Petoskey, Michigan: Holiday Inn Express & Suites

October 2022, Sunday, one night, suite guestroom 507

Valley view from suite 507 in Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Petoskey, Michigan

Arrival and platinum perks

A front desk agent called me the day of check-in just after 2:00 PM to ask what time we were going to check-in. Check-in is 3:00 PM, so I hesitated briefly, as I considered why she would be calling to ask me this. She did not really say, and I did not directly ask. I initially told her that we were in the area, and that we could check in any time between now and this evening. It sounded like maybe they were behind on cleaning rooms, and that she wanted us to arrive later. I then told her that we were not in a rush to get to the room, so it would be an hour or two. After this conversation, I inquired about a suite upgrade. We had booked a king valley view guestroom. She said they would be able to upgrade us to a high floor suite, and I said great. 

Sunset view from hall in Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Petoskey
Non-valley view guest rooms have sunset views

We arrived around 4:30 PM, and our room had not been pre-assigned. As the agent was preparing our keys, I asked if our room was a suite. I said that someone had called me a few hours ago, and said she could give us a suite upgrade. We then waited several minutes while he did something on the computer, and then he looked at some information in another area behind the counter against the wall. During this time, another employee arrived behind the counter and asked if we needed help. I told her I thought he was getting our room keys. He had not said anything to us after the initial greeting, so I was not actually sure what was going on! The first employee provided our keys a short time later, and we headed to the room (with no information from him about what kind of guestroom we had been assigned).

Guestroom diagram in Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Petoskey, Michigan

Suite 507

This guestroom is on the top floor across from the elevator. The guestroom was spacious and comfortable for the most part. The bedroom is located up front near the entrance, so we could easily hear hallway noise while in the bedroom. According to the guestroom diagram, the only top floor suite (other than the larger suites) with the bedroom located away from the hall is guestroom 509.

Suite 507 in Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Petoskey, Michigan

Our suite contained a kitchen area with a full size fridge, sink, coffeemaker and supplies, microwave, and sink. Apparently, this hotel is managed by the same company that manages the nearby Best Western property (Apple Tree Inn by BW is just down the road). The coffee cups in the guestroom had the Best Western logo on them, rather than an IHG logo. 😅 I guess that is better than no cups!

Suite 507 in Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Petoskey, Michigan

The living area contained a sofa, coffee table, desk with chair, large flatscreen TV over an armoire, ceiling fan, and a fireplace. We thought the fireplace was great at this time of year.

Suite 507 in Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Petoskey, Michigan

There were two chairs on the balcony, and the autumn view was excellent. Although we were a tad late for peak color, the view was still beautiful. 

Suite 507 in Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Petoskey, Michigan

The bedroom was spacious and contained a large suitcase bench and closet. The large entryway to the bedroom was an open area; there was not a door on the bedroom. The bathroom was located across from the bedroom, and next to the guestroom entrance from the hall. 

Suite 507 in Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Petoskey, Michigan

Misc. and overall

I had been excited to stay in this hotel after looking at the guestroom photos online. After our stay, I was somewhat disappointed. I thought it was a shame that a hotel with such nice rooms could be so neglected. Our guestroom did not smell fresh, and it was in need of an update and/or deep cleaning. There were stains on the furniture, and in several areas on the carpet. The drapes and furniture looked dingy. There was dirt around the balcony door, and there were cobwebs we had to clean off before walking out on the balcony. Outside, there was moss growing in several areas on the balconies. Additionally, I thought the pre-arrival telephone call with no clear explanation was odd. And then when we arrived, our room had not been pre-assigned or noted as I had been told on the phone. The service we received at the Hampton Inn in 2019 was superior to the service we received at this hotel.

Let me know if you have any questions, or further information! It would be great to see recent photos of the larger suites.