Holiday Inn Express & Suites Denver South - Castle Rock

Great hotel. Clean premise and friendly staff.

I checked in around 10pm to 11pm on January 9th and immediately felt unwelcome. The front desk associate, Susan, kept the entrance door locked and conducted our entire initial interaction through the speaker. The door was only unlocked once I stated I intended to book a room. This interaction did not reflect hospitality or a welcoming customer experience. If keeping the door locked is policy, that should be clearly communicated to guests. Once inside, I asked routine questions regarding availability for a two-night stay, government/military discounts, breakfast, and checkout times. Susan responded abruptly, stating she would address everything only after check-in and informed me there were no discounts. Her tone and demeanor conveyed annoyance at both my questions and my presence. This behavior did not align with Holiday Inn’s customer service standards. During this interaction, I did not inquire about the hotel’s pet policy. Susan asked whether we were traveling with pets, and I answered no. She then replied, “Good, because we are not pet friendly,” delivering the comment with a tone and expression that reflected visible satisfaction. This remark, and the manner in which it was delivered, was unnecessary and made my 9-year-old daughter uncomfortable, hurting her feelings. It further reinforced the overall lack of warmth and professionalism during check-in. Throughout check-in, the door remained locked, requiring Susan to manually unlock it each time I went to and from my vehicle to retrieve luggage. Overall, her attitude suggested a lack of interest in hospitality or guest service. We were assigned Room 213, which had an extremely poor view (the entrance archway) with little to no visibility of the surrounding mountains. Guests seeking a view should avoid this room and adjacent rooms. The room itself was spacious and functional, though not luxurious. The pullout bed from the couch was horrible! Felt like I was sleeping on springs. Aside from that, breakfast was average at best. The following morning, I spoke with Joan regarding the military/government discount and the locked-door situation. Joan confirmed that Holiday Inn does offer military discounts but stated she was unsure how much to apply and provided a $5.00 adjustment. Regarding the locked doors, she explained that a nearby jail, prison or correctional facility presents safety concerns. If this is a known issue, it would be important information for guests to be aware of prior to arrival. I strongly recommend retraining staff at this location, particularly regarding customer service, communication, and hospitality expectations. Based on this experience, I do not plan to return to this location and am reconsidering future stays with the Holiday Inn brand. This may have been my first and last experience with Holiday Inn.

Staff was friendly and helpful. Quiet and very clean room. Breakfast was very good, coffee made fresh 24/7. Appears to be fairly new or recently renovated. Location very convenient. We ate at culvers next door which offered various options and fresh. Ihop was next door.