I had a wonderful two-night stay at the Holiday Inn Saratoga Springs by IHG for a conference. I would be very happy to stay at this hotel again, whether it is for another conference or for tourism purposes. I would recommend this hotel to anyone coming to Saratoga Springs. This is not a luxury hotel, nor is it a budget hotel. It is a perfectly mid-range hotel in a great location! You can walk to Congress Park and all the downtown shops and restaurants in minutes. Saratoga Spa State park is just a 5-minute drive down the road.
Check in was quick and easy. All hotel staff were very friendly and welcoming, and the hotel was very well staffed. There is always someone available to greet you or assist you if needed.
There are no water bottle refill stations at this hotel, but they keep a very large pitcher of chilled spa water in the lobby (i.e., it’s got fresh fruit floating around in it and loads of ice cubes). Very refreshing! Just fill your bottles before you head to your room.
I stayed in the lovely, large room 437 on the fourth floor. My wing of the hallway was labeled “Quiet Zone.” I’ve never seen this in a hotel before…and I travel a lot! As a very light sleeper, I very much appreciated being in the Quiet Zone (and it WAS quiet). The view from this room was okay – just the hotel parking lot with Congress Park beyond it. That was fine, as I was mainly in the room for working and sleeping.
The room was absolutely packed with amenities. In addition to the expected toiletries of soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion, Holiday Inn Saratoga Springs provides an assortment of coffee and teas. The toiletries smelled very nice. The room also had a refrigerator, microwave, K-cup coffeemaker, and an extra ceiling heater in the bathroom for winter visits. There was a large television with cable that offered local channels. As a non-local, I found it entertaining to learn about the area by watching the local news.
The room was designed with cozy décor in earthy colors. There were more shelves, drawers, hooks, and surfaces than I could possibly fill with my belongings. I appreciated the variety of seating and lighting, along with a nice assortment of outlets and charging options. Seating included a bench and two armchairs.
The bed was comfortable and had plenty of pillows. The thermostat was easy to use and maintained the temperature appropriately. The blackout shade completely blocked outdoor light, creating nice, dark sleeping conditions. I had my white noise machine with me and did not hear any outdoor, hall, or neighboring room sounds while sleeping, although I could hear some noise when the machine was not on. The bathroom featured a shower/tub combination with fair water pressure. I never ran out of hot water.
The room was very clean. There was NO mold, dust, bugs, hairs, or leftover garbage from previous guests. You can also request or decline daily housekeeping based on your preference.
My only critique is that the ceiling tiles in the hallway on the 4th floor (I did not visit the other floors) looked grungy – like maybe they were the originals from when folks could smoke in hotels. That being said, all of common spaces in the hotel smelled quite nice – fresh and clean! I just remember coming out of the elevator on my first day, walking down the hallway to my room, seeing those ceiling tiles, and thinking to myself… oh boy, what kind of stay is this going to be? It gave budget hotel vibes… and absolutely did not match the walls and carpeting, which have clearly been updated.
Other than the ceiling, outside of my room I continued to have a wonderful experience in the hotel. In the lobby, there is a gift shop, restaurant, and bar. For the conference, the rooms, food, beverages, bathrooms, audiovisual equipment, and seating were all excellent.
I really had a nice stay. Well done, Holiday Inn Saratoga Springs!