Kokomo, Indiana / Holiday Inn Express

February 2012, Weekday, King suite #211

Status perks
This hotel has three floors, and I was upgraded to a huge suite on the 2nd floor.

Guestroom

The spacious guestroom had a full size fridge, microwave, sink, and bar with two barstools in the kitchen area. There was no stove or dishwasher. The barstools looked like they would have been comfortable, except that they were too tall to use at the bar. The seats were barely an inch lower than the counter.

The fireplace in the the living room was nice; however, the furnishings were old. The couch and drapes did not smell fresh, and the seating was not comfortable. A desk and chair were located against the wall behind the couch, and there was a stain on the desk chair. The entire room had a dingy and smokey smell to it. I was impressed with the layout of the guestroom, and the bedding was clean, so when I left to pick up some food after settling in, I stopped at the front desk to ask if the hotel had some Febreze that could be sprayed in the room. (I had planned to buy some, if I had been told no). The front desk agent was very accommodating, and said she would take care of it while I was gone. When I returned, she told me that she had sprayed in the guestroom, and she said that she could smell smoke in the room also. I do not think someone had been smoking in the non-smoking room; I think the smell was from the ventilation. 

The separate bedroom had two doors; one from the hall and one from the bathroom. The chair in the bedroom was old and dingy like the living room furniture. The bedding was clean and the bed comfort was acceptable, although it was a bit too firm for my liking. Even though this suite is located above the lobby near the elevator, I did not hear any noise from the elevator or elsewhere during my stay. A nice suitcase bench and full length mirror were located in the hall outside the bathroom and bedroom. There were good sized windows that opened in the bedroom and living room; however, there were not any screens in the windows.

The bathroom was larger than the bedroom. The first room contained a vanity and mirror the length of two of the walls, and a large whirlpool tub was located across the room from the vanity. It appeared that housekeeping had attempted to freshen the guestroom before my arrival, and got distracted or something. There was a used and dirty rag that had been left on the tub. I was surprised that the employee who sprayed the room did not notice and remove the rag. The lighting in the bathroom was poor--fortunately, I do not usually use a makeup mirror.

tub across from mirror

The second room of the bathroom contained the shower and toilet. The shower was old and functional, which is more than I can say for the toilet. The flush power on the toilet was not very strong, and the toilet became plugged before I checked out. And, this was just with normal use.

Food & Beverage

I was surprised to learn at check-in that this hotel offers a complimentary Manager's Reception in the evening with snacks and beverages. I had not noticed this printed at the bottom of the hotel's main page when I made my reservation: After a busy day exploring Kokomo, Indiana, our hotel's guests should unwind at our Manager's Reception. As you sip complimentary beer, soda or a glass of wine, you can snack on savory hors d'oeuvres. 

I was happy with the wine and bottled water that was available from 5:30 - 7:30 PM. The snacks included nachos with cheese dip, cheese puffs, and a few raw vegetables with dip. 

Breakfast in the morning was acceptable. It was not great, although it was fresher than what had seen served at the HIX in Logansport the two days prior to this stay.

Fitness center

The fitness center is located off the lobby and next to the pool area. It contained three cardio machines, a weight bench, water cooler, towels, and sani-wipes. One of the treadmills was so loud, I was not able to watch TV while using it, and the label--which shows how to operate the machine, was broken off the second one. The machines were two different brands/types, so I was not able to see where the buttons are located without the label. On my arrival day, the broken off label was sitting on the machine, so I could refer to it, to see where corresponding buttons to operate the treadmill were located. When I returned to the room the next morning, someone had removed the broken label, and I could not remember which areas I needed to press to set the program I wanted.

Overall

I thought all of the staff at this hotel were helpful and accommodating, and I was impressed with the suite upgrade. The fireplace in the guestroom was nice, and I liked that it was quiet in the guestroom. I think that refreshing and updating the guestrooms would go a long way in making this location more desirable.