Holiday Inn Express & Suites Calgary Airport Trail NE by IHG

Reviews

• DM

  D Moore

  1 day ago
  1.0
  The rooms were decent, we had a quick stay due to being so close to the airport. The pool however is gross, the layer of grim along the waterline was actually disgusting, the pool was cold, the hot tub didnt work, and was also the temperature of most other hotel pools. We had to ask to get the lights turned on in there and ask for towels. Definitely not a traditional holiday inn experience. We come to calgary often and decided never again for this location. Kids liked the water slide at least.
• KH

  Kjelsi Hamilton

  5 days ago
  1.0
  We had the displeasure of staying at this hotel for two nights. We were traveling as a group, so unfortunately we had no choice but to stay. Here are some of the issues we experienced: Hot Water Problems: We had to run the hot water in our shower for a minimum of 25 minutes before it became even lukewarm. This happened repeatedly and was extremely inconvenient. No Pool Towels: When using the pool, there were absolutely no towels available. We asked the front desk for some and were told they would arrive in a few minutes. Thirty minutes later, they brought maybe six towels total—despite the pool being full of kids and parents. Dirty Elevators: The elevators were covered in spit for the entire weekend. The cleaning staff never addressed it during our stay, which was both unpleasant and concerning from a hygiene standpoint. Unacceptable Management Response: The most serious issue involved the General Manager, Mousa Joseph. Our truck was stolen on the first night of our stay, and the police requested access to the hotel’s security footage. Because it was Mousa’s day off, he refused to come in to assist. Initially, we were told he would come in, but the story quickly changed to “do not bother me on my day off.” When I asked to speak with him directly, the front desk staff were visibly nervous and hesitant, ultimately informing us that he would not be coming in under any circumstances. We had to wait 13 hours until the night manager arrived. This level of customer service, especially in an emergency situation, was appalling. We later learned that the area is known for frequent vehicle thefts, which made the lack of urgency even more troubling. Overall, this was a deeply disappointing and frustrating experience, and I would strongly caution others to consider these issues before booking at this location.
• JL

  Jackson L.

  Nov 13, 2025
  2.0
  Ya.. not great, but is ok. First room, broken shower handle (ok.. it happens). Replacement room, dirty sheets (noticed next morning.. eeeek - luckily, small stain was at foot of the bed), washroom sink - drain clogged (took quite a while for water to empty), missing chair.. etc.. They need better maintenance peeps!! And funny/not funny - they have two 'airport area', Holiday Inn Express locations. I was at the lobby getting something (around 11p) and two groups came in only to be told 'wrong location' - they were not happy since 1) it was late, and 2) 2nd group got there using an Uber. So, they had to get another transportation arrangement to go to the right hotel. Initially, we also went to the wrong one, only to be told told to go to other location (5 mins away. Lucky we were driving). I bet this happens a lot, which is not ideal.
• MP

  Mhel Pantony

  Nov 2, 2025
  1.0
  My family’s and friends experienced was horrible last October 25, 2025.. we booked for the hall and buffet for my daughter’s debut party. Its a buffet but they just gave them snall portion of food and when they went for second round they insisted that it’s just 1 per person for the salmon and chicken skewer. What’s the point of paying buffet if no enough food for the guest and for my family. So shocked when they told me that. I was ashed and embarrassed because i kept telling them that they can eat and go for more rounds. They said that the food wasn’t refilled its empty. So how come they’re going for 2nd or third round. One of the guests even when out to buy food because he wasn’t satisfied just for 1 skewer and 1 salmon mind you the skewer wasn’t that big. One thing more in refilling the water every time they asked they said again. Its just water. Even the knife when we asked to borrow foe cutting the cake they didn’t allow us good thing the manager was there i asked her. I was so busy that time so i didn’t checked the food. They just told me after the party when we went home. I hope next time that someone will book you will do your part because we prepared so Much for this occasion. Be aware for the complaints. Everything was amazing except for the food.
• TP

  Trixia Pantony

  Nov 2, 2025
  1.0
  DO NOT BOOK EVENTS HERE. Our experience took place on October 25, 2025, when my mom and I rented the ballroom for my debut (18th birthday) celebration. We invited our family and friends and spent almost a year planning this event to make sure everything would go smoothly. When we arrived to check in earlier in the day, the experience was already disappointing. I approached the front desk, and the staff member assisting me (a light-skinned woman) did not greet me at all. There was no “hello,” no smile, and no acknowledgment — I had to initiate the conversation myself. Throughout the interaction, she maintained an irritated tone, avoided eye contact, and did not show any interest in assisting us. It was unprofessional, unfriendly, and not the welcoming environment that a hotel should provide, especially when hosting guests for a large paid event. Fast forward to the day of the event, everything initially seemed fine for my mom and me. However, once the event was over and we were speaking with our family, we learned that the service provided to our guests was unacceptable. While my aunt was getting food, she overheard one of the staff members (a Filipina woman approximately in her 40s–50s) say, “Only give them a little bit.” Not only is this extremely unprofessional, but it directly contradicted what we paid for. In addition, the staff were not refilling the buffet dishes and were only giving each guest one small portion. This resulted in some of our family members not receiving enough food. In fact, one of my cousins had to leave to get food elsewhere because he was not given any. Considering that we paid almost $6K for what was supposed to be a buffet, this was unreasonable and embarrassing for us as hosts. We also noticed that several staff members appeared disengaged and unwilling to provide proper service. For an event of this scale, we expected staff who were attentive, professional, and prepared to meet the standards we were assured of. We were charged a service fee, yet the service we received did not reflect the value of that cost. When we raised this concern, we were told the service fee also covered the setup prior to the event. However, the setup is entirely separate from the quality of service during the event, and the service provided to our guests was far below the standard we were promised. So give us 50% refund of the service fee, as the on-site service itself was unprofessional and failed to meet basic expectations. I am currently studying Hospitality and Tourism Management, so I fully understand the importance of customer service, guest satisfaction, and maintaining consistent service standards. Whatever the Holiday Inn brand promise is meant to represent, it was not upheld in our experience. This event was planned for nearly a year to make sure everything would run smoothly and that our guests would be treated with care. Unfortunately, the level of service we received fell far below expectations and ultimately reflected poorly on us as hosts, which is incredibly disappointing considering the trust we placed in this hotel. I sincerely hope that management takes this feedback seriously and provides proper staff training, so future guests do not experience what we did.

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