Oxford's BEST Kept Secret? This Holiday Inn Express Will SHOCK You!
Okay, buckle up, because we're diving HEADFIRST into the supposed "BEST Kept Secret" – Oxford's Holiday Inn Express. And let me tell you, after enduring (and I mean enduring) the Oxford hotel scene for years, this ain't just another cookie-cutter stay. This is…well, this is something. Let’s be brutally honest and break it down, shall we?
SEO & Me, a Love-Hate Relationship
Before we get into the nitty-gritty (and the glorious, messy, human-ness of it all), let’s appease the SEO gods. Here's the deal, this review is gonna be thorough. So we’re covering EVERYTHING. Accessibility, internet, dining, amenities – the whole shebang. Don’t worry, I'll try to squeeze in some actual HUMOR amongst the keyword stuffing. Wish me luck!
Accessibility: A Mixed Bag (and My Bad Knees Agree)
Okay, first impressions? Accessibility is… present. They have some stuff in place.
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes, some of the rooms are. Crucially important. Check before booking.
- Facilities for disabled guests: Yes, but how GOOD are they? Gotta see it to believe it. And please, PLEASE call ahead to confirm specific needs. Don't trust a website blindly in this regard.
- Elevator: Yes. Thank the hotel gods. My knees, they're old, and staircases are the enemy.
Frankly, the accessibility is good, but not perfect. This is not a five star hotel. But, this Holiday Inn Express might have enough services to keep you on the road.
Internet: Free Wi-Fi – Hallelujah! (And a Few Grumbles)
Okay, this is one area where the Holiday Inn kinda gets it right.
- Free Wi-Fi in all rooms: Yes! Praise be to the internet gods! This is a HUGE win.
- Internet Access: Yes. You know…the thing that lets you…well, find out if your flight has been canceled.
- Internet [LAN]: Maybe? Didn't ask. Who even uses LAN anymore? #MillennialProblems
- Wi-Fi in Public Areas: Yep. Although, the signal in the lobby was a little spotty. (Minor imperfection, but it's real!)
Now, the Big Grumble: While the Wi-Fi is free, it wasn't always blazing fast. I’m talking, the kind of speed that makes streaming a cat video a frustrating multi-stage ordeal. And let's be honest, in this day and age, that's a crime! Need a faster signal for a Zoom meeting? You might be in for a spot of misery. But overall, it's free, and it works.
Cleanliness and Safety: Feeling Safe-ish (Mostly)
- Anti-viral cleaning products: Supposedly. Let's hope they're not just saying that. They're using them.
- Daily disinfection in common areas: Good. Necessary.
- Room sanitization opt-out available: Seems logical.
- Rooms sanitized between stays: Phew! That's important.
- Hand sanitizer: Present. More common than air. Good.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: Hope so. I didn't see anyone sneezing on anyone else, so, kudos.
- Smoke alarms: Present. (Also a good thing.) This hotel is playing it safe.
- Fire extinguisher: Present. Not that I'd know how to use it.
- Safe dining setup: More on that later, but it's there.
Overall: Cleanliness seems to be a priority, which is HUGE for peace of mind. I felt…relatively safe.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: Surprisingly Okay (and a Touch Chaotic)
This is where things get interesting. The Holiday Inn Express isn't exactly a culinary destination, but it’s far from the disaster I'd braced myself for.
- Breakfast [buffet]: YES! The Holy Grail of hotel stays. The buffet is…well, it’s a Holiday Inn Express buffet. The usual suspects. Eggs, toast, cereal, the suspicious-looking sausage. But you know what? It’s FREE. And it’s… fine. I filled up, ready to take on Oxford.
- Breakfast Takeaway Service: Excellent. A lifesaver for those early starts. Grab your coffee and run!
- Coffee/tea in restaurant: Yep - and it’s free at breakfast. Score!
- Snack Bar: Don't remember seeing one.
- Restaurants: There are restaurants nearby. This Hotel DOESN'T have many eating facilities.
- Bar: Nope.
Honestly? The breakfast saved me. It's not gourmet, but it's convenient, and it gets the job done. I wouldn't plan a romantic meal here, but for fuel before Oxford sightseeing, it's perfect.
Services and Conveniences: Mostly Useful (and a Little Bland)
- Air conditioning in public area: Yes. Which is a lifesaver if you happen to get caught in an Oxford heatwave.
- Air Conditioning: Yes, baby! Essential for a comfortable stay, no matter the season.
- Cash withdrawal: Don't recall seeing any ATMs on site.
- Concierge: Nope. You're on your own, but hey, that’s what Google is for!
- Currency exchange: Not that I know.
- Daily housekeeping: Yes. Thank God!
- Doorman: Nope.
- Dry cleaning: Unsure.
- Elevator: Yes. We're getting repetitive here.
- Essential condiments: Unsure.
- Facilities for disabled guests: Mentioned above.
- Food delivery: Unknown.
- Indoor venue for special events: Possibly, but it's not the hotel's priority.
- Invoice provided: Likely, because that's what hotels do.
- Ironing service: I think so.
- Laundry service: Probably.
- Luggage storage: Yes. Useful for those early check-ins/late check-outs.
- Meeting/banquet facilities: Indeed. It's there.
- Meetings: Check.
- On-site event hosting: Probably, in the meeting rooms.
- Safety deposit boxes: Probably, at reception.
- Terrace: Don't recall.
Overall, the services are standard, functional, and get the job done. Nothing particularly WOWs you, but nothing’s missing either.
For the Kids: Family-ish Friendly (But Maybe Not for Tiny Humans)
- Babysitting service: Unsure.
- Family/child friendly: Yes, to a point. Kids are welcome.
- Kids meal: Likely Not.
This hotel is family-friendly-ish, but don't expect a Disney experience. It is, for a Holiday Inn Express, not bad.
Access: It's a Hotel, You Get In (Mostly)
- CCTV in common areas: Yes. The watchful eye of the camera.
- CCTV outside property: Probably.
- Check-in/out [express]: Yes, a godsend.
- *Check-in/out [private]: Unsure.
- Exterior corridor: Nope.
- *Front desk [24-hour]: Yes. Always a bonus.
- Security [24-hour]: Presumably.
Getting Around: Parking, Taxi, and a Prayer
- Car park [free of charge]: YES! Parking in Oxford is notoriously expensive, so this is a HUGE win.
- Car park [on-site]: Yep.
- Taxi service: You can get one of those.
- Airport transfer: Ask them.
Available in All Rooms: The Essentials (and More!)
I'm just going to list these…
- Air conditioning: YES!
- Alarm clock: Yep.
- Bathrobes: Nope.
- Bathroom phone: Don't remember.
- Bathtub: Maybe!
- Blackout curtains: Probably.
- Carpeting: Yes.
- Closet: Yes.
- Coffee/tea maker: Yep.
- Complimentary tea: Yes.
- Daily housekeeping: Yes.
- Desk: Yep.
- Extra long bed: Yes!
- Free bottled water: Yes, that's nice.
Alright, buckle up, buttercups! Because this ain't your grandma's perfectly-formatted itinerary. This is a messy, real-life, probably-going-to-get-hangry-at-some-point kind of adventure at the HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS HOTEL AND SUITES OXFORD By IHG in Oxford, Mississippi. Let's do this…
The (Probably Too Ambitious) Oxford Odyssey: A Stream-of-Consciousness Itinerary (Yeah, I said it!)
Day 1: Arrival, Expectations, and the Existential Dread of Travel
- 1:00 PM - Arrival at Oxford, MS. Airport/Bus Station (Okay, let's be honest, it's probably a tiny regional airport. Prepare for that smell of jet fuel and forced enthusiasm. I'm already anticipating a long, winding drive to the hotel. Pray for a driver who knows how to use cruise control). Quick aside: why do they call them "suites" when half the time they're basically just a slightly-larger-than-average room with a pull-out couch? Hmm… philosophical musings before baggage claim. Love this for me).
- 1:30 PM - Check-in at HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS HOTEL AND SUITES OXFORD By IHG (Crossing fingers for a friendly welcome and a room that isn’t on the first floor facing the parking lot. Remember the time I ended up in a room directly next to the ice machine? The ANGUISH).
- 2:00 PM - Room Reconnaissance & Mild Panic (Unpack. Assess the situation. Is the Wi-Fi strong enough for Instagram? Crucial. Does the TV actually work? (Spoiler alert: probably not). Oh, and the shower. Pray to the shower Gods for water pressure that's above a trickle. And for NO hair in the drain. Please).
- 2:30 PM - Lunch at City Grocery (Okay, everyone raves about this place. Expectations are HIGH. Nervous face. Hopefully, I remembered to pack comfortable shoes because I've heard it sometimes takes an hour to get a reservation. Praying the menu doesn't involve anything weird like "deconstructed haggis." I'm not adventurous, people, I need comfort food.
- 4:00 PM - Stroll around the Square. (If I'm not still recovering from lunch.) (Okay, let's be real - the goal is to not look like a total tourist. I'm going to try to channel "effortlessly cool local." Good luck to me. This involves a LOT of pretending I "just happened" to be here and not mapping out every damn photo opportunity on Google Maps. The Square's reputation precedes it. I will get a picture with the Faulkner statue. It's mandatory.)
- 6:00 PM - Dinner somewhere… Maybe. Depends on how much I eat at City Grocery. (If I actually make it through City Grocery, I may need to just order room service… or take a nap. Okay, I'm going to be honest with myself: I probably will nap. Travel fatigue is REAL. And the allure of a comfy bed… strong.)
- 8:00 PM - Netflix & Chill (Alone, In My Room) (Okay, I am so there for this. Ordering pizza. Sticking to my comfort zone. Probably watching re-runs of "The Office." Pure bliss).
Day 2: Ole Miss, Regret, and the Search for Coffee
- 7:00 AM - Wake up… (Or try to). The Hotel Breakfast Battle. (Free breakfast? Bless the Holiday Inn. It is here to save us. Hoping for waffles and decent coffee. Praying it doesn't involve pre-packaged, rubbery scrambled eggs. Send help. Oh, and also pray for the quiet time. Hotels at breakfast are almost always the busiest).
- 8:00 AM - Explore the Ole Miss Campus (And Fight the Urge to Pretend I'm a Student. Again.) (The Grove! It's iconic. I'm going to try not to get run over by a golf cart full of sorority girls. I’ll try to blend in, not get lost. Seriously. I am directionally challenged).
- 9:00 AM - A very long walk. Searching for good coffee (The hotel's coffee is always… a gamble. This is critical, people. I need my caffeine fix. Google Maps, lead the way! Maybe there's a quirky little cafe I can discover. If not, Starbucks it is (sigh)).
- 10:00 AM - (Hopefully) Good Coffee: (The coffee shop will be a haven. I'm going to sit, observe, pretend to be a writer. Basically, a professional coffee drinker).
- 11:00 AM - A deeper dive into Ole Miss (Maybe a museum? Or just wandering around again, wondering if I could actually handle college right now. The answer is no. Absolutely no).
- 1:00 PM - Lunch. Where? (Suggestions, people. I'm open to anything that isn't deep-fried. …Unless it's REALLY good deep-fried.)
- 2:00 PM - The Faulkner House and… Wait. Where is it? (This is where the map-checking and the "lost in thought" look come into play. I'm pretty sure I won't find the Faulkner home. I will probably get lost. I'm trying to be cool, and cool people don't admit they're directionally challenged).
- 4:00 PM - A Visit to the Hotel Pool… (If I'm feeling brave) (Public pools. The place where awkwardness goes to thrive. I'll judge the depth of the water. I will judge the swimmers. I might even bring a book and pretend to read it. This could be a disaster).
- 6:00 PM - Dinner and (Unsuccessful) Attempt to Watch the Sunset (I'm predicting ordering pizza AGAIN. Possibly in the wrong location. Definitely in my room. And most definitely giving up on the sunset because I'm too tired to find a good view).
- 8:00 PM - Early Bedtime. The Sweet Embrace of Sleep. (Unless the ice machine decides to go rogue).
Day 3: Departure and the Bitter-Sweet Reality of Going Home
- 7:00 AM - The Hotel Breakfast Sacrifice (Again) (Pray for waffles, people. Pray for waffles).
- 8:00 AM - Final Packing…and Regret. (Did I buy enough souvenirs? Did I see everything? Did I eat enough? The answer to all of those is probably no. There is a high chance I have missed something incredibly awesome.)
- 9:00 AM - Check-out. Farewell, Oxford! (Okay, I'm already thinking about my next trip. Maybe somewhere warm, with better coffee. And less walking. But for now, goodbye, Oxford!)
- 10:00 AM - Depart from Oxford (Theoretically on Time) (I'm not someone who consistently arrives on time. Expect the delayed departure, the last-minute scramble. That's a fact of life).
- 12:00 PM - Arrive at home. The End? (No, it's never the end. It's the beginning of planning the next trip). The end! (For now).
Is this Holiday Inn Express *really* Oxford's best-kept secret? Because, like, secrets are supposed to be, you know, *secret*?
Okay, okay, let's be real. It's a Holiday Inn Express. "Secret" is a strong word. More like...an affordable option that *doesn't* completely ruin your trip to Oxford. I mean, it's not the Ashmolean Museum, is it? But, it's *decent*, and in Oxford, decent can be a win. Especially when you see the hotel prices around here. Remember that time someone suggested a B&B with a shared bathroom? Shudder. This is *much* better than that, I guarantee you.
What's the deal with breakfast? I've heard *horror stories* about hotel breakfasts.
Oh, breakfast. The eternal struggle. This one... it's okay. Okay-adjacent. There's the usual suspects: continental options, sad-looking pastries, and a waffle machine that you have to guard like a hawk. I swear, people LEAP at those things. Once, I saw a woman LOAD UP *six* waffles, then proceeded to leave half of them on her plate. The disrespect! I did *not* leave her alone. I went back for a second, and third, and maybe a fourth waffle. Don't judge me. It's all part of the experience. Don't expect gourmet, expect fuel. And remember to grab extra napkins. They definitely run out quickly.
Is the location actually good? Because Oxford's a pain to navigate.
Alright, *this* is where things get interesting. I'm usually pretty terrible at getting around. I get lost in my own kitchen, so Oxford's a minefield. The location? It's *fine*. Not smack-bang in the city center, which is nice, to be honest. The bus service is actually surprisingly good. There's a LOT cheaper and quicker than some of the other options. I once walked from the hotel, thinking, "Oh, it's a lovely stroll!" Two and a half hours later, and legs that felt like they’d been through a meat grinder, I'd reached the Ashmolean. Lessons were learned.
The "SHOCK"… what is it? Is it good? (Please tell me it's not roach infested; I can't handle that.)
Okay, deep breath. The "SHOCK" is… (drumroll)… probably that it’s actually *clean* and functional. Seriously. I'm not saying it's a luxury palace (definitely not), but my room was clean. The shower worked. The bed was…comfortable enough. I once stayed in a place that had a *bed* that was more like a saggy hammock. This… this was not that. Maybe that's the shock. The sheer *competence* of it all. No roaches, at least not that I saw. (Knock on wood. A lot of wood.) Don't expect a five-star spa experience, but you’ll get a good night's sleep, and that's GOLD.
Are the staff nice? Because that can make or break a stay, you know?
The staff were... perfectly pleasant. No over-the-top greetings or forced smiles (thank goodness; I hate that). No rudeness, either. They were helpful when I needed help with something but they were also cool. I remember asking them for the wifi password like six times (I had some issues, what can I say?) and they never once made me feel like I was a complete idiot. That's a win. Honestly, decent customer service is a HUGE deal. We're all human, and even the most fabulous hotel can be ruined if the staff is a bunch of jerks.
Okay, so, really, what's the *biggest* drawback? Spill the tea!
Hmm. The *biggest* drawback, for me? The *noise* sometimes. You know how hotel walls are thin? Well, the walls here are… not exactly soundproof. I could hear the people in the next room… singing. It wasn’t even good singing. Honestly, it sounded like a dying cat being butchered by a chainsaw. On the upside (and this is a big *upside*): I managed to get some great earplugs. Bring earplugs. Seriously. Pack them. Trust me. They'll save your sanity. And maybe their chainsaw cat.
Would you stay there again? Is it *really* that much better than other Oxford options?
Honestly? Yes. I would. Oxford hotels are *expensive*. And let's be frank, some of them are… well, they're not great. I'd choose the Holiday Inn Express over those dodgy B&Bs any day of the week. Is it perfect? No. Is it "shocking"? Maybe not. But it's a solid, affordable, clean, and conveniently located option. And hey, after a day of battling tourists and trying to understand medieval philosophy, a decent bed and a slightly dodgy waffle are all you need. Just...bring the earplugs. And maybe a sense of humor. You'll need it.
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