Overview
Located on Highway 11 and about a 7-minute drive from Saskatoon's city centre, the Holiday Inn Express Saskatoon is popular with visitors passing through or touring the area who require a hotel with easy highway access, extended kitchen amenities and free continental breakfast.
This non-smoking hotel has 119 air-conditioned guest rooms and suites, each offering free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a coffeemaker, a desk, an iron and ironing board and a hair dryer. Rooms with a kitchenette, a bathrobe for each guest, a separate bedroom and a seating area with a sofabed are also available.
Hotel amenities include an indoor pool, a hot tub, fitness facilities, meeting/conference space, a business centre, free parking and a free continental breakfast. The hotel also provides a free round-trip airport shuttle, running between 8 am and 5 pm (pre-booking required). Pets are permitted for an additional $10 per pet per day, and wheelchair-accessible rooms are available upon request.
Saigon Rose Restaurant is a 3-minute walk southeast of the hotel, while the University of Saskatchewan is roughly a 9-minute drive eastward. Midtown Plaza offers shopping about a 4-minute drive or 11-minute walk southeast of the hotel, and John G. Diefenbaker International Airport (YXE) is a 20-minute drive northwest. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, free airport shuttle (8 am - 5 pm, pre-booked), pets permitted for $10/pet/night, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: May 20, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's staff, breakfast and location.
Numerous guests were pleased with the level of customer service they received, and characterized the staff as courteous, warm and efficient. One lodger stated that the staff gave great restaurant recommendations.
The hotel's breakfast was the source of many compliments by reviewers, who described it as awesome, delicious and excellent. One guest mentioned that it offered a lot of variety.
Several lodgers praised the hotel's location, and described it as close to downtown, the South Saskatchewan River, a movie theatre, shopping, restaurants and the art centre. It should be noted, however, that a few guests had concerns about the location (see below).
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few common complaints about the rooms, the location and noise transfer.
While the majority of guests found their rooms to be clean, spacious and comfortable, a few reviewers had complaints about their accommodations. They reported worn decor, old furniture and broken TVs in their rooms.
Although the bulk of reviewers were pleased with the hotel's location, a few lodgers felt the surrounding area was sketchy and that the neighbourhood was rough. It was also mentioned by a couple guests that the downtown area was a little far to walk to.
A few lodgers complained of noise disturbances during their stays. They reported train noise from outside, as well as noise from rooms overhead and noisy in-room air conditioning units.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #11 out of 32 Saskatoon hotels with an average rating of 4 out of 5 from 119 reviews.
The author called the hotel on May 20, 2013 to verify some information.
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Analyzed by Erin H.
Erin loves to travel, and considers it her personal mission to help fellow travellers get the inside scoop, both good and bad, on Canadian Hotels.
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