Holiday Inn Express & Suites Abingdon, VA Review

Booking & Stay Details

I was out and about working on the Virginia Aviation Ambassador challenge. It was Memorial Day weekend and not a very good one. It was raining every day, sometimes more, sometimes less. Nevertheless, this wouldn’t stop me from becoming a Virginia Aviation Ambassador and it was actually perfect, as this challenge involved a lot of driving, and I didn’t care much if it rained or not. If it would be a nice sunny day, I would have been probably just mad for spending it all day in a car. I was down in the western regions of Virginia and needed a hotel for the night. I remembered that one of my IHG free night certificates was about to expire and looked for IHG hotels en route. I found the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Abingdon. It had award nights available, and a regular room was going for over $200/night. I used the IHG app on my phone to book the stay at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Abingdon. There was also a regular Holiday Inn which would be on my route, but that would mean I have to pay extra for breakfast, and also it might take slightly longer. I wanted to go down, eat breakfast, and head out to continue on.

Location

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Abingdon is located in Abingdon, VA along Interstate 81. It is close to the freeway, but not close enough for road noise to become an issue. The hotel sits on the outskirts of the town with easy access to the highway. A few restaurants and shops are close by, more can be found all over Abingdon.

Parking

Parking at this hotel is complimentary for all hotel guests. It has a big parking lot to accommodate all the guests.

Shuttle Service

No shuttle service is offered.

Check-In

It was after 8 p.m. when I arrived at the hotel. I parked in one of the open parking spots as I had only a backpack as luggage. As I walked in, ï was greeted by the front desk agent. The check-in was quick and easy as usual. I swiped my credit card for incidentals and got my room keys. The agent noticed my IHG status and apologized that he couldn’t upgrade me to a suite, as all suites were already booked. A suite is always nice, but to be honest, I was there only for a few hours to get some sleep and breakfast and I would head off again on my adventure. Therefore, I didn’t care much about not getting the upgrade. However, he gave me a room on the highest floor.

Check-In: 3 p.m.
Check-Out: 11 a.m.

1 King Bed Room

My room was on the top floor and almost all the way to the end of the hallway. As you walk into the room, you step into a small “foyer”. This area has a laminated floor and from here you enter the bathroom as well as the main room itself. In the foyer, you find a small corner shelf, a garbage can, a mid-size refrigerator, a coffee maker, and a microwave.

The bathroom is well-spaced. The vanity has a single sink and a wall-mounted mirror. At the end of the vanity is a pony wall, which separates the vanity from the toilet. On the other side of the bathroom is a spacious walk-in shower with sliding doors.

The bedroom area is very spacious. To the right and centered in the room is the King bed. It has a nightstand on either side which is mounted to the oversized headboard. Lights are mounted to the headboard as well on either side. Power outlets on USB ports are provided on each side of the bed as well. Next to the bed is a chaise lounge chair and lamp.

Opposite the bed is a large closet with lots of storage space. It holds an ironing board and an iron. Attached to the closet is a large suitcase stand which also is attached to a dresser. Above the dresser is a wall-mounted TV. A large work desk is also directly attached to the dresser and comes with a comfortable office chair. A window is located at the center of the room. Underneath the window is the room’s air conditioning unit.

Public Areas & Amenities

Lobby

Already when I drove up to the hotel, I noticed that the building was “brand new”. The Holiday Inn Express Abingdon opened in the fall of 2020. The lobby is beautiful and stylish and thanks to the glass front at the main entrance also flooded with light. Most of the lobby space is taken up by the seating area for breakfast. There are additional seats and chairs near the front desk as well as a business center.

Business Center

The business center is located in the lobby, and you can’t miss it on your way to the elevator from the front desk. It comes with one workstation and a printer. 

Fitness Center

The fitness center is very spacious and well-equipped with workout equipment. It comes with all the basics you expect from a hotel fitness center of that category. The fitness center is open 24/7.

Pool

This hotel comes with an indoor pool. There are only limited amounts of chairs and chaise loungers in the pool area. The pool is open from 10 a.m. – midnight.

Guest Laundry

The hotel offers a guest laundry facility with two washers and two dryers. All of them are coin-operated. There is also a small table in the guest laundry room.

Dining

Breakfast

The Breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Abingdon is complimentary for all hotel guests. It has a fairly good selection of breakfast items, and the service was fabulous. The staff always tried to be on top and restock everything. The buffet area is locked after breakfast ends, but the coffee station is outside and there is coffee available 24/7. There is even a small backyard patio available where you can enjoy your breakfast outdoors on a beautiful day.

Conclusion

My stay here at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Abingdon was amazing. As mentioned, I came here only for a few hours of sleep before continuing my road trip. The staff was great and very welcoming. Free Wi-Fi is offered to guests as well and it’s very fast. I really loved that this place was brand new, and it is a place I would go back to if I were ever in the area again.