Holiday Inn Express & Suites West Ocean City, an IHG Hotel

We had issues with our IHG points and were told all those rooms were booked despite a no black out. The ONLY REASON we stayed here was because it was Pet friendly . We we got here the clerk did upgrade us to a suite, and it was appreciated. The "suite" consisted of a love seat and a coffee table area . Anyway after driving 4.5 hours to get there our 8 y/o grandson had to use the men's room that was out of order . We were told at that time that the pool to was closed. Not off to a great start. We get to the room and there's a foot long hole in the carpet.
Over looked all this because my grandson loves hotel life called dibs on the bed and was happy as can be.
With all of this above said, the staff couldn't be any nicer and accommodating . The free breakfast in the morning was pretty good and changed somewhat day to day, with a huge variety of food. There was an area to bring the dog for it's business and they even provided bags . Location wise I thought it was great, it was a 5 minute drive to the strip, and boardwalk, and all the great restaurants around the area.
At the end of the day we left satisfied. But I'll leave my dog home next time and get a beach view on the strip.

Friendly front desk staff and had treats for visitors with dogs. The room was clean and comfortable. Only small issues was the refrigerator was full of ice and the door won’t close all the way and the AC when it turned on is very noisy. Overall great place and location.

At first glance, everything seemed fine—the hotel was clean and staff at check-in were friendly. We were greeted kindly, checked in quickly, and given information about breakfast and amenities. The room itself was narrow for something called a “suite,” but it appeared clean and we were so happy to have arrived to our vacation destination. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives ended.

One of the main reasons we booked this hotel was because Expedia advertised rollaway beds, and I personally called the hotel front desk the week prior (my phone log says Wednesday 8/6 at 2:37pm) and spoke with someone to confirm it was noted on our reservation and would be ready for us upon arrival. When we arrived, not only was there no rollaway bed in the room, but I was told the hotel doesn’t have them at all. Instead, it was suggested I “make a bed on the floor” with blankets - on damp, old carpet. That suggestion was both unsanitary and unacceptable.

Because canceling would have been nonrefundable and relocating with four kids at the last minute was impossible, we were stuck. We had to spend time and money buying an air mattress and pump from Walmart, wasting much of our first evening. What should have been a relaxing start to vacation became stressful, chaotic, and unnecessarily expensive.

The sofa pullout mattress was also in terrible condition - essentially springs with a cloth cover and no padding. There was no bedding provided for it either, so we had to request sheets. I ended up layering multiple comforters to make it bearable, but it was still an awful sleeping situation. I was devastated that my choice of hotel left my family in these conditions.

To be fair, the front desk attendant that first evening did provide extra blankets and pillows, and she also confirmed that I had indeed called the hotel directly the week prior - meaning the misinformation about rollaway beds came from their own staff, not Expedia.

Other issues quickly piled on. The indoor pool, another reason we chose this property, was so cloudy and murky that two of my kids refused to get in. The one who did developed itchy skin within minutes, so the pool was unusable for the rest of our stay. The bathroom toiletries (body wash and conditioner) were empty when we arrived, and although our reservation was for six people, only four towels were provided. Both required additional calls to the front desk.

Breakfast was equally frustrating. One of my children has food allergies, and when I asked about ingredients - specifically for the sausage - the staff member dismissively told me, “I don’t know” and “I don’t have it.” No packaging or allergen information was available, which is unacceptable for a major hotel brand.

Finally, multiple nights we returned late from the boardwalk to find a side door propped open. Whether by guests or staff, this posed a serious security concern.

Overall, this stay was far from the family-friendly, comfortable experience that was advertised. Between misinformation, poor amenities, safety concerns, and lack of allergen awareness, this was one of the most disappointing hotel stays we’ve had. I encourage the hotel itself to retrain staff on its own amenities, properly maintain its facilities, and provide food allergen information for future guests.