My wife and I prepared an anniversary trip to Austin for last week. Searching this hotel, we expected more. Let us first start with the description vs the actual hotel.
Per the description, there is a roof-top pool. Well...sure, the pool is on the roof...of the parking garage. When searching, I tried to find out if the indigo pool and the Holiday Inn Express pool were the same. Well, if you are looking for that answer...they are. This hotel is not one side of the building. The upper floors are for Indigo, and the lower floors are Holiday Inn Express. We often stay at HIE hotels and have no problems with them. I opted to use more of our IHG points to get a "better experience" for our anniversary and failed. All the amenities are shared with HIE. Check in was in the same lobby (with no A/C). Pool was practically one level above ground (on the parking garage) with shared entrances. Gym, was on the HIE floor. Since everything was shared, I did ask if the HIE breakfast is part of our room package. Staff told me no, but since I asked he gave me a voucher for 2 meals and 2 drinks for breakfast at their restaurant (which also had no AC). That was nice of him. So, as for the description, I hoped for more, not just different decor in an HIE room. Especially with the extra cost.
Speaking of rooms. We did receive a tour of multiple rooms. This was not a good thing though. The first room we checked into and unpacked everything to get ready for a nice dinner. Quickly I noticed some water on the floor in the bathroom. I thought one of us must have splashed from the sink or something (which I thought was weird). Later, I heard gurgling from the drains. Well, this may be a problem later, I thought. Then I noticed when I stepped into the bathroom between the shower and the commode, water came from the seams of the laminate planks. Water from the shower, or the toilet, who knows? Also, when we arrived the room was at 72 degrees. By the time we finished getting ready for dinner it was up to 75! So, on the way out, I spoke again to Mathew, who said they would move us to a different room when we get back from dinner.
Upon arriving and repacking everything, we called the front desk and Mathew came up to give us new keys for a room on the next level up. He looked at the room and saw that there was a long crack in the shower pan. That must be where the water was coming from. So, we moved, checked into the next room on the 9th floor and noticed it was a little smaller. No big deal, but obviously a little different. We checked the restroom and the floor was dry. "Ok, this will work," we thought. We unpacked, again, and then got ready to go out and walk around downtown. While getting ready and placing things on the nightstand, I stepped by the bed and lo-and-behold, my sock was wet. I looked and water was coming from the floor again, but this time the water was running behind the shower. I looked at the shower and you would not believe it...the same type of crack. Well, we know this is from the shower. Should we stay or ask to be moved again?
We decided to stay for the moment, and finished getting ready. When leaving, Mathew asked about the room. I told him. He was shocked. He said they wanted to do everything they could to make our stay right. He offered a discount, I told him we used points for the room. He said he would return some to me. He offered a suite. I told him I was not trying to get something for free and he said he understood and just wanted to make our stay right. I accepted and he said he would note our account so that we could change rooms upon our arrival from downtown.
When we got back, I spoke to the new lady at the counter. She said she saw the note and gave me new key cards for a new room on the 7th floor. So, we went up, packed up, and moved again. But surprise, this was no suite as promised. It was the same smaller room. I checked all the flooring around the bathroom, and all was dry. No cracks in the shower pan. So, we stayed. While the room was comfortable, it was consistent with a HIE room with different decor. There was also no microwave. We had thought about eating our leftovers from dinner and our walk to the food trucks at one point, but did not want to try to search out a microwave and/or carry our meals to the lobby to heat up. When it came time to check out, I could not believe what happened next.
We each have a method of doing things, and mine may be different than yours. I do not like my dirty clothes to be with my clean clothes while staying in the hotel. I also, don't want the extra space taken up with my suitcase being open in the room. So, I place my dirty clothes in a pile in a corner away from everything and out of the way until I am ready to pack up.
Well, while picking up my clothes from off the floor, sitting by the Air conditioner cover, they were soaking wet. I folded them, tried to place dry clothes on the bottom, and quickly they were dripping into my suitcase. I had to place them into a plastic bag to protect my luggage! Yep, you guessed it, water was leaking up from the floor by the A/C and my clothes soaked it up. Well, we are 3 for 3 now.
Now the service: When checking in online, there was an option for requests. I asked for extra towels and pillows in the room. There were none. There was on option to opt-out of room service to earn bonus points. We selected and never had room service, but also never received the bonus points. We never received any refunded points as Mathew had said. We also never got the suite that was promised. We enjoyed the complimentary breakfast, in the hot muggy lobby/restaurant area. Friday night, I decided to order some spinach artichoke dip and a Cheeseburger from the room service. There is an automatic 18% gratuity added to the bill. 35 minutes later, I text the number that confirmed my order to check on the status. The AI response was that they would check and have someone get back with me. They never did, and 10 minutes later a knock on the door with my food. 45 minutes for a cheeseburger?
The parking garage is also shared with Holiday Inn express and has lots of marking saying so. The first 3 floors are for valet parking only. My suggestion, park on level (-4) to go directly into the lobby from the garage. Otherwise you have to enter, take the garage elevator to the lobby, then take the hotel elevator to your floor.
I know I mentioned how hot the lobby is. I had seen that on other reviews as well. Just for clarity, I live in N. Texas and know about the heat and humidity. But the little fans they have in the lobby are not enough. I feel for the employees.
Would I stay here again? Probably not. Would I choose the Holiday inn Express on the lower floors since it is all the same amenities? Probably not since it is probably run by the same staff and maintenance. Was it horrible? No, but it did put a damper on our 29th anniversary trip...pun intended.
