Holiday Inn Express Newington - Hartford by IHG

I just met the nicest, most awesome front desk person in all of hospitality. Seriously! Getting to check in 2 hours early is a rare gift that's enormously appreciated. Many hotels, especially the busy ones, fiercely protect those 4 hours, between 11AM check-out and 3PM check-in. This is because what's actually half of a standard 8-hour shift is often all the time they have to get rooms cleaned and ready to put their best foot forward with their guests. Only a few minutes spent reading hotel reviews online is all it takes to understand a large segment of the general public appears to have unrealistic expectations of the accommodations they seem convinced they paid outrageous sums to rent for a night. The reality is most properties survive on net profit margins between 5 and 10 percent. Yes, there are companies in certain industries who would kill to net 5%, but their revenue volumes are exponentially larger than even the biggest hotels. The hours from 11AM to 4PM are typically the most busy, often chaotic hours of the day for someone who works the front desk, and if you notice - they're frequently there by themselves. The phones ring constantly, there's often someone at the desk and several others impatiently waiting behind them, and stressful multitasking becomes a way of work life. At most hotels, it's entirely up to the discretion of the front desk staff regarding whether they will take time out from their hurried preparations to check the system for rooms ready prior to 3PM. They always have the option to tell people who call, or drop by the lobby, they're sorry, but no - they don't/won't be able to accommodate any early check-in requests. And you can trust me when I say "no" is the answer you can count on getting to that 'early check-in" request from at least 90% of all hotels all over the country. This is especially true of the busiest locations or during peak seasonal travel periods, when their properties may be legitimately 100% booked every day for a week or more. Knowing all this, and having experienced pretty much all that's possible from hotels overall, doesn't stop me from asking about the possibility of an early check-in. Sometimes your funky schedule lands you at a hotel at 1PM regardless of your attempts to avoid it. Trust me: few things can be as painfully boring as waiting around for a couple hours to check-in. So, when an attractive young woman, who's obviously as busy as she is smart, stops down to do all she can to get you in a room a couple hours early, it really is a much bigger deal than most people realize. Knowing this hotel has people like her, who do their jobs with passion, because taking the best care they can of all their guests, is important to them on a personal level, should be all you need to know about whether this place is worthy of your consideration. That's my opinion anyway, and I'll bet if you choose to stay here, and especially if you get to meet her, you'll agree she absolutely really is all that!

Very pleased with the hotel! Didn’t get to check out the pool as we were there for a wedding and didn’t have the time. Breakfast was good imo, good amount of variety. I liked how the curtain was

Been here only about a night, but I’m very pleasantly surprised by the outstanding service. One of the front desk workers, Neet. He’s been very attentive, and helpful. I’ve had a few problems and he’s helped me out with exceptional customer service, highly recommend.

Stayed for one night for a concert in the area. The room was clean, modern and comfortable. The staff was nice and accommodating. I forgot my toothpaste and they had some readily available. The phone in the room was broken, which wasn't a big deal, but it meant I had to go down to the front desk to get the toothpaste. I did not have the complimentary breakfast, but there is one available.

I've stayed at Holiday Inn Express(s) in many different cities over the past 8 years, and they're all fairly nice, clean, and with comfortable beds and pillows, and this one was no different. I have the location 4 stars only because it's on the turnpike, meaning that you can't turn left out onto the turnpike. Just make a right, go down a few lights and make a U-turn (to go left). A minor inconvenience really. I'd still stay there again!

It is hard to rate this hotel because the facility is good. However,it's located in an area where there is no real public transportation and one must depend on Uber for everything. It is also an area where walking. Is done at ones own risk due to the lack of sidewalksYou do it at your own risk. On the positive side, the breakfast is really good with a great variety to choose from. You can't even make your own pancakes. He's a very quiet facility and it's a great place to relax. I just wished the hotel had more options to assist the guests with transportation that doesn't involve the kind of money and required to travel by Ubers or taxis. I don't think Hartford supposed to have a bus line. You'll be lucky if you run across a bus near that hotel.

Sometimes luxury isn’t just about fancy décor or beautiful spaces. And trust me, this place is absolutely stunning. But the real luxury here is the people. I can’t even put into words how welcomed and taken care of I felt. Even though my stay was short, they made it feel like home in a way that’s hard to explain. Paulette and Shannon were incredible, and the kitchen and housekeeping professionals were just as amazing. Every single person went above and beyond. They treated me like royalty, honestly more than I ever expected or even felt I deserved. I truly can’t think of another place where I’ve been treated with so much genuine kindness and care. It wasn’t just great service. It felt personal. And that’s something really special.

Rooms are very nice and clean. Bed is comfy the pillows are firm but I like that. The hotel it self is very clean feels new. Staff was friendly. We stayed in a 2 queen room Eros like they could but a 3rd queen in it very large. If I had anything to say against the room is maybe another light due to the size was a little dark lol