OverviewLocated about a 2-minute drive from Route 167 and a 13-minute drive from Lafayette's city centre, the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites is geared towards road travellers who require a 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, a coffeemaker, a microwave, a mini-fridge, a desk, an iron and ironing board and a hair dryer. Rooms with a kitchenette, a dining table, a separate bedroom, a living area with sofabed and a jetted tub are also available, as are wheelchair-accessible rooms.
Hotel amenities include an outdoor pool, a fitness room, meeting space, a business centre, laundry services, free parking and a free buffet breakfast. Pets are not permitted.
The Mall of Acadiana is roughly a 4-minute drive from the hotel, while the University of Louisiana can be found 11 minutes away by car. The Cajundome is about a 10-minute drive away and Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT) is a 13-minute drive away. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, no pets, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: December 11, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's staff, breakfast, rooms and location.
Numerous guests praised the hotel's staff, and characterized them as friendly, accommodating and efficient. One patron noted, "I was so impressed with the staff. From the time we checked in until our departure, the customer service provided was the some of the best I've received in my life. Every staff member was friendly, knowledgable, and neatly presented".
The hotel's breakfast was the source of many compliments by reviewers. They described it as wonderful and great, with a good variety of hot and cold items and kind staff.
Several lodgers enjoyed their accommodations at the hotel. They found their rooms to be clean, spacious, well equipped and quiet, with efficient air conditioning and comfortable beds. A few travellers had complaints about their rooms, however (see below).
The hotel's location was convenient to several guests, who found it close to restaurants, highway access, the Mall of Acadiana and shopping. A few reviewers had difficulty finding the hotel, however (see below).
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few common complaints about the rooms and finding the hotel.
Although the majority of reviewers were pleased with their clean and well-equipped rooms, a few guests had complaints. They reported spotty Wi-Fi, musty odours, noise transfer from guests in adjacent rooms and noisy plastic protective sheets on the bed.
The hotel was difficult to find according to a few lodgers. One guest noted, "Holiday Inn Express has gone to low key signage and set-back properties. This one is behind the Chili's restaurant if you are struggling to locate it".
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 4.2 out of 5 with a 98% recommendation rate from 53 reviews.
Hotels.com guest reviews rated the hotel 4.3 out of 5 from 49 reviews.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #24 of 47 Lafayette hotels with an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 from 38 reviews.
The author called the hotel on December 11, 2013 to verify some information.
