I have been an International Hotel Group (IHG) member for a number of years, however my wife and I…read moreonly travel a few times a year. When we travel, we love to travel by car, enjoying the more scenic, less traveled, routes. At the end of June we were traveling from Port Huron, Michigan to the Twin Cities of Minnesota. The quicker route was through Chicago, but that route is a bit boring. We decided to travel through the U.P. of Michigan, a more scenic route for sure, and as such we planned to stay the night in Marinette, WI. The Holiday Inn Express in Marinette was our choice to accommodate our stay. Our stay was very enjoyable. The public areas and our room were well kept, clean, and comforting, but this was to be expected as the hotel was just a few years old. However, what really made our stay so enjoyable was the hotel staff. As our room was all that we expected, and we encountered no issues with our stay, we figured our contact would be minimal (Check in, and check out). This was far from what we experienced. As we moved around the hotel grabbing breakfast and bringing our belongings to our car, each and every member of the staff we encountered greeted us positively. "Good Morning", "How was your stay?" "What brings you to Marinette?". Cleaning staff, maintenance personnel, breakfast staff, everyone took a moment to be sure we were seen, and let us know they appreciated that my wife and I chose their hotel for our stay. As we enjoyed our breakfast, Sam, a member of the breakfast staff, took a few moments to speak with us, and made sure we had all that we needed. Sam even made sure we left with 2 extra cinnamon rolls for the road. On the day of our departure, it was expected to be very hot, with heat advisories throughout much of the upper Great Lakes area. We noticed that the hotel staff set out a cooler with ice cold bottles of water. The front desk staff encouraged every guest to grab a bottle or two to be sure they were properly hydrated. But this water was not just for guests, but for hotel staff as well. Each staff member was told to be sure they were getting enough water. The staff was being taken care of, not just the guests.
As we packed the last of our items in the car, I asked to speak with the manager on duty. I expressed to her that we truly enjoyed our stay not because of the comfort of our room, or our enjoyment of the breakfast provided, but because of how the staff treated us. The daytime manager became a bit emotional that my wife and I really enjoyed our stay. She said the general management of the hotel had changed recently, that the recent change was resulting in a boost in the morale of the staff. Whatever has changed, the work that is being done in Marinette, WI. should be stand as an example of how an IHG hotel should be managed. I have rarely been seriously disappointed by a stay at an IHG hotel, but this was by far the best stay we have experienced.
