My husband and I travel quite a bit, so we’ve stayed at our fair share of hotels over the years. Because of that, we know that mistakes can happen. What truly matters is how they’re handled, and this Holiday Inn Express delivered one of the best customer service experiences we’ve ever had.
We recently stayed here after spending the day at Rehoboth Beach. We arrived around 5:00 p.m. to check in. Since check-in is at 3:00 p.m., we assumed our room would be ready. During the check-in process, the gentleman at the front desk stepped away to confirm that it was. After being told everything was set, we headed upstairs with our luggage cart. When we got to our room, we found the door cracked open and quickly realized it hadn’t been cleaned yet. To make matters worse, after a long day at the beach, I desperately needed to use the restroom.
My husband went back downstairs to let the front desk know what had happened, and before I knew it, at least six staff members came rushing down the hallway to make things right.
I especially want to recognize Lakeshia, the Director of Housekeeping, and Anshe (I hope I’m spelling her name correctly). They immediately jumped into action, directing the housekeeping team with urgency and incredible organization. What impressed me even more was that they didn’t just supervise—they rolled up their sleeves and worked right alongside their team, helping clean the room themselves. Everyone had a specific task, and it was honestly amazing to watch. Within about five minutes, the room was spotless, beautifully made up, and ready for us.
Before they left, Lakeshia asked us to inspect the room to make sure everything met our expectations. She and her entire team apologized several times, thanked us for our patience and understanding, and made us feel genuinely appreciated as guests. Their professionalism, teamwork, and commitment to making things right completely turned around what could have been a very frustrating experience.
The hotel itself was clean, and every staff member we encountered throughout our stay was friendly and welcoming. It’s also a dog-friendly hotel. We saw several dogs during our stay, yet it was surprisingly quiet—we never heard barking or experienced any disturbances.
The only downside for us was the pillows. We personally didn’t find them very comfortable, but that’s simply a matter of preference and certainly wouldn’t keep us from staying here again.
As frequent travelers, we can honestly say this was one of the best examples of customer service we’ve experienced at any hotel. A delayed room two hours after the published check-in time could have easily set the tone for a disappointing stay, but instead, the incredible response from the staff completely changed our impression.
Thank you to Lakeshia, Anshe, and the entire team for turning an unfortunate situation into an experience we’ll remember for all the right reasons. We would absolutely stay here again and highly recommend this Holiday Inn Express to anyone visiting the Rehoboth Beach area.