Review of Holiday Inn Express - Kennesaw Georgia

Driving down from Chicago to Orlando this past summer, we had to pick an overnight stop to break up the long drive. We settled in on Holiday Inn Express for an overnight stay on the way down as well as return leg of our trip. We have had a decent overnight stay on another Holiday Inn Express hotel located in Tennessee a few years back so we decided to go with this hotel chain once again. The Holiday Inn Express we stayed was located in Kennesaw, Georgia. We did not need to pay an overnight rate as we benefited from a relatives accumulated travel point so that made our decision quite easy.

Holiday Inn Express - Room Quality

The rooms are quite large for what is considered a budget hotel. The room included two double beds, a flat screen television, and a nice desk work area. My father in law is a traveling businessman so I can see why he appreciates the separate work area with complimentary wifi. The beds were comfortable and the pillows even more so. We appreciated the fact that HIE uses triple sheets and skipped the comforter. Obviously Holiday Inn understands that comforters are the most germ prone areas of the hotel room and decided to do away with them. The sink and mirror are located in the bedroom area as opposed to the bathroom. I thought that was kind of odd, but no big deal.

The bathroom came with the typical bath accessories and linens that smelled fresh and looked like they were in top shape. I was impressed at the cleanliness of the tub area. I have stayed at higher end hotels that had tubs and showers that did not measure up to that of Holiday Inn Express of Kennesaw.

Our journey to the hotel from Chicago was mid June which involved hot muggy temperatures that followed us all the way to Georgia. Upon entering the room we were treated to a nice cool blast of air conditioning. The downside to the room and air conditioning was a slight odor coming from either the cooling unit or the carpeting. The odor has a slight mildew or musty tone. Apparently this smell was only associated with this particular unit as we did not experience this on our return stay a week later.

Holiday Inn Express - Amenities

Besides a decent night's rest, we were treated to a complimentary breakfast in the hotel lobby the next morning. The breakfast is above your usual continental fare of a wimpy Danish or bowl of cereal. The spread included scrambled eggs, biscuits, bacon, cinnamon rolls, and an assortment of fruit and other cold items including yogurt and juices.

We traveled with three kids so we were hard pressed to find a table on our return trip. We had to wait a few minutes for a table to clear and we did not have any luck finding a high chair for our one year old. I would recommend Holiday Inn Express consider equipping this location with a few high chairs for family travel.

The hotel also has a pool on site that we did not have time to use. The pool appeared busy when we checked in and some children seemed to be having a good time splashing around. The pool area does not include a life guard.

Holiday Inn Express - Overall

I would recommend fellow travelers traveling on I-75 looking for an Atlanta area stop to consider staying at Holiday Inn Express in Kennesaw, Georgia. The rates are fairly priced ranging from the $100 to $110 range depending on bed and amenity preferences. The hotel is situated in a safe area with lots of exposure to decent restaurants within walking distance. The facility does not include a fitness center, though guests are given complimentary fitness passes for an offsite facility.