Whether you’re an IHG loyalist or just looking for a decent deal on a hotel room Holiday Inn Express is hard to beat. The brand’s location in Plantation, Florida just west of Fort Lauderdale is no exception. Let’s take a closer look.
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I booked the Holiday Inn Express Plantation for three nights from a Monday to Thursday in order to take advantage of the current promotion offering 3000 bonus points every two nights. More about maximizing hotel promotions here.
This stay came in at $112.01 per night average after taxes which is good for the area. The hotel’s got an Expedia rating of 8.0. Check the Expedia rates for your dates.
Holiday Inn Express Plantation Location
This hotel is a bit far away from the airport and cruise terminal and not particularly close to downtown. But it’s very central within Broward County and well away from the traffic of I-95 and 595.
If you’re planning a golf trip Plantation merits strong consideration with many courses nearby.
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University Drive is dominated by strip malls but that means there’s plenty nearby in terms of amenities. There are a number of options within walking distance for lunch and dinner.
Holiday Inn Express Plantation Property
This is a pretty large hotel and it gives the impression of having started its life as possibly a Hilton or Marriott. There are a number of conference/banquet rooms and some true suites, which aren’t found at newer Holiday Inn Express locations.
The gym is pretty small and sad. I was glad to find a Planet Fitness location nearby. The pool out back is pretty standard for a South Florida garden hotel. There’s no real lobby here but the breakfast area is quite large.
A quirk I didn’t like is that the front door of the hotel is nearly 300 feet from the road. The parking lot is configured such that there are very few parking spots near the door and guests have to walk 200-250 feet each way to their cars. Not ideal in a Florida afternoon rainstorm.
Holiday Inn Express Plantation Guest Rooms
Rooms here are pretty nice. I like carpet in a bedroom so that’s a plus for me. Being one of the most consistent brands out there, there’s not much to say about the rooms in each individual Holiday Inn Express. They’re all very similar.
They provide daily housekeeping here which is much appreciated in an era where many hotel owners are trying to get away with less frequent cleaning.
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I didn’t like the television here because there’s no channel guide at all. It’s impossible to know what channel you’re tuned to at any moment without inferring it from the program being shown. If you’re changing channels and looking for a particular program, and land on a channel in commerical it’s very frustrating not knowing if you should keep going or not.
About Plantation
Plantation is basically the same as Fort Lauderdale. The only distinctions have to do with local government and aren’t noticeable to a visitor. You just get on Broward Boulevard and zip to the beach.
It’s an upscale suburb and a growing area. There are a number of hotels here. There’s also plenty of golf courses if that’s your thing.
The area is home to the Broward Mall and the Fountain Shops development. If you’re in a hotel the area is surprisingly walkable because the hotels are all adjacent to the commercial areas. So even though the locals are zipping around in Audis and Benzes walking is fairly pleasant here. I prefer Plantation to Tamarac, Sunrise and most of the western towns.
Bottom Line
It’s a good hotel in a nice area. I don’t think anyone would pay much of a premium to stay here but if the prices are low for your dates You should probably go ahead and lock them in.
