Third time’s the charm!
My husband and I just want to thank the kind staff here that were able to book us at the last second, around midnight, due to our awful experiences at TWO other hotels we almost stayed at for a wedding we attended in St Paul. Since Eau Claire was already on the way towards home, we bit the bullet and decided to drive an hour, even though we were tired and frustrated due to the surprisingly nasty selection of hotels near the wedding venue (we’re talking about broken bathtubs, holes in the walls, roach traps, and questionable large stains all over mattresses, chairs, and walls).
We drove nearly 6 hours to get to the St Paul area for the wedding, so it was extremely disappointing we had to stress out about where we had to stay the night at the last second. THANKFULLY, we found this Holiday Inn Express & Suites. We were placed in a standard accessibility room, and it was spacious and CLEAN (yay!). Perhaps I have some biased feelings due to being so tired and delirious when we arrived to our room, but I found the bed heavenly plush and comfortable. The pillows were abundant and on the soft side, so if you’re more of a firm pillow person, they may not be your favorite. However, I had no issue with them and slept excellently!
Since we had an accessible room, we only had a shower. However, it was spacious and clean, and the shower had hot water with complimentary body wash, shampoo, and conditioner in the pumps. It was very refreshing after our long day and journey.
The continental breakfast was surprisingly excellent (I say surprisingly because you never know if continental will be alright or subpar). There were many options, including a pancake station, bagels, toast, cinnamon rolls, muffins, omelets (!!!) sausages, potato wedges, cereal, fruit, yogurt, and granola. There was a juice machine and a separate coffee station too. The food was warm and plentiful, and the area was kept clean, as it was noticeable that staff were diligently replenishing the stations and wiping down tables (despite it being busy).
Check out was seamless. You have the option to checkout digitally, but we decided to do it in person because we wanted to personally thank the front desk for being so accommodating last night. I wish we had a longer stay to check out the rest of the hotel, but for a last minute stay, it was perfect!
Another perk: the location is right off the interstate and close to coffee, restaurants, and gas stations. So if you’re traveling in the area and need to stay somewhere in a pinch, I HIGHLY recommend this place!
Overall, as someone who has travelled extensively all her life and stayed in an array of hotel chains, I can confidently say this place is managed well and looked after. It was also a great value for the price on a Saturday night. I would definitely stay here again if we’re ever back in the Eau Claire area. 😊