Holiday Inn Express South Portland by IHG

Hotels
•
Holiday Inn Express
8.3 (344 reviews)
303 Sable Oaks Drive , South Portland , US
+1 207-775-3900

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Free
Children allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Free Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Fitness center
24-hour front desk
Business center
Heating
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Comfortable beds
Friendly, helpful staff (specific praise for 'Melissa')
Very clean rooms reported by many guests
Great breakfast and good coffee
Convenient location close to attractions and restaurants
Large, comfortable rooms
Attentive service and accurate wake-up/shuttle handling when available
Cons:
No bar on property
Some front desk rudeness and manager non-response
Dust smell on some floors and inadequate hallway vacuuming
Bugs observed near the pool area
Listed shuttle not always available
Pool closes early (reported) and pool-area issues
Maintenance noise (power washing/painting) during stays
Bathroom issues in some rooms (squealing shower, stuck door, shower curtain problems)

Categories

Cleanliness
8
Many guests called rooms and beds clean, but there are consistent complaints about hallway vacuuming, a dust smell (6th floor) and bugs near the pool, so cleanliness is slightly below perfect.
Service
8.6
Service is generally praised (multiple mentions of friendly/helpful staff and specific praise for 'Melissa' and attentive check-in), though a few reports of rude front desk staff and an unanswered manager letter pull the score down slightly.
Location
9
Multiple reviewers highlight a very convenient location close to attractions, restaurants and the interstate — consistently a strong positive.
Room Quality
7.9
Rooms are described as large and comfortable with good beds, but several guests reported issues (squealing shower, stuck bathroom door, shower curtain problems, maintenance noise), lowering the score.
Amenities
7.7
Breakfast and coffee were praised, but guests noted the lack of a bar, a listed shuttle that was unavailable, limited pool hours and some pool-area issues — amenities are uneven.
Value for Money
7.8
Many guests felt the stay was reasonable, but extra charges (breakfast not always included), a rundown complaint and administrative issues (invoice problems, manager non-response) reduce perceived value.
Food and Beverage
8.8
Breakfast and coffee receive frequent positive mentions («great», «awesome», «great coffee»), making F&B one of the stronger aspects.
Overall Experience
8.6
Overall sentiment is positive with many satisfied guests and repeat-stay interest, tempered by intermittent service and room/amenity problems for some visitors.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-11-05 14:08

Property Description

Convenient Location and Shuttle Service
Located just off Interstate 95 and a short distance from downtown Portland, Maine, the South Portland Holiday Inn Express offers convenient access to the city and beyond. With a complimentary shuttle service to and from Portland International Jetport, your travel worries are taken care of.

Comfortable Rooms and Amenities
Relax in the classic rooms furnished with practical amenities such as a work desk, coffee maker, refrigerator, and microwave. Enjoy entertainment with cable TV or take a refreshing dip in the indoor pool. Additionally, stay connected with free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel.

Fitness and Dining Options
Maintain your workout routine in the gym equipped with floor-to-ceiling mirrors or catch up on work at the business center. Start your day right with a hot breakfast featuring delicious cinnamon rolls and fresh fruit. Room service is also available for your convenience.

Experience comfort and convenience at the South Portland Holiday Inn Express - book your stay now!

Important information:

Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: PWM

Location

Property Accessibility

Total Disability Score: 42.86
Public Area
  • Ramp: No
  • Entrance Leveled: No
  • Pet Friendly: No
Reception And Restaurant
  • Reception Hearing Accessible: No
  • Reception Wheelchair Accessible: No
  • Restaurant Wheelchair Accessible: No
Elevator
  • Elevator Audio Signals: No
  • Elevator Braille Numbers: No
  • Elevator Contrasting Buttons: No
  • Elevator Visual Signs: No
Show all accessibility features

Guest Reviews

8.3
Based on 344 reviews
Cleanliness: 8
Service: 8.6
Location: 9
Room Quality: 7.9
Amenities: 7.7
Value for Money: 7.8
Food and Beverage: 8.8
Overall Experience: 8.6
D
Doolittle • solo_traveller • us
10
Pros:

Comfortable King Size bed...friendly people and close to all attractions

Cons:

No bar on property

2026-10-07 • via Nuitee
J
John • couple • us
1
Not very pleasant. But nothing will change because like I said, I wrote the general manager of the hotel and he never re
Pros:

I didn’t like it

Cons:

The two front desk people were extremely rude, and it seemed like they were overworked… Across from my room was a barking dog. I requested two beds. They gave me one… Then when I complained about the barking dog, they suddenly found a room with two beds so they were basically lying to me. The next day, the front desk manager gave me a discount… That was nice however it still did take away the fact that our first couple of hours there were not very pleasant and the two other front desk people were back there the next day and they were kind of rude again… I wrote the manager a letter and the manager never responded. Which is a sure sign that they just want your money and don’t really care… The only one that seemed to care was the front desk manager of Mellisa. We all work hard for money and we all want. What’s advertising Booking.com… I’m getting really tired of bad service and rude behavior…

2026-09-17 • via Nuitee
D
Dawn Marie • couple • us
10
We had a really nice time in Portland and this hotel was very convenient and like I said it was clean and the bed was co
Pros:

We like that it was clean. The bed was nice.

2026-09-15 • via Nuitee
H
Hentino • solo_traveller • us
8
2026-09-12 • via Nuitee
H
HAROLD • couple • us
9
Pros:

The breakfast was great

Cons:

That I could not get a invoice for my say.

2026-09-09 • via Nuitee
R
Rizvana • extended_group • us
1
2026-09-09 • via Nuitee
O
Omer • solo_traveller • us
8
Right Choice for Portland
Pros:

The staff was amazing, everyone is so helpful and polite. The breakfast was also awesome, I did not expect that! Everything was spotless clean. I really appreciate the stay

Cons:

My only complaint is the 6th floor (where I stayed idk about the rest) was reeking dust smell the moment I got off the elevator. And the issue was present at my room since I am allergic to dust and it took me a day to recover fully. Please do a deep cleaning by carpet washing of the rooms and the common areas. It is long over due.

2026-09-08 • via Nuitee
F
Francis • couple • us
9
Great spot just off the interstate with plenty of restaurants nearby
Pros:

Very clean good location. Room was large and comfortable

2026-09-04 • via Nuitee
E
Ethan • family_with_children • us
10
Pros:

Everything

Cons:

Nothing to dislike

2026-08-31 • via Nuitee
H
heather • couple • us
10
2026-08-31 • via Nuitee
O
OLI HAMON • solo_traveller • fr
8
Pros:

Possibilité d avoir un check out retardé et de choisir une chambre plus calme. Grande chambre confortables bonne literie machine à café frigo micro-ondes

Cons:

Le petit déjeuner n est pas inclus et coute trop cher. La piscine extérieure ferme trop tôt : dans tous les holiday inn c est 23h et ici 19h30 !

2026-08-31 • via Nuitee
B
Barbara • family_with_children • us
8
2026-08-24 • via Nuitee
H
Heather • extended_group • us
6
Pros:

Big room close to all the shopping and restaurants

Cons:

There were bugs crawling all over the floor downstairs near the pool. The shower made a squealing noise and they could use some more searing for their breakfast area

2026-08-24 • via Nuitee
J
Jennifer • couple • us
10
2026-08-13 • via Nuitee
C
Carla • couple • us
8
Overall ,pleased with our experience and the attentiveness of staff. Wake u call was at exact time and shuttle wasn’t av
Pros:

Friendliness at check in , kudos to Melissa. Very informative regarding what to do in Portland. Rooms were very clean, kept up.

Cons:

The hallways leading to the rooms needed a better vacuuming.

2026-08-07 • via Nuitee
P
Paula • family_with_children • us
9
2026-08-03 • via Nuitee
S
Susanne • couple • us
10
Pros:

The bed was not hard

2026-07-23 • via Nuitee
C
Caroline • couple • us
10
Great hotel in a great location!
Pros:

Great location and friendly service!

Cons:

Nothing

2026-07-23 • via Nuitee
V
Valentina • solo_traveller • it
10
Pros:

Struttura moderna pulita e dotata di molti cinfort

2026-07-17 • via Nuitee
K
Kevyn • family_with_children • us
9
2026-07-16 • via Nuitee