Holiday Inn Long Beach, Long Beach

Admittedly, I was a bit hesitant of this Holiday Inn because of the location. When I arrived there and walked to the counter to check in, I was impressed. The staff is beyond excellent!....the room was very nice, clean, and quiet. Love it!...and they will be seeing me again! I particularly like to see the staff that is constantly busy...they were very professional...

What a stay! Ants all over the desk in the hotel room; No hot water in the room either morning; Window completely covered so NO view of anything (and the hotel was NOT booked, so they did not have to put me in this room); Painters banging outside my window all day; pool closed; poorly maintined gym and some of the equipment didn't work; Staff was friendly. Not the 3 1/2 star hotel I booked!

I stayed here while attending a conference which didn't have me at the hotel all that much. My room was on the street side which was likely a plus as the view to the back had multiple residences that were pretty run down. It appeared they're just finishing upgrading the place. They were just getting to put new mirrors in the bathrooms and hadn't reached mine yet. I got by without it by using the full length in the bedroom area. There's a Smart and Final about 100 yards away. I loaded the small fridge with some basic items and saved money on eating out or in the hotel restaurant. The room also had a microwave, so I was able to cook some frozen burrito's as well. It was great having a free shuttle to and from the convention center. I didn't have to wait long as it's only about a 5-10 minute drive. I walked from the convention center one evening. It wasn't bad, but I wouldn't advise it for someone that lacks the confidence of defense. The neighborhood gets rougher as you get further from the convention center. By the way, it took about 20 minutes of good paced walking to reach the hotel. I requested a wake up call each morning and it never failed. The cleaning crew made up the room each day without fail. Bed was very comfortable. Plenty of pillows. They had what appeared to be a pretty well stocked excersize room as well. Never had time to use it, and I don't think anyone else did either. There were t.v.'s in there, and the equipment looked up to date. The front counter help was very courtious. I had trouble once with the shuttle missing me at the center, but it was only because I wasn't informed where I should be expected to stand when waiting for it. After that it was smooth every time. The pool is in the back and faces the neighbors. It wasn't nice enough to check out, so I didn't bother. Probably good for a short dip.

The room was small, but clean. There is what apears to be a fountain in front of the hotel, but it wasn't working for some reason. The area looks to be high crime. I walked to the sevice station next door, and the clerk sits behind bullet proof glass. Houses nearby all have bars on the windows to keep the thieves out. The view out our window was of an alley, where we watched locals climb into the dumpster and dig though garbage. One man found discarded fried chicken, and sat down and had a meal, he found a half eaten banana for desert. Neadless to say I would not recommend this place.

Good condition, quality helpful staff, free shuttle service. 8 blocks to Long Beach downtown. Low crime location next to emergency hospital where police show up often. We had an enjoyable stay.