Ok, so it's a HIE... you have certain expectations of these places and overall they don't disappoint.

Hotel exterior is nicely done... lobby, hallways and public areas are nicely decorated with reasonable quality furnishings... rooms are typical configuration of many hotels... and nicely appointed with pleasant colors, beds, fabrics, pictures, etc... the place does seem though like it was some other hotel before what with the bathroom door frames having quite a bit of old paint on them and the tub seeming to be of an old configuration.

However... there is no closet, just a little floor to ceiling cubby about 2.5 feet wide and enough hangars for a couple days worth of clothing. The icing on the cake was the ironing board/iron combo... where the bracket is bolted to the ironing surface of the board and the iron attached with a stretchy cord just long enough to reach the other end of the board...

I typically press my business clothes in the morning and was shocked to discover this lovely secure ironing board/iron combo that is more suited to the lower end of the lodging price scale... I called the front desk to inquire about their iron theft problem and the clerk assumed mine had been stolen - until I informed him that their conjoined pairs was most assuredly still there but I wanted a seperated pair. Unfortunately there were none available anywhere in the place.

So, during my multiple day stay, I had to budget twice as much time in my schedule to allow for clothes pressing - the added perk here was that due to poor availability of outlets, I had to use those found in the bathroom and place the contraption partway through the doorway... yet another strike.

My impression of the hotel was permanently jaded by this daily ironing board combo frustration and no matter the quality of everything else, it seriously diminished my rating of the place. I've stayed at hotels costing much, much less where they at least didn't assume every guest was a potential thief...

The final coup de grace was that herd of elephants living in the room above mine... they rose every day at 04:30 and thundered around until at least midnight every single day.

At least the breakfasts were decent and included the trademark cinammon rolls that I crave from any HIE stay.

This would have been a routine Holiday Inn Express stay if not for the superb breakfast and the attentiveness of Shirley, who kept the dining area clean and was always monitoring the buffet line. She deserves special mention.

I have stayed in this hotel at least 2 previous times. It has become my home away from home, because it is so relaxing,clean, quiet,etc. This last stay exceeded the other times, because my family from another state also joined me. They also enjoyed everything. (clean rooms,kindness,politeness,breakfast,etc.)
The breakfast is the "icing" on the cake, because Mrs. S. always takes care to make sure the food is hot and fresh and she always serves with a lovely smile. With a hotel like this, I don't mind driving long distances. This hotel makes it worth it all.

I stayed here for four days while attending a conference. Everything went very smooth. It was a nice hotel, and everyone there seemed to be really nice and helpful. Everyone from the desk staff, to the cleaning staff and the kitchen staff were very friendly. I would recommend this hotel if staying in Alexandria.