I stayed here a bunch on a combination of award and paid nights while looking for a place in Cleveland. At the time, the award rate was a great value (but I believe it has gone up since earlier this year.) That said, I had an overall positive experience and wouldn't hesitate to return if I found a decent rate.
First the bad stuff:
- The decor is dated (appears to be the same design from photos that are five years old)
- The first floor has an extremely awkward design. (When you enter by the front desk, you walk half the length of the building in order to access the elevators -- from there it is an elevator ride up, and a potential back track in the opposite direction (depending on the location of your room.)
- Elevators are a little funky. (Not as in unsafe, but one is often out of service.)
- Once had to ask for another room due to dirty sheets (hairs and stains... glad I checked.)
- A little bit of guest drama... During one stay I exited the elevator on my floor to be greeted to a giant pile of personal belongings. Clothing, bedding, toys, etc... No baggage, just a pile of stuff. Another time, guests in a neighboring room were screaming at each other during the wee hours of the morning.
Now the good stuff:
- Clean rooms (other than the one time with a dirty bed)
- The hotel promptly handled any service delivery issues (promptly offered a clean room along with a decent helping of breakfasts during the duration of my stay, and handled the screaming neighbors.)
- Mostly friendly and service-oriented staff. Darryl is who first comes to mind, but everyone with the exception of one front-desk clerk was engaging and helpful.
- Great location. If you have a car there is ample free parking, and you can still walk or drive across the street to the RTA station for an easy train trip.
- Shuttle service. Free shuttle rides to and from the airport, but also within a five mile trip. The five mile limit is a pretty hard and fast rule, but there is quite a bit within five miles.
Wifi varied substantially during each visit, but was mostly serviceable. I also found the restaurant to be pretty unremarkable, but I didn't try it for lunch or dinner. For breakfast it is about on par with Denny's and if you received a rate or have a voucher that covers breakfast, it isn't bad at all (but I wouldn't pay the menu prices for breakfast.) If you want similar quality breakfast, there is an actual Denny's just down W 150th on the other side of I-71.
Overall, this certainly isn't the Ritz. Heck, it's not even a current version of a Holiday Inn -- but it does have a lot of positive aspects, not the least of which is the staff. I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again or to recommend the Holiday Inn to a value conscious traveler looking for a decent hotel in a great location.