Holiday Inn Express & Suites - Staunton by IHG

Around 8 PM, I called to ask for an extra towel explaining that the room had only three towels for four guests. To my surprise, the woman who took my call at the front desk asked if I would come down and get it myself or if she should bring it up to me. I asked her to bring up the towel to me so I can continue to get my children ready for bed. She said she would bring it right up to my room. After 20 minutes passed with no towel delivered or a phone call to explain the delay, I decided to call the front desk to ask for an update on the towel. She said she would bring it “right up” and I said “great” and thanked her. Then I asked her for an estimated time of delivery. At that moment, I was deciding to either feed by children or get them started in the shower and the timing of the arrival of the towel was the determining factor. She said she would bring it up right away. I guessed the towel would arrive in the next few minutes so I decided to wait outside my door and receive it from the staff and I was pleasantly satisfied when less than a minute later, one of the other women working at the front desk arrived with a towel in hand. I smiled and said “thank you” as soon as she saw me. Instead of responding in kind, she began to apologize and explain “what was taking so long”. Right after I called at 8 PM, about ten other groups of guests arrived at the front desk for check-in. I told her that that was okay, I understood, and that I wasn’t in a big hurry or upset that it had already taken 20 minutes to get the towel. I was plenty busy taking care of the kids and folding laundry and the delay in receiving the towel was no big deal. I did take the opportunity though to provide feedback and asked her for next time if it were possible, that I could receive better communication from the staff so I didn’t have to be kept in the lurch and not knowing when or whether the towel would eventually arrive. I thought that would be welcome and appreciated feedback for a staff striving to improve but, in a rather bizarre turn of events, it seemed that suddenly I became the staff member and the two women at the front desk were now the customers, She began to accuse me of being rude. She told me curtly, that I upset her coworker at the front desk who took my phone calls because I was so rude to her. Without further explanation, she turned her back on me before I could respond and started walking back to the elevators. I called after her and asked “What do I do or say that was rude? I really would like to know.” She said that her coworker said that my tone of voice was rude on the phone. Is this the standard of service for Holiday Inn? The staff member tells off a customer for being rude? But that couldn’t have been the case, for I was not rude. I have dealt with many, many, many instances in the recent past with employees in all sectors of service-related professions from many different parts of the country and have a well-attuned sense of what triggers and offends the youth of today. Sadly, me calling and asking for an update on a towel I requested 20 minutes earlier and being told that it would be brough right up was a situation where a poor employee might lose their sense of professionalism. This being the case, I made doubly sure to speak as kindly as possible when I made the follow up call. I was kind nearly to the point of groveling for an update on my towel request. Knowing that I was kind through and through during my phone conversations and certain that the “tone” in my voice wasn’t what offended her, I would guess that what triggered her was actually the simple fact that I asked her to provide me an estimated time of arrival. Anytime in the next 45 minutes I would’ve accepted, I only wanted to know when it would arrive. Maybe she didn’t like being asked to commit to a certain time frame. I can only guess as I sit here in the room fairly disappointed in being treated in this manner. I didn’t care how long it took, only that they let me know when I can expect it to arrive so I could manage my time caring for my children.

Ruime kamers, schoon en vriendeljjk personeel

מלון. על הדרך

This room was spacious & comfortable. The property was very impressive. The staff was very friendly.

It was conveniently located right next to the highway. It was clean and comfortable.

The desk staff were friendly and even suggested a great place for food!

Location and cleanliness

The breakfast was good. The location was very good

It existed

I liked that it was new, clean and friendly staff. Beds comfy.

A really nice clean, modern hotel slightly on the edge of town.

The staff and breakfast was great. Everyone was so nice. The place was clean. The staff also allowed us to use the meeting room after our checkout to conduct official business for our jobs. It was awesome!

Goed hotel

Very clean

Everything was great from the staff to the breakfast. Paying $5.00 dollars for parking was strange being we were not in a big city with need of a parking garage.