Could this be the Bates Motel?
Written: Mar 13 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Warm pool and HOT hot tub. Showers were fantastic also.
Cons: Heater had mind of its own. Beds were good for sleeping but poor for sitting.
The Bottom Line: A stay here won't be a waste of money and you should feel refreshed when leaving.
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| grneyedcwboy's Full Review: Holiday Inn Express CASTLE ROCK |
I recently made a trip to Colorado for my sister's graduation. When I arrived, I made plans with my friend Pam, to get a hotel room about 35 miles away in Castle Rock. We lost contact for 10 years and now, when we get a chance, we play catch up. That means NO HUSBANDS ALLOWED. Sorry Joe. We just wanted a clean, friendly place to stay and once again, we chose a Holiday Inn Express.
Upon first glance, the outside seemed clean and well lit. We arrived at dusk so the lights weren't a factor yet. We entered the hotel and I provided my confirmation number to the clerk. She then handed me a bag with a candy bar and some mints in it. It was a 'perk' for Priority Club members. Now, I know this is strange, but why give ONE candy bar if TWO people are checking in to the hotel? Things that make you go hmmmmm. Anyway, we checked in and were given the room keys and pointed in the right direction within 5 minutes.
As we strode down the corridor, I noticed that the halls smelled fresh, not stale or musty like some hallways in a hotel. We got to the room and when we opened the door...........we found.......(insert scary music).....
Nothing out of the ordinary.
It smelled clean like someone had sprayed deodorizer but not that funky air freshener that could gag a maggot. The carpet was clean and attractive. The decor was neutral but tasteful. There were the standard amenities such as a hair dryer, coffee pot, ironing board, complimentary shampoo, soap and lotion. There was a minifridge and microwave next to a dresser that held the television on top. The two double beds had enough room to move around each of them on both sides. All in all, everything seemed ok....but was it???
We went out for a bite to eat and came back with full bellies and some bottled spirits. We had plans to sit and catch up on old times and share new times. Pam sat on her bad and I sat on mine. We were both facing one another on the edge of the bed as we began sipping our drinks. I noticed that I had to keep adjusting myself so I wouldn't slide off the bed. It was as if the edge of my bed was sloping downward. I finally asked Pam if her bed was doing the same and she said it felt as if her bed was doing the same thing. It was nothing too annoying, it was just distracting as heck.
I decided to get up and adjust the heater since it was getting a bit warm in the room. After my first, second and third adjustments, I was growing weary of that heater. Maybe it was the drink, maybe it was the heater. I may never know. I do know that the heater we had just didn't want to cooperate with me. I would turn it down and it would get downright COLD. I would turn it back up and I felt as if I were in H-E-double hockey sticks. Pam gave it her best shot. Still, the heater was either one extreme or the other.
At this point we were both tired enough to just try to turn it on low and get some rest. As I drifted off to sleep, I remember peering at the heater with my good eye and whispering to it in my mind. "You better not make my night miserable." Did the heater listen to me???
No, it didn't. I woke up feeling a bit like a little popsicle. I scooted over to the heater and cranked it on. It almost seemed to groan at me as if to say I woke it from a slumber. Hmmphhh....stupid heater.
We both got warmer and then began getting ready for our day. My turn in the shower first. Ahhh, nice hot water. Mmmmm, perfect water pressure. A good shower ranks up there with a morning cup of coffee. It is essential for me and has an impact on the rest of my day. This one was great. No annoying shower curtain suck zone either. Most Holiday Inn Express hotels have installed the new ergonomic curtain rods in the showers so that the curtain stays in place when you shower. I applaud the person that finally eliminated the problem of the shower curtain attack!
We headed out for breakfast in the lobby of the hotel. They served the typical expanded Continental Breakfast at the Breakfast Bar. There was coffee, juice, milk, hot chocolate and tea. The food was an array of fruit, cereal, hard boiled eggs, danish, bagels and some breakfast burritos. None of it was what I would call great but it was edible and ample.
We had a long day of shopping and touring Castle Rock so when we got back we were ready for a nice dip in the pool and a soak in the hot tub. Now, I must say this was probably the best part of the stay. The pool and hot tub were inside and enclosed in their own room. There was a shower and bathroom and plenty of towels. I stepped into the hot tub first and was elated that it was genuinely HOT. Nothing says bad customer service like a warm HOT tub. The pool was also warm and clean. I spent a couple hours there and was so relaxed by then that when I got back to the room I fell immediately asleep when I laid down on my slippery bed. Somehow the bed didn't seem so bothersome when I was laying on it rather than sitting.
At Holiday Inn Express, if you aren't happy with something, they vow to make it right or reimburse you for that part of your stay. Well, I went to the front desk to tell her of the heater on the morning after our first night and I was told I could switch rooms or open the window. Open the window? On the ground floor? That seemed insane. I felt that both alternatives were truly an inconvenience and I was just hoping they could come and show me how to set it. I opted to keep the room and deal with the heat since the weather outside was warmer the next day, thus resulting in a warmer night.
I received my complimentary newspaper and was sent my receipt early on the day of check out so I wouldn't have to go to the front desk to sign out.
All in all, it was a pleasant stay and I would go back. I would, however, check the beds upon entering the room for 'sloping' and the heater for a thermostat that actually kicked on and off when the room meets temperature.
Holiday Inn Express continues to meet my expectations with only minor inconveniences so I will continue to frequent them whenever I travel.
Thanks for reading
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
grneyedcwboy
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Member: Teresa Whitaker
Location: LaCygne KS
Reviews written: 107
Trusted by: 101 members
About Me:
I have a tendency to show up here at the strangest times!
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