On our way back from wonderful Belize, we had a layover in Dallas/Fort Worth (Texas) where we decided to stay the night and wake up super-early to catch our early morning flight out.
Review: Holiday Inn Express Irving DFW Airport North (Dallas, Texas)
Since I had a $20 IHG offer on my Citi Rewards+ card, we chose to stay at the all-suite Holiday Inn Express Irving DFW Airport North in Dallas, Texas.
Since this is a “vanilla hotel”, this will be a quick review.
Hotel Lobby (Image: ihg.com)
At A Glance: Holiday Inn Express Irving DFW Airport North
- Official Websites: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Irving DFW Airport North
- Average Nightly Cost During Stay: $98.80 USD ($113.62 w/ taxes and fees included)
- Loyalty Program: IHG Rewards
- Loyalty Category: N/A
- Discount Applied: Citi Rewards+ $20 Off of IHG Offer
- Room Type: 2 Double Bed Studio Nonsmoking
- Upgrade: Higher Floor
- Resort Fee: N/A
- Parking Fee: None
- Goods & Services Tax (GST): N/A
- Hotel Tax: 8.89%
- Service Charge: N/A
- Hotel Departure Transfer Fee: Free Shuttle to/from DFW
Free Shuttle
Our flight arrived at DFW pretty late at night, so we were eager to get to our hotel quickly and get some shuteye.
Unfortunately, things didn’t quite work out that way.
The first obstacle to our precious slumber was the free shuttle, which arrived about 40 minutes late.
When it finally arrived, we noticed there was a large crowd of people waiting [fighting] to get one of the few coveted spots on the shuttle.
This was likely due to the fact that the shuttle not only dropped off at the Holiday Inn Express Irving DFW Airport North, but it also dropped off at – count’em – 10 other hotels! See the photo below.
As you can imagine, the shuttle wasn’t in the best condition, and we were packed in like sardines. Well, more like unmasked sardines carrying giant sized luggage fit for international travel.
Front Desk
When we finally arrived at the front desk for check-in, there was a very long line. But it seemed to go fast because the two gentlemen at the front desk “seemed” to be “on it”.
Front Desk (Image: ihg.com)
Room #1 (First Try)
With our keys finally in hand, we made our way up to the room. As we entered, looks of confusion swept over us as we found blankets on the floor, the couch bed halfway pulled out, and the two beds in the room stripped bare (see the photos below).
Room #2 (Second Time’s The Charm)
I marched back down to the front desk, skipping the line this time, and pointed to the pictures of the room I just took on my phone. The reaction of the guys at the front desk was like, “Whhhhaaaaaaaaatttttt? That’s crazy!”. They apologized and handed me some new keys instantly on the spot.
Room #2 was ready to go. It was clean and decked out in the typical Holiday Inn Express no frills décor.
I hit the bed like a ton of bricks, and I can vouch that the bed was comfortable.
Living Area
(Image: ihg.com)
Closet
Room Amenities
Bedroom
Bathroom
Breakfast
(Image: ihg.com)
Bottom-Line Review: Holiday Inn Express Irving DFW Airport North (Dallas, Texas)
On the plus side, the Holiday Inn Express Irving DFW Airport North in Dallas was an all-suite hotel, a known commodity with free breakfast, quick (and funny) customer service, and free door to door shuttle service.
On the negative side, the hotel was very busy, and our first room didn’t quite work out. By far the worst thing about our overall experience was the shuttle – which was unacceptably late during pick-up – and had to carry guests to 11 different hotels!
Still, the hotel served its purpose as a clean and comfortable place to stay the night, close to the airport, at a price that can’t be beat.
Final rating: 6.5 out of 10.
