The Best Holiday Inn Express I Have Ever Visited (Seriously – Check This Place Out!)

When I think of a Holiday Inn Express, I think of something cookie-cutter near an airport that you stay in because it is cheap, and all you are doing is mostly sleeping before a cruise or a flight. It is not something to be impressed with – but this one in Rock Falls, Illinois, is.

First up, as you can see, it is built right on the river and has stunning river views (more on that in a bit). Plus, it seems like it is either the best-maintained Holiday Inn Express I have ever stayed at or it is brand spanking new.

I was in town for the weekend for a golf outing with a buddy so we picked a room with two queen beds. The only thing was the reservation was on two different stays because I had two free night certs from my Chase IHG cards (one in my name, one in my wife’s name) and for the yearly ~$50 fee I got great value compared to booking direct. (I’m talking about the old IHG Select card. The next-best-thing is the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card*.) The hotel staff was super accommodating and not only let us stay in the same room both nights but coded the keys so we did not have to come back and re-code them in the morning (never had that happen before).

The beds were reasonably soft (I like a really soft bed, FYI – my buddy said they WERE soft) and everything in the room worked as expected and the room was very clean including the carpets. And the room came with a big perk:

We had a balcony that overlooked the river, so when I got up well before my buddy, who was blissfully snoring away at 6 AM, I could sit and take in eagles crying while fishing, as well as ducks, all types of seagulls, and even what I think was a mink hunting along the shoreline. Plus tons of fish jumping and splashing as the water flowed by. What an absolute treat and such a nice way to wake up.

The room had all the things you would expect and the bathroom was clean, The fridge was whisper quite and had a small ice box to freeze my ice bricks to keep drinks cold in my golf bag for the next day. Just perfect.

We asked the front desk for dinner choices around the area and they recommend a brew pub only minutes away and we had an enjoyable time watching golf on the big screens and then again in our room before drifting off. So a bit more about the hotel:

Compact workout room with well-equipped toys? Check! A number of laundry machines if you need? Check!

A compact but decent pool if you happen to be visiting with the kiddos? Yup! Sadly no hot tub as my friend was wanting to soak before the next days tournament. Ah well.

Breakfast was what you expect at a Holiday Inn Express but the attendant was very observant and everything was kept hot and well stocked. For a free breakfast (well included with room rate) it was just fine. Plus the views again at breakfast:

You could sit out on the patio and enjoy the river views as you dined. Just not what you expect at a budget hotel right?

I would never have considered taking the time to review a budget hotel that all look about the same but gosh this one was different and I have never stayed at one that offered so much and on the finer points (clean, service and so on) the hotel just hit it out of the park. I can see why it has a near 5 star rating on IHGs website as this is one to look to visit if you are ever in the Rock Falls area! – Rene

PS – If you are curious, my friend and I shot even par as a two-man team. We had tons of looks at birdies but could not make a putt to save our lives. The winners were -8 so…