Holiday Inn Express Bothell

What a great experience here at Holiday Inn Express in Bothell, WA. And kudos for helping out a fellow IHG employee! We came in at the hotel early at around 10am, knowing well we were way too early to check in. I was just thinking of dropping off our luggages at the hotel for safety reasons, while we continue to explore Seattle. Front desk was super accommodating and to me by surprise that she was able to check us in. That was super helpful for us and we were able to stretch our feet for a few minutes.

The room was very well kept and clean. We had a good view of nature from our room. The lobby was nice with a cool with a giant teddy bear greeting us guests. Breakfast was a standard fare, but I always love their thin crispy bacon. Holiday Inn Express is just a few miles from downtown Bothell and just a stones throw form I-405. I would not hesitate to stay again the Holiday Inn Express Bothell when we visit Seattle again.

I am normally a 3 star rater for HIX. I spend a lot of nights at them each year and assumed when I walked into this one it would be the same. Decor and layout was familiar. This one, however, I seemed to enjoy more.

The lady working the checkin was great. Loved her sense of humor. In fact all the staff I spoke with during my stay were like this. Friendly and out going.

Then there were the other little things. I was asked if I wanted a cookie and she went to the kitchen for one right out of the oven. They still have USA Today papers when the others quit during Covid. Even the weekly riddle to earn 500 points. There is dedicated platinum elite parking out front with parking passes to assure the proper guests are in them. The indoor pool stays open until midnight and check out is noon instead of 11. All these little things added up to make this stay one that ranks above most. It is for that reason I gave them the extra star!

This low score has nothing to do with the service or hotel clerk. We have preferred Holiday Inn Express hotels when traveling and used some accumulated points for a 3 night stay. The room was pretty terrible. It felt like we were in a hallway. Two of us could not pass one another to get to the bedroom or bathroom. The room looked nothing like the pictures. I don't know if they stuck us in a small room due to using points, but if that is the case, that's no way to treat loyal customers. We canceled our last night and left early. I guess we will have to start accumulating points at another hotel branch. Our last 3 stays at Holiday Inn express hotels had problems with room, remodeling, etc. No longer are IHG our trusted favorites.
Sorry, should have taken photos.

Front desk was friendly. Breakfast was the usual fare in all Holiday Inn Express we stayed in during our 10 day road trip. Our issue was there was no housekeeping in our room during our 2.5 day stay. We left our room each day about 1030 am and came back late evening to unmade beds, unthrown trash and no fresh towels. We saw housekeeping each day we left our rooms and expected them to clean our room upon our return each day like other hotels we visited.

Wonderful stay! From the moment I called and spoke to Billie Jean (she was amazing at answering questions and helping me book my stay. Very professional and polite!) to when I checked in. The woman at the front desk was very sweet and attentive to myself and my little daughter. The room was very clean and nice. I'm used to staying in primarily Hiltons and Marriotts, I will say that Holiday Inn Express was right on par with both of them, if not even better thought out. Updated looks, nice countertops, plenty of lighting, plenty of outlets, etc.
Can't forget the housekeeping staff that was also very polite and helpful!


Definitely will be back!

Do not stay here. Very rude late night front desk attendant. The cherry on top was a cockroach in the shower - when there's one, there are usually a million more. Brought it to the attention of the staff and all they said was that they would let maintenance know. Yikes.

Nice quiet location near the 405. The staff are friendly, hotel was clean, and service was great. When we first got to our room, it was super hot. The weather had been cold in the Seattle area, so I guess they cranked the heat in each room. Man it was hot. Beds were comfortable. They provide free DVD movies and gave us some microwaveable popcorn. This hotel wifi was decent, compared to many of there competitors.

The only downside was the breakfast. The fruit wasn't fresh. Apples were soft and all the bananas were split open. The omelettes were definitely not real eggs. They didn't have any hard boiled eggs either. If there's any area that needed improvement, it would be the breakfast. The breakfast room wasn't that big.

The hotel is convenient if you're needing access to the northern side of Seattle, though thanks to traffic most things are still a 20 minutes drive away. The parking lot seemed great but when we returned at 7pm we got the last spot in the immediate parking lot close to the hotel.

The lady on reception was very nice - not overly chatty but efficient, helpful and friendly. Told us about 6pm cookies warm from the oven - loads left when we returned at 7 and she was nice about my kids taking seconds.

The pool is small but functional and nice - not too cold, though no toilet pool side is a bit annoying.

The room was clean, the toiletries helpful and the beds were comfortable- the appliances were a little noisy but it didn't bother me.

So why 3 stars??? The waste - breakfast was a polystyrene, non-environmentally friendly nightmare. What wasn't polystyrene was plastic and there were no recycling facilities or composting facilities. The hotel is small enough they could use real plates and cutlery and install a dishwasher. It made me and my kids wince to use the stuff and to think of the waste going into landfill from this one hotel and all others like it. There was no need and for a hotel that encourages you to use towels thoughtfully, perhaps breakfast could be more thoughtful. The food was mediocre but really all enjoyment died because it was so grotesquely wasteful and damaging to the planets - understand that in this hotel even apples are wrapped in plastic!

We travel with 2 kids so Holiday Inn has been our hotel chain of choice & this hotel met our expectations for the chain. We were plesantly surprised by a text from the hotel while we were on our way with a reminder of our reservation & check-in time. The hotel itself is conveniently located near a shopping center so you can walk to find food & other necessaries. The lobby offers complimentary lemon water, coffee, & hot water for tea. Our room & bathroom were fresh & clean. The AC was loud & had an archaic red/blue temperature dial, so we were pleased to be able to crack open the window for fresh air instead. We noticed this hotel has a few innovative ways of being eco-friendly, including offering bonus points to rewards members who forgo daily housekeeping & full-size soaps/shampoos in the bathroom rather than the tiny travel-size bottles. Ice & vending are only on the 1st floor, so floors 2 & 3 will have to travel downstairs if needed. The indoor pool area is small with limited seating for non-swimmers. It can also get quite noisy if many folks are swimming. The room is warm & humid without an option to open the windows for fresh air. They do provide towels & a restroom nearby. The fitness center was the smallest I've seen but is equipped with enough to burn some vacation calories. The complimentary breakfast had many food options, & everything appeared warm & fresh. They even provide takeout boxes for folks that need to eat on the go. The staff were very friendly. Myra was working hard each morning to keep the breakfast well-stocked & the woman at the front desk (Rebecca?) was greeting everyone that came in, whether they were there to check in or not.

Filthy Dirty. if you get room 121 you better bring a gas mask and a poop bag. Carpet is completely worn out from the hundreds of dogs peeing and pooping. We couldnt breath. Heath department would shut it down. Breakfast is not fit to eat. Cmon man