful breakfast and had computers for use.

Parking was atrocious due to all of the construction workers parking. The front desk lady did not greet us and was abrupt and clipped when checking us in. It was not a very welcoming experience. After getting our key cards and finally finding a parking spot in a barely lit gravel lot we trudged into the mildew smelling hallways. The room smelled mildewy as well and the AC unit was really loud and close to the bed making it difficult to fall asleep. The matress and pillows though were actually comfortable. Had it not been for them and then also the morning attendant that checked us out (he smiled and offered to pour us coffee to go) this would have only been one star. I'll definitely be finding another place to stay for the next visit.

The rooms are very dated. I called the hotel multiple times to ask for a receipt. The front desk staff were very inpatient and rude. They never sent my receipt. My company already paid my room for conference. They also charged my credit card for room price that was only authorized for incidental. I have to call the corporation customer service to get everything fixed. Please stay away from this hotel to save you some troubles!!!

I wish I could give this place a zero. Roaches crawled on walls. Construction crews behind hotel worked all night long. Machinery beeping and clanging. Everything was old and dirty. Worst Holiday Inn Express I ve ever stayed.

In this place the pool does not maintain this dirty

Room was small. A/C was very loud so having a phone conversation was difficult, sliding door doesn't lock, shower door installed backwards or their intent was for guest to step out of the shower directly into the toilet. Kind of disappointed.

Room was never cleaned during a 4 day stay. Upon check in, the toilet in the hotel room was dirty and not flushed, indicating the bathroom was not cleaned from the previous guest. Expressed concerns to management, who never apologized or tried to make it right. Not worth the price of the room.

Small and overpriced. It looks like some very cheap renovations were done recently. The room is very very basic.They didn't even bother to replace the closet door, lol. It is also quite humid and smells like mildew. The front desk was friendly, this the only redeeming quality. After taxes I came out under $100, so I guess it's not terrible. I got what I paid for. I don't know how this is considered a 3 star hotel. . Next time I'll pay another $20 and go to the Double Tree to get a better bed, less humidity and a COOKIE!
*Edit: after spending the night I am downgrading my review to 1*. The sheets were old, pilling and thred bare. My eyes are itchy and puffy (I have dust mite allergies). The AC is super loud and as it cycled up and down it kept me up all night.

There is lots of construction around, don't stay here

Dirty. I've had better stays elsewhere. Hair in shower. Stains on back of door around peephole. Received 2 stars for early check-in and late check-out.

Clean rooms, great customer service. Convenient location.

Great breakfast and staff. The lobby was very nice and layed out well. Construction of building next door has blocked the veiws of the marina. The sidewalk on poolside was poured uneven. My wife tripped on it upon checking out. Luckily she wasn't hurt so we just left. The sidewalk issue needs to addressed immediately before someone gets hurt bad. I was very impressed by the level of service I received from front desk staff member Daniquwa.

Pretty clean hotel in a good location. Would not recommend the breakfast though.

Larger than usual Holiday Inn. Excellent views. Parking is available, however sections of the parking lot is gravel. Friendly staff. Free breakfast. Clean room.

Solid experience with no complaints about the hotel. While the construction nearby is unfortunate, I'd certainly stay here again.

IHG member disappointed- I needed a quiet local place to study for the LSAT. I was willing to pay for 5 nights at typical Charleston rates. The hotel is dated and needs serious renovations. Rooms are small and there's bare minimum everything. The parking lot is under construction and it is a nightmare to get in and out of the hotel, esp with roadwork. The whole hotel is damp and musky. Typically members get acknowledged, not here. I asked for a complimentary water and it was an issue. Cancelled and requested to check out in the AM.

Stayed last week fir 8 days to be near MUSC. Check in was 3 hours behind what we requested. My husband is on oxygen, we requested a specific time to check in. Had to wait 3 hours. FRUSTRATING.. Only 1 elevator working. A.C. was loud. Carpets were dirty. Fire alarm was pulled one night, chaos. Found out a drunk pulled the alarm. Why was a drunk even given a room. Fire trucks and men could have been needed elsewhere besides a false alarm. Drunk should have been fined. A problem for oxygen users having to use the stairs. Only good thing was the bed. It was very comfortable. And breakfast was good and hot. Would not stay there again. Most of the staff was great. Many thanks to Victor for helping with luggage.

Overall decent. My problems were fraying carpet in the room and breakfast being set out late. Good location, good gym, nice staff

If you're are looking for a great place with a view near downtown, this isn't it! It is a basic hotel with no frills. The surrounding area is near huge construction sites so you have to park in make shift gravel lot nearby. The construction starts early in the morning too, so no sleeping in on your trip. The room has descent space, but low brow accommodations. The breakfast was low budget, there isn't even a microwave for the instant oatmeal they have out. It could use an update to the maintenance and room cleanliness too.

Nice hotel; clean, comfortable, with a friendly staff. Breakfast was great and there was a Keurig coffeemaker in the room. Wifi was decent. Biggest drawback in this hotel is that it is located on a one way street. The way Hwy 17 is laid out in this area makes it difficult to get to the hotel unless you are on Hwy 17S north of it. There is also construction on the south side of the hotel. Be sure to ask for a room on the side of the hotel away from the construction. Parking is also inadequate. Had to park in an adjacent gravel lot.

Holiday Inn Express exceeded our expectations. Perfect location to go to the downtown Charleston area & surrounding attractions. Hotel staff was friendly & very accommodating. NOTE: There is a new full-service grocery store (Publix) in the next building. This was perfect for getting a few snacks for the day. A new park with pond across the street. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Nice rooms. Clean sheets. No microwave or fridge though. Overall nice place.

The Employees were extremely helpful kind and courteous.

Love the beds. Breakfast is good. Animal friendly for you folks with fur babies.

Disappointing experience..lobby chairs very dirty..construction noise at night..parking area too small..overflow parking loose gravel and did not feel secure. Not what I expect from Holiday Inns

Left some clothing in my room. Called day after returning home. Was told I would receive a call back. No call back. Called hotel again following day. Same process. Same result. Ended up driving back to the hotel the following week to retrieve what was left. Apparently they mis-dialed my number.

Very clean rooms. The breakfast was good and exceptionally clean. Awesome experience.

Everything was great, location, room and staff members.