This ain't no Marriott
Well, no I'm not a redneck! I am a fairly well seasoned traveler who expects what they are promised/promoted. This was our third time staying at this hotel, mostly based on it's proximity to Charlotte concert arenas. It is a good value, but it is on the lower end of the cost spectrum for hotels in downtown Charlotte. The lobby is small and the front desk is tiny and not well staffed for a hotel if this size. On this particular Sunday, we arrived right at 4:00 for check-in and were greeted by a few dozen people waiting to get into their rooms. When I saw people start changing their closes in the lobby, I knew we were in trouble! Our concert started at 4:30 and I hoped to get dressed in our room which should have been ready by 4:00. Everyone looked pissed and were calling the Holiday Inn hotline to complain. The front staff were apologetic, but this is still not an excuse. They said they had too many checkouts earlier and could not get the rooms cleaned-if you are overbooked, you should be overstaffed too! There was a major concert in town bringing in about 20 thousand fans-many of whom would stay overnight. These are things they should be prepared for. A staff member also said they had 4 weddings there the same day-ouch! I would hate to have had to change into my nice wedding attire in the lobby bathroom, which is how I had to change for the concert. They gave us 10% off the nightly rate. I hope they get there stuff together before the Democratic Convention hits town later this year!! disappointed!