We had a one night stay at the hotel for a show at the Gibson Theater at Universal City Walk at Universal Studios. Other than staying at the very pricey hotels adjacent to Universal, staying at the Holiday Inn Express was a wonderful choice.
I was concerned about the negative remarks on this website, but found that the hotel was much better than I thought it would be.
The hotel is conveniently located at the 101 South (Hollywood) Freeway. Across the street is a Chevron gas station. Within walking distance, there are a couple of quaint restaurants.
When we checked into our room (Room #310), we found a large basket of complimentary chocolates, cookies, and 2 bottled waters. The room had a view of an alley - it wasn't offensive, but it wasn't the best, either. However, I would take the alley over a hotel roof.
The room itself was immaculate. There were two Queen beds along with a desk, executive chair, lounge chair, and bench. We had ordered a rollaway bed ($15 extra cost) but it would have been too crowded to have the rollaway in the room. The room also had three phones in the room (one on the nightstand, one on the desk, and one in the bathroom).
The bathroom is spacious and clean. The tub is one of the cleanest I have ever seen, and I have stayed at many hotels. It has a very nice Kohler shower head, and the curtain is on a rod that is curved for more bathing space. The towels are of high quality,.
The room and hallway was quiet even though the hotel was full. With regard to the "bleach smell" - I would say the smell is more like a cleaner smell with a floral scent. It is not offensive and is actually pleasant because you know the hotel and room is clean. The carpet was in excellent condition - very clean with no tears and no worn spots. The ice machines are modern and dispense ice quickly. Hotel is well maintained. The hotel room card must be used in order to access the elevator.
The breakfast is nice and is served from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. We did not experience any crowds at all - there were only 2 or 3 at any given time. There is a nice selection of bagels, cinnamon rolls, crossaints, hard boiled eggs, dry cereals (several choices), oatmeal, muffins, donuts, and a variety of juices and water along with hot tea and coffee.
Universal Studios is 1.5 miles away. It is challenging to exit the hotel because there is a three way signal light at the hotel. The signal is confusing. You cannot walk to Universal, but the hotel is one of the closest other than the very pricey ones adjacent to Universal Studios.
Internet access is free, however, guests must obtain a cable from the front desk. You must connect the cable to your laptop at the desk, so it is not so convenient, as you must be at the desk to do work rather than any other part of the room.
Lastly, the parking is limited. Guests must place a paper placard in the window to show they are guests at the room. In addition, latecomers end up parking next to the office rather than in a spot.
Otherwise, I feel the room and the hotel was a good deal (I booked two months in advance) and was well worth what we paid. I would stay there again and recommend it to other travelers.
hotel reviews