Holiday Inn Express ALBANY - DOWNTOWN

Hotel rooms are to small very hot . Hair on the bed. I expected more from an Executive Room to expensive.Desk person was not to friendly either. Indoor pool was not to clean either. Sauna was cold also.I will not stay at this holiday express soon. this the worse Holiday Express I have stay in.

We booked this hotel since it was the preferred lodging for a nearby wedding. In that respect, it was very convenient. That said, the neighborhood is not great. The hotel is located close to what is considered the "waterfront" in Albany, but take my word for it, this neighborhood is not an area in which you would like to take a casual stroll...and the waterfront is not worth the walk. The waterfront is fairly barren, as is the neighborhood. The hotel is next to a bus station and a number of industrial buildings. After attempting a walk, we quickly retreated to our car and tried driving around the area. Unfortunately, we learned that this part of Albany is fairly economically depressed. Try as we might, the best that we could find was a section perhaps a half a mile away with a number of bars (and perhaps restaurants) spread over a two block stretch. We were sure that we were missing some area in which we could walk, take in the sites, and perhaps window shop...but both our experience and speaking with locals quickly dispelled this notion. It appears that many have abandoned the city for the suburbs...and there does not appear to be much left in the city for the average tourist. The good news is that the staff was super friendly and very helpful...and the rooms were clean. The views on the other hand...well, let's just say that if you get the view of the parking lot, you are lucky. Our view was of a highway and train tracks...and yes, the train comes by fairly often. In our travels we came across another HI Express further to the west that appeared to be in a safer, more suburban neighborhood. Again, it's not a walkable neighborhood, but I am getting the feeling that not many go to Albany to take in the sites. Sad. NY needs to invest more in their capital region.

They may have raised the rates because there was an event at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center at the time, but the hotel was a bit expensive. However, it had a shuttle that brought guests wherever they needed to go and provided breakfast in the morning. Great location and the shuttle definitely made it worth the stay because taxis are very expensive.

The staff was great. The location is accessible to the capital building.

Took the bus to Albany for the purpose of going to the track at Saratoga. Hotel is RIGHT next to bus station - major plus! Easy access to highway to get to Saratoga - another plus! Only down side is, well, it's Albany.

The Hotel room was decent, but the amenities were not. The breakfast did not start when it was scheduled to.

decent but not the best

I booked a room for the swearing-in ceremony for new attorneys admitted to the NY state bar, and I was pleased with the hotel overall. The hotel offers a free shuttle service (great for getting to the Convention center, which is where all business related to bar admission was taking place), and free parking. The interior of the hotel was surprisingly modern and clean; the free breakfast bar was pretty good. Free internet was also a plus. The only downside is the location of the hotel -- other than the Empire Plaza, there is nothing very interesting nearby.

The shuttle was great, took me to the train station and to the Times Union Center. Staff was freindly and helpful. Nice sizeed room.

The hotel itself is very nice and the staff is extremely kind and gentle. I used the hotel business center to access the internet and it worked fine. I also liked that I was able to get a free cup of coffee almost anytime during the day. However, the night I stayed, the hotel was full, and there was no parking in the hotel lot itself. While the staff directed me to a free lot across the street, and I ultimately had no problems, my car was not on hotel property and if anything had happened to it, the hotel could have disclaimed responsibility for that reason. Otherwise, this is a nice hotel, in a "so-so" area of downtown Albany with modern, clean, rooms and affordable pricing. I would stay there again if I could not find a room closer to my event up by the Capitol building.