Biloxi's Beach Front Holiday Inn
Written: Jul 03 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Free Shampoo & Toothpaste!
Read on...There's More!
Cons: Water pressure in the shower
The Bottom Line: I would definitely recommend staying at Holiday Inn, because
it's a well known chain. I strongly recommend making reservations in advance.
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| redhotleigh's Full Review: Holiday Inn Hotel and Resorts Chain |
I have vacationed in Biloxi, MS. several times during the adult years of my life. I always try to stay at Holiday Inn for the simple reason, it's a name I know and trust. I do not stay at the casino hotels. I am not a lucky person, and cannot afford to lose a bundle of cash.
I do strongly recommend you make reservations, no matter what time of year you choose to go. I made the mistake of going to Biloxi one year without making reservations. I am not likely to forget that trip any time soon. All the well known hotels were booked up. I had to stay in some 'mom & pop' dive. It was not a pleasant experience, to say the very least.
This year was no exception. When I arrived at Holiday Inn
they were holding a convention. Once again, there were no vacant rooms. Luckily I had made reservations over the internet. Nice to see some things never change.
Biloxi's Holiday Inn is located on Beach Boulevard. You can see the beach from the hotel. The only thing separating you from the beach is Beach Boulevard. Which, by the way is a very busy street. Be careful turning on to the road. If you do decide to walk across to the beach, when the light at the cross walk says walk, you should run! I have seen several accidents occur here.
This particular Holiday Inn is not one of the newer ones.
That is not a problem for me. The rooms are clean and well kept. All the rooms are nicely furnished with modern, color coordinated furnishings. I have found that all rooms are not furnished exactly the same. I have stayed in several of their rooms, and each one was different. The room I stayed in last year had a king size bed, and a sitting area. The room I stayed in this year had two double beds, and a table with two chairs.
The Hotel Grounds~
Holiday Inn has put some time and effort into the area surrounding the hotel. You will find numerous palm trees, caladiums, impatiens, and many other beautiful plants and flowers. The grounds are kept clean, and free of debris.
There is also a covered area leading into the hotel lobby.
Amenities~
Coffee maker,(with regular and decaf coffee, cups with lids, sugar, creamer , and artificial sweetener), a full size ironing board and iron, an am/fm clock radio,
a small blow dryer that is mounted and operated from the wall, a decent size television with cable, including HBO.
You will also find disposable laundry bags, theft proof hangers, clean towels, and the necessary toiletries.
FYI, they will also provide you with other personal items you may have forgot to pack, such as: comb, toothpaste, razors, and shaving cream.
I am very pleased with the amenities provided by Holiday Inn. I did not have to rough it, or do with out certain items. It was like "home away from home ".
The Pool Area~
Holiday Inn has a really nice full size swimming pool.
The pool area is complete with showers, tables with umbrellas, chairs and loungers. The area surrounding the pool is beautifully tiled, not just rough concrete. The entire pool area is fenced, and has several gates for easy entrance.
The pool itself, is clean and has three depths: four foot, six foot, and eight foot. You will find a ladder at each end of the pool. They also have a separate pool for the kiddies. The pool opens at ten am, and closes at ten pm. There is no life guard on duty. Children are not allowed to swim alone. Every child must be accompanied by an adult.
I thoroughly enjoyed the swimming pool. I think it is wonderful they don't allow children to swim alone. This may help in preventing children from drowning.
I just wish they would leave the pool open longer. When I am on vacation ten pm is way too early for sleep.
The Restaurant~
The restaurant is beautifully decorated in very light tones, mostly green with a touch of pink. The entire restaurant is furnished with tables, strategically placed to face the beach. You will not find one single booth here. They offer a breakfast buffet, as well as a decent menu.
The prices are average, approximately seven dollars a person. Children eat free, accompanied by a paying adult.
I personally did not eat in the hotel restaurant very often. There were so many other places to go, I did not want to limit myself. I did have the breakfast buffet one morning.
The breakfast buffet included: sausage, bacon, some type of hash, biscuits, gravy, hash browns, pancakes, several varieties of muffins, cereal, cottage cheese, yogurt, and several fresh fruits.
I enjoyed the buffet, except for the eggs. Avoid them! They taste like powder.
Staff and Service~
I found all of Holiday Inn's staff to be courteous and helpful. I really didn't need to ask for anything. Everything had already been provided and everyone had done their job.
I did ask for directions once~
and was helped by a friendly employee.
I would also like to add they are not under~staffed. My husband and I both noticed an abundance of house keepers.
The manager's number is provided, should you encounter any problems.
Environmentally Friendly~
Holiday Inn is trying to save water and electricity.
They do not change your sheets, unless you hang your "change sheets" sign on the door. Also, they would like for you to use your towels more than once. If you do not like using towels more than once, just throw them in the floor and they will be laundered. If you do not put your towels in the floor, they will assume you will use them again.
I think it is great the are trying to conserve. I don't feel the need to have my sheets changed every day. But I do want clean towels when I bathe. But, that's just me.
It seemed strange throwing wet towels on the floor. Especially since I preach to my children daily about keeping their clothes picked up.
Room Service~
Room service is provided. They do not offer as many selections as in the restaurant. The selections that are offered are priced the same as the restaurant. Kids eat free going this route also.
I did not use room service this trip. I like to take my children to see as many different places as possible.
Would I use room service?
You better believe it! If the circumstances were different and I was alone with my hubby, I would definitely be utilizing this service!
Safety~
Another thing I like about Holiday Inn.
The doors are key card operated. On each door there are three locks; the card operated, deadbolt, and a chain.
You are provided with safety literature
Don't flash large amounts of cash.
Never open your door unless you know who it is.
Another helpful tip~
If someone tells you they are with the hotel, call the front desk and confirm it.
There are sprinklers installed in every room.
Holiday Inn also provides you with information to keep you safe during a fire.
First~
Call the manager or front desk
Fold a wet towel into the shape of a triangle.
Tie this around your head, covering your nose and place the third corner in your mouth.
Do not jump from stories higher than the first floor
Place a wet folded towel under the door
They also give instructions to open windows, if needed.
My Complaints~
This Holiday Inn definitely has a problem with the water pressure. The shower has a shower massager. When used on the regular "spray " setting, I could not get the soap rinsed off, or the shampoo out of my hair.
When switched to "massage ", it pulses. This setting rinsed the soap off a little better. The "massage " setting cannot be used for rinsing your hair. Unless you happen to like being beat on the head. It was much work trying to get the shampoo out of my hair. You can forget conditioning, unless you use a leave~in!
The last day I was there, the chain in the back of the toilet kept falling off. I did not call the front desk, as I was leaving soon. Besides, I had my hubby with me.
Other Things Worth Mentioning~
Non smoking rooms are available upon request. Parking is adequate. They offer a laundry service. House keeping cleans and replenishes all amenities daily. Local telephone calls are free.
Overall~
In my opinion Holiday Inn is a good place to stay. It is a well known and respected hotel. The rooms are clean, and reasonably priced. Kids stay free and eat free, when accompanied by a paying adult.
Oh yeah, free cable and free ice!
What more could you ask for?
I hope I have helped with your purchasing decisions.
Thank you for reading!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
redhotleigh
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Member: Leigh Ann Brownstein
Location: Lakeland, Tennessee
Reviews written: 16
Trusted by: 45 members
About Me:
Just Hangin' Around~
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