OverviewLocated a 1-minute drive from the nearest Interstate 75 on-ramp and about a 15-minute drive from Sarasota's city centre, the Holiday Inn Express Sarasota East - 1-75 is geared towards road travellers who require a well-priced hotel with a free breakfast, extended kitchen amenities and easy highway access.
Each of this smoke-free hotel's guest rooms and suites comes equipped with free Wi-Fi, cable TV, an in-room safe, a coffeemaker, a mini-fridge, a microwave, a hair dryer, an iron and ironing board and a desk. Rooms with a separate bedroom, a kitchenette, a jetted tub, a sitting area with sofabed and a dining table are also available, and the hotel is wheelchair accessible.
Hotel amenities include a heated outdoor pool, a hot tub, fitness facilities, meeting/banquet space, a business centre, guest laundry, a gift shop, a free breakfast and free parking. Pets under 25 lbs are permitted for an additional $25 per pet, per day.
Siesta Key Beach is roughly a 14-minute drive away, while Palm Plaza Shopping Center can be found 6 minutes away by car. Livingston's Amusement Center is about a 3-minute drive from the hotel and Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) is a 20-minute drive away. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, pets up to 25 lbs $25/pet/night, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: December 31, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with praise going to the hotel's location, value, rooms and staff.
Numerous guests were pleased with the hotel's location. They found it to be easily accessible and close to highway access, Siesta Key Beach, restaurants, downtown Sarasota and gas stations.
Many reviewers enjoyed the hotel's value. They described the rates as reasonable, excellent and great and also cited the free breakfast as adding to the overall worth of the hotel.
The hotel's accommodations were praised by several lodgers. They found their rooms to be clean, spacious and quiet, with comfortable beds and good water pressure. A few patrons had complaints about their lodgings, however (see below).
Several travellers complimented the hotel's staff. They were characterized as friendly, accommodating, efficient and helpful with restaurant recommendations and directions.
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few complaints about noise transfer and the rooms.
A few guests complained of noise disturbances during their stay. They reported noise from guests congregating and slamming doors in the hallways, as well as noisy in-room air conditioning and noise from guests in adjacent rooms.
Although the majority of reviewers were pleased with their clean and comfortable lodgings, a few travellers had complaints about their accommodations. They reported uncomfortable beds with plastic mattress covers, inefficient air conditioning and dim lighting.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 4.3 out of 5 with a 91% recommendation rate from 412 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 8.3 out of 10 from 92 reviews.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #33 of 46 Sarasota hotels with an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 from 18 reviews.
The author called the hotel on December 31, 2013 to verify some information.
