We needed an overnight in central Jersey and since I was unsure of the area, I wasn’t exactly sure what kind of hotels would be decent in that area. Based on pictures online, I booked two rooms at the Holiday Inn Express in Neptune. I trusted the Holiday Inn Express brand and was hoping that this hotel was as nice in person as online. Oh my goodness, it was even nicer!

When you pull up, its façade is simply beautiful. The hotel is done in all neutral tones and the portico is beautiful. Parking was slim right out front but ample on the sides of the hotel, however we always got a spot out front. The front desk team at the Holiday Inn Express in Neptune was truly top-notch. Tiara was amazing on the phone when I called to confirm, amazing at customer service in person, and overall seemed genuinely happy to help the guests. I might add that the free Otis Spunkmeyer cookies upon check-in lightened our moods after a long drive….. GOOD THINKING on the part of the hotel management! (Sorry….we took eight!)

THE LOBBY

The lobby of the Holiday Inn Express in Neptune is simplistic yet beautiful. It is very metropolitan in style but gives off a boutique feel. The furniture is streamlined and functional in a NYC way but its smallness and intimacy makes it feel less commercial. This was true of the wallpaper, the carpet, and the light fixtures. The lobby was pristine in cleanliness. The elevator and the unmanned Business Center are right off the lobby. I needed to print our itinerary in the Business Center and was pleased with the speed of the computers as well as the high-end printer!

Behind the lobby entrance is the area where the free continental breakfast is served. The room doubles as a public lounge with a giant flat screen tv for evening viewing. If there is to be one complaint it is that the solo elevator is painfully slow. There are no stairs in the center of the hotel (the reception area is dead center to the hotel) to quickly go up one flight. The fire stairs are located at each end of the hallways. Unfortunately, we were located directly off the elevator on our floor. This is a MILD nuisance, if a nuisance at all.

THE INDOOR POOL

The hotel has a small indoor heated pool that was open until 10 pm each night. My daughter spent half an hour in there and loved it. There are extremely comfortable lounge chairs around the perimeter. I watched Netflix on the hotel’s FREE WIFI while she swam. There are even towels provided poolside in case you didn’t bring your own. Next door is a small workout room as well.

THE BREAKFAST

Breakfast is my favorite meal, especially when it is free! The Holiday Inn Express in Neptune offers free continental breakfast from 6 – 10 am. There were many options including scrambled eggs and sausage patties, fresh made pancakes, French toast, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, cereal, and an assortment of Danish. There were also bagels and fresh fruit. It was quite ample. The coffee was also very good!

THE ROOM

The Holiday Inn Express in Neptune’s room were beyond immaculate. We had two rooms across the hall from one another (there are NO connecting rooms in this hotel). Each of our rooms were identical in cleanliness. The beds are firm with two types of pillows on each (the pillowcases are labeled Firm or Soft). The room had a desk and chair, a dresser with television, a coffee maker setup, a mini refrigerator, and an ample closet with ironing board and a safe. The carpet was a low pile metropolitan print that was gorgeous! The window treatments were lovely and the heating/cooling worked beautifully. The bathrooms were clean and modern looking with granite countertops. The shower was strong. All in all, the room was a pure pleasure to stay in. Lastly, the bathroom sign offered replacements for forgotten items and I ended up calling for a toothbrush that my daughter forgot. They brought up two!

FINAL THOUGHTS

This hotel’s location pitches proximity to the Jersey Shore but being unfamiliar with Jersey I cannot vouch for this. Maybe you should call Snookie or J-Woww? Regardless, this hotel was delightful and pleasant and if I ever need to stay around here again I would pick this Holiday Inn Express any day. It is located within a mile or three of Applebee’s (where we ate dinner), Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Ruby Tuesday, and many more eateries. There is also a Premium Outlet Shopping Center up the road.

The Holiday Inn Express in Neptune, New Jersey far exceeds the typical chain hotel experience.   I highly recommend this place!


<<<Thank you to Di for the speed in which she added this!!!>>> 

Recommended: Yes