Holiday Inn Martinsburg
Written: Apr 14 '07 (Updated Apr 14 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Indoor pool, convenient location.
Cons: Undergoing renovations, so layout is confusing at this time.
The Bottom Line: Nice hotel with good indoor pool, I'd return.
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| sanctus's Full Review: Holiday Inn I-81 |
It was getting late. We were getting tired. All we wanted was a hotel. Oh, with an indoor pool. You see, my family travels without reservations. As we headed down I-81, we saw the billboard for the Holiday Inn, with the magic words - INDOOR POOL.
We have 3 children, 11, 10 and 7, and if there is anything better than turning them loose to swim after a long day in the car, I sure don't know about it.
We arrived about 9 pm. This hotel is located just off the exit from the highway, so it's easy to get to. It is the the middle of a bustling area of Martinsburg which includes many chain restaurants and a large shopping mall. Venture further into downtown, and there are some great outlet shops. It is also currently (3/07) undergoing rather dramatic renovations, so it's tricky to find the actual entrance. I entered the hotel through the entrance they would normally use for conferences and receptions, and found myself mixing with the wedding reception members who had just stepped out for a minute. Felt just a little under-dressed.
I actually walked past the check in desk once without noticing it. It was set up in a hallway, and no one was manning it. As I walked back the way I came, someone was there and I got checked in.
They gave me a choice of a King suite (king bed and pullout double couch) or a standard 2 double bed room. The standard was $99, the King suite $129. I opted for the standard. The front desk clerk then told me that earlier in the day, someone had requested moved out of the standard because it smelled like smoke.
This will not do. I have an asthmatic son. I asked if she could give us a break on the king suite since we simply couldn't stay in the other room for health reasons. She cut it to $100 even. Hey, if it's 9 pm and they still have a room, ask for a discount. You know and they know you're likely their only hope of filling that room.
Our room was on the first floor (check in on floor 3) and we were told we could pull the car around and enter on the ground level. Her directions were less than clear, as we ended up pulling into a fenced-in construction area, and having to back out the narrow road. We went around the other way.
The hallway almost put an end to the entire adventure. It smelled. Terribly. I thought like old kielbasa, my husband thought cheap cigar. Thankfully, the smell did not extend to the room, and was gone in the morning.
The room was a genuine 2-room suite with a bedroom door that closed. Heaven. Living area had a chair and the pullout couch. Coffee pot with those irritating little single serve coffees, and a refrigerator were provided. There was a tv in the living room. Once the couch was pulled out there wasn't much room to move around. It was tastefully decorated in tans and dark greens.
The bedroom had a king bed, very nice, and the color scheme was the same as the living room. There was also a Tv in the bedroom sitting on top of the dresser. Each side of the bed had its own end table. That's a touch I truly appreciate, as I do not like my glasses to be more then 6 inches away or I can't find them.
The bathroom was clean and reasonably spacious. Nothing special here. The shower wall had some chipped spots, but as they are refurbishing, I'd expect that to change. We had to call up for extra towels, and they were provided with in 10 minutes.
Next stop, the indoor pool. Something about riding an elevator UP to get to the pool always seems strange to me. The pool was a decent size, and the room was warm. Water was kept at a reasonably warm temperature - not bath-like, but not shocking to get into either. You know how indoor pool rooms are sometimes so infused with chlorine smell that you feel like you're being gassed? Not so here. While it was humid, the air was acceptably clean. Towels were provided. The room had skylights and a few nice windows. I'm not sure what chemicals they use in the pool, but my children's eyes were deeply red after swimming.
This hotel does not include breakfast, but does have room service and a restaurant on site. One little oddity we noticed the next morning while swimming - the restaurant overlooks the pool, so if you swim at breakfast time, you are the floor show. I did not so much like that.
Would I stay here again? It was a perfectly acceptable hotel, which will probably be quite nice once they finish working on it. I wouldn't make a special trip, but I'd stay there if I was passing through.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
sanctus
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Reviews written: 84
Trusted by: 16 members
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