This hotel is a good value considering the super convenient location near the university. However, even though the lobby was recently remodeled they have yet to remodel the rooms which is supposedly happening in 2023. So even though the rooms are old The Establishment does a good job at keeping them clean. Would definitely recommend for anyone that wants to be within walking distance of the university. The bathroom is small and dingy but clean. The beds are very comfortable. 5 stars for location 3 for the rooms equals 4 star average . read more

I stay at the Holiday Inn Gainesville on University for one reason and one reason only: location, location, location. It's walking distance to UF, sorority row, a few bars, and whatever restaurants students swarm after midnight. If convenience is your love language, this place is your soulmate. The rooms are clean and surprisingly spacious. Recently renovated. The staff is friendly, attentive, and they offer Otis Spunkmeyer cookies upon check in. Just don't confuse this Holiday Inn with the other one in town. Oh no. This one comes with none of the usual perks. No free buffet breakfast where you can lament about the Gators, no happy hour, no "we're-a-mid-tier-chain-but-we-try" extras. Instead, you can purchase your made-to-order breakfast like a responsible adult... or hope your room rate includes it. There's also no coffee or tea station. But fear not, you can walk to the nearby Starbucks inside a Publix and caffeinate like the champion. They do sell a few snacks on-site, but think "airport convenience shelf," not "ooh, options." Free parking is a major plus, though it's monitored like Fort Knox, especially on home game weekends when the hotel price magically jumps to about five times its normal rate. Ah, Gainesville economics. On the bright side, it's connected to Piesano's, which means pizza, pasta, and garlic knots are readily available without getting back in your car. During this last visit, I learned that they have a shuttle that will take guests to the Gainesville airport. This place thrives because of where it is, not what it offers. Convenience and proximity to campus make this a good choice. read more

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Under renovation and not your standard Holiday Inn amenities. HOWEVER, the outdoors pool on the 3rd floor is the reason you want to stay here. It is awesome. Decent room and all else. Renovations in progress. Shower Water pressure and temperature are fickle. AC unit is old school but reasonably functional. Location is perfect. In campus, practically. read more

Holiday Inn Gainesville-University Ctr - The pool. Again. - Hotels Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Gainesville this past weekend for graduation from Friday to Monday, paying nearly $1,000 per night. Unfortunately, what should have been a celebratory trip turned into a frustrating and disappointing experience. On Saturday night around 10 PM, we went to the front desk to let them know we needed to leave early Sunday morning and asked if it was possible to receive a refund for Sunday night. The front desk employee was very polite and helpful, explained that since we booked through Costco Travel we would need to contact them directly, and even wrote down the phone number and our reservation number for us. The next day, Costco Travel informed us that the hotel needed to check us out on their end. When we contacted Ashlee W., a supervisor, the experience completely went downhill. She was extremely rude, dismissive, and unhelpful. She claimed the employee from the previous night "didn't remember" speaking with us, which was frustrating enough--but then refused to take even the simplest step to verify what we were saying. We explained that the employee had written everything down on a piece of paper that was still in our room. We even suggested she could check the cameras around 10 PM to confirm we were at the desk. Instead of helping, she repeatedly interrupted us, refused to listen, and hung up on us--twice. It's unacceptable to be treated this way, especially after spending that kind of money. Basic customer service, professionalism, and even minimal effort to verify a situation were completely lacking. We will never stay at this hotel again. Management should seriously reconsider who they have representing their guests, because this level of disrespect is inexcusable read more

The hotel was way better than I expected for the price I paid. The service was quick and friendly. The rooms are sooo clean. I was so happy about that. The renovation has really made the hotel nice and fresh. It's connected to an amazing restaurant that we have near our house and love. The only thing I would suggest is to improve the little store. Get rid of the Gator merch and add items that hotel guests would need like medicines, juices, etc. I would def stay here again! read more

One day before my hotel reservation I called to confirm my reservation. The man on the phone told me I had my reservation ready for the next day and there was no shuttle service available from the airport to the hotel. After lyfting to the hotel I was informed my reservation was cancelled months ago and there's a shuttle service to the hotel. They didn't offer anything for this mistake and informed us they only had a room available for the one night we came in, while the original reservation was for 4 nights. Extremely disappointed in the lack of communication especially since I called to check before I flew in and was told my reservation was good. read more

my husband and I stayed for one night and was very pleased. There's a restaurant attached that makes it very confident. we look forward to staying there again. read more

KUDOS to the entire staff for providing supreme quality customer service! Ryan and the general manager, I personally want to say thank you! The rooms are clean and emasculated. Please come and visit to support this local business here! In Gator country! read more

The worst stay ever and I've been traveling over 60 years. yes they had a sigh saying they were remmodeling but I had no hot water for a 2 days, the fire arm went off middle of night the only plus were the staff were so nice and appogise I hope to get a disscount no manger around to speak to no stars won't let me post unless put star read more

Gross gross gross. The rooms smell. They are dark and dingy. They know that they can rip you off bc of location. Next time I'd rather walk 2 miles than stay in this sh*t hole. The lobby looks nice and new and then once you step off the elevator and bam! You are in 1995 then the smell hits you. Once you open your door be prepared to be greeted with an overwhelming smell of sh*t and mold. Don't dare sit in the chair in room. It's older than my grandma who died 10 years ago. The popcorn dirty ceilings bring me back to my childhood. The bathroom is nasty AF. I'd rather not even shower and take my chances of smelling because it will be better than what i smell like after using a nasty towel. The bed is actually comfortable but I'd rather sleep in my car. Next time I will listen to by husband who told me this place is a sh*thole read more

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Some plusses: This Holiday Inn is about as close to the University of Florida campus as you can imagine. You have to cross two streets to get between the two institutions. Because Gainesville is not terribly pedestrian-friendly, this takes some time. Still, it's great to be able to visit the campus without getting into a car. Furthermore, the people who work at this hotel seem all to be extremely nice. Everyone is all smiles, even early in the morning. There's free bottled water at the front desk and some free plastic-wrapped fruit and Otis Spumkmeyer muffins across from the front desk. The biggest minus is the insect population. My room had a few ants, a couple of adult roaches and plenty of what I thought I could identify as baby cockroaches. When one crawled on the lid of my Starbucks coffee cup, I really got sick to my stomach. Other minuses: The workout room is tiny, although I'll admit that the LifeFitness equipment that I used actually worked. My bathroom was small -- here I'm echoing another Yelper -- and the light in it was some kind of old-style energy-saving light that warmed up only very slowly. (When you turn it on, cold, it's very dim.) The card key system for getting into rooms (including the workout room) works way less than 100% of the time. I found myself having to swipe my card again and again in order to get into my room. When I mentioned this problem to the front desk, I was given new cards, but that didn't help. All in all, my stay would have been perfectly acceptable were it not for the roaches. read more

Holiday Inn Gainesville-University Ctr - The Holiday Inn ensures Gainesville's place among the great cities of the world. - Hotels Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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I was spending a week in Gainesville working on a project for work. My employer has booked me a room here, so I really didn't have a choice... but hey they paid for my stay, LOL. Overall, it's okay. Not fancy, not bad. I was given a double room and the bed is pretty comfortable at least. The room came with the standard stuff: flat screen TV, microwave, mini fridge, and even a mini Keurig in place of the basic coffee maker found at other places. The bathroom is incredibly small though, there is barely any room to move around. But the pressure of the shower is good and the water comes out nice and hot, so no complaints there. But the walls are sort of thin, and you can sometimes hear the person in the next room talking. Despite a restaurant being attached next door, there is plenty of parking. They do give out a parking pass that you have to hang on your mirror, so I guess they monitor the lot to make sure there are no unauthorized vehicles. There is a rooftop pool and a small gym, and the hotel is within walking distance to UF and plenty of other places. Overall, it's average. Convenient location for those who need to be in downtown Gainesville and has all the basics that you need. If you want more though, there are plenty of other hotels in Gainesville that may suit your needs. read more

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Walking distance to University of Florida campus. Room was ok, a little outdated but comfortable. 2nd floor pool and outside lounging area is cool. Connected to a bar and restaurant. On site parking. Decent place to stay if you are visiting a college student due to the close proximity. Complimentary breakfast for two includes a sit down restaurant with menu choices. Great service! read more

Holiday Inn Gainesville-University Ctr - Hotel decoration - Hotels Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Do not stay here. Rooms are dingy and smell. Whole hallway I was on smelled. Air in room is a window unit and cannot keep up with the Florida heat. Everything is outdated. Phone in my room didn't work. No plugs for modern devices, if you forget your charger you're screwed. Nothing good about this place stay somewhere else. Staff at desk were friendly at checkin and had good dinner recommendations, only positive comment I can make. Next time would choose a campground over this place. read more

This is an epic fail. I've never had a worse stay than this. Was here for three days. For multiple days, there is a hammer drill or impact driver sound so loud that is right outside my window as they are doing construction that there is no way to sleep. It's a loud buzzing/vibrating sound louder than any alarm. I thought I could sleep through it the first day but it just got louder. It didn't stop over the day. I finally left at 1:30 pm. The hotel is nearly empty. Why would you place hotel guests near the construction when all the other rooms are empty?? I figured it would be done today (the next day), as they were moving window to window across the building but they are right outside my window yet again today! It's so loud it vibrates the walls and floor, literally. 1. If you are performing construction, out of courtesy, you should inform potential guests prior to the purchase of non-refundable rooms. I would have moved to another hotel. 2. Do not place your guests in rooms near the construction activity. It's not a sound they want to hear or be woken up to. There is no sleeping through this. 3. Reserve the work site the night before so you don't have to call guests to have them move their cars to accommodate the work site. Apparently they are working in the same area multiple days so it can be blocked off. 4. As a strategy (and a recommendation based on what I can see, not considering other factors), I would have zoned off sections of the building (with a buffer area) and done those zones while scheduling guests in the other zones. If they had multi-day visits, inform them of the noise that starts between 8 and 8:30 and allow them to move to a different zone for the next day. As it stands it seems they are going across the side of the building and returning to the start site. I've been in other hotels where construction was ongoing but never experienced anything like this! I hear the doors of other guest rooms opening and closing, so I'm not the only one here. As of today the construction is still ongoing. If you are looking for a place to stay, beware!!! You will get woken promptly at the start of the day. It is extremely loud. read more

Excellent location walking distance to UF and midtown area. Upgraded beds and linens made for a VERY comfortable sleep. Hotel rooms are outdated- worn carpets, chipped tiles in bathroom, old hairdryer, desk chairs that belong in the garbage dump (had to put a towel down to sit on it) toilets that barely flushed All that being said, wonderful beds, clean, nice staff, adjacent restaurant Piesanos is excellent Lobby provides complimentary coffee, tea and fruits... but water in the room or lobby would have been appreciated. Rooftop pool is huge and clean but patio and furniture needs an upgrade All in all would stay here again for the location and the sleep read more

Room was nice, climate control worked well. Staff was friendly. Was amazed that a Holiday Inn, especially one charging premium prices, had nowhere to plug in a USB device. Had to go to the grocery store next door to buy an adapter to charge my cell phone. read more

I have always wanted the experience of staying at a hotel that smells like the port-a-potty at a music festival in the summer. I never knew the smells of sewage could have so many different levels and actual flavors in your mouth before I stayed here. The pizza place attached was good (more of a urine smell which was a nice change) (to be fair it was actually good and everyone was really nice). But Jesus the stench of this place was a truly life changing experience.... Now to fall asleep here from methane poisoning.... everything.....is......going.......dark...... read more

This is a 2 star hotel in a 4 star location. The hotel is a slightly refurbished 1970 style hotel with old fashioned loud and inefficient air conditioners. The best reason to stay here is if you are visiting UF and want the closest hotel to the stadium or fraternity / sorority row. read more

Won't stay here again. We have stayed at this hotel a couple times, the first time wasn't bad. The last time we stayed there it was a totally different experience. We stayed on a different floor than the last time. Maybe some floors are better than others at this hotel. Anyway the bed was uncomfortable and hard to sleep on. A lot more light was coming into the room from the door way and window area. But the main problem is that we found a large cockroach in the bathroom. I would not recommend staying here. read more

Holiday Inn Gainesville-University Ctr - Cockroach - Hotels Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Very mediocre, the best quality of the hotel were the beds, the bathroom was really dim...light didn't really work...room smelled quite funky. For the price we paid...I would've expected a much nicer room with a bathroom and working lights. You also have to pay extra for breakfast which was quite a bummer considering that I've paid extremely lower prices for hotel rooms and have been provided with free breakfast and a gym. read more

I had a great stay here at the Holiday Inn. Not only was it clean and hospitable, they have convenient breakfast on site, though not included in the stay. I sought evacuation at their inn during Irma and I found them to be helpful, and they checked for availability for us, without question or reluctance (unlike most of the hotels I spoke to on the phone). We ended up staying two nights and I was very pleased. It is also in the middle of Midtown, which is a great location. Conveniently located by a publix, the UF campus and many of the midtown bars. read more

So have to say pleasantly surprised!!! I thought this place was going to be a dump and it wasn't! Here's how I grade it: Location-5 stars --It's super close to the stadium and right across the street from Leonardo's pizza Affordability-4 stars room itself- 3 stars Free wifi- 5 stars shower water pressure- 5 stars *amazeballs kids* fridge to put your alcoholic beverages in [keep them cold]- 5 stars *amazeballs squared* microwave-don't know what I need this for but it's there- 5 stars view-1 star parking-5 stars lobby bar-nobody was there :( - 1 star-boooooooo totally would stay there again! read more

I am going to take someone else's review opening sentence & put my own twist on it. This Holiday Inn is a 3-star hotel in a 5-star location. Yes, it needs some serious updating; but, the staff is amazing. Truly. They are some of the best I've dealt with (and I am in hotels often). Location! There is nothing closer to the O-dome that I'm aware of. We're up there every-other weekend during gymnastics season. We take the FREE shuttle from the hotel & walk back after the meet, right to Piesano's for a great personal pizza. The sheets smell like bleach, so I know it's clean. I have NEVER seen one bug anywhere. They have single-serve Keurig's which eases my mind (coffee pots in hotels scare me). I've been to the pool. It's fine. Like I said, the customer service is top notch & the proximity to UF is on point. The beds are clean, the shower water warm. Really, that's all you need. THANK YOU amazing front desk staff!!! read more

The rooftop pool is nice! Staff are super friendly and the brand new beds were most definitely comfortable. I had no issues at this hotel and would definitely recommend to those in the area. One small thing to note is the bathrooms are still small after the renovation. I'm 5'5 so shorter than average and if I don't close the bathroom door, you wouldn't be able to access anything in there. Only a mild inconvenience when getting ready in the morning and might be pressed for time. Overall nice hotel! read more

I stayed for 3 nights, for a work trip. It seems to be clean, and very close to the university, but overall basic. Not thrilled.

The price was a little more than I'm use to paying for at the Holiday Inn but it's downtown so maybe this is the reason. The bathroom needs to be updated but it was still clean and stocked with towels and all the toiletries the provide. The beds were comfortable but the rooms were kinda small but still nice. The atmosphere was nice. The free buffet breakfast was awesome. The customer service was fantastic. I will continue to stay at the Holiday Inn Hotels. read more

We chose this hotel for a quick one night stay on our road trip. I am so glad we did it. We got a great night's rest before continuing on our journey. Great location, just across the street from the college campus. Convenient stores and restaurants within walking distance. read more

I agree with the first reviewer; they are very accommodating at this hotel. My requests for extra pillows and towels are always met with breathtaking speed and cheerfulness. Apart from the convenience of the location, which is right across the street from the UF campus, there are other advantages: the beds are heavenly, the showers are powerful, the service great, the prices reasonable and the parking is free! They also have a large pool area and free wireless internet in the rooms and lobby. I take one star off for not offering complimentary breakfast, though they do have a restaurant and room service. Krispy Kreme is across the street and McDonald's is next door to the hotel. I've stayed here three times in recent years and the place has improved in my estimation with every visit. read more

Ok just stayed night last night it was not anywhere near adequate. Staff was friendly and awesome! facilities were substandard, funky smell permeated the hallway and ceiling in room had falling plaster. Palmetto bug scared wife as it scurried out of bathroom. Believe me I travel for a living and this is substandard for holiday inn read more

Usually stay here for business trips. General areas: from the exterior, it does not stand out because it is such an old looking property. The lobby is beautiful and looks freshly renovated. There are a couple of computers for general/business use and a few tables for relaxing or for breakfast. The hallways all feel old, as if you are walking through a hotel that hasn't seen an update in a while...though I know painting was done a while back ago. The gym is on the third floor and has a few machines, but not a lot. The pool is also on the third floor, open to the sky. It has to be one of my favorite parts of the entire hotel. This place also has that ribbed carpet that makes moving a baggage cart up and down it a loud experience. Rooms: they too feel as if they need to be updated. The furniture is fairly new as well as the televisions. The bathroom I had was pretty small, but definitely functional. I was happy to find a fridge and microwave were already there without having to ask. Oh, each room has a balcony, but you cannot access it no matter how hard you try. Wi-fi: awesome! I had absolutely no problems the entire time so that was very refreshing! Staff: Check in and check out were flawless. The associates were polite and professional as well as personable. The one thing I noticed was that they were not very attentive when people would enter or exit the building...probably because the check in desk is pretty far from the entrances. Location: it is almost perfectly located in Gainesville, with easy access to a large number of good restaurants within walking distance. Some of them are simply across the street or alley. Definitely a decent hotel to stay at should you find yourself in Gainesville for a vacation or business. read more

This is by far the most convenient hotel spot for access to the Gators football stadium and campus events. The amenities exceeded my expectations. I very much enjoyed the rooftop pool, which was not at all crowded when we went in September. They had live music set up on a Friday evening and a poolside bar with delivery available from the pizzeria downstairs. Parking was free but rather limited considering the size of the hotel. They required an overnight permit during football game days, so you may need to stay both nights or else make alternative arrangements for your car. When I called ahead to make arrangements for an infant pack-n-play, they provided a metal rollaway crib instead, which was sturdier. read more

I cannot day enough about this hotel: it is convenient across from the university. The rooms are spacious and the pizzeria is the best in town. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable of not only surroundings but university happenings too. read more

This is a newly renovated contender in GNV. The roof top venue is perfect for a reception and entertaining. I like the centralized location of this hotel. The shuttle service is a fantastic feature as well. The cityscape night view from the roof top is a lot of fun. This is the hotel to experience GNV for business, work and play! read more

I booked online for a personal trip I was to be making there in March. I went back through my emails a couple weeks later and discovered somehow the check in date was wrong! I told the representative I still wanted to stay there and that I wasn't looking to get out of reservation or my money back, I just wanted the money that was already charged to my credit card to be applied to my new reservation. They told me my reservation was a no-show and they wouldn't credit me any money towards a new reservation, but would offer me free breakfast with my new reservation! I can't believe they weren't willing to apply my money towards a new reservation! They are all about money rather than providing customer service, especially to someone who has already paid! I WILL NEVER stay at another Holiday Inn for the rest of my life! read more

3 reasons to stay at this hotel when visiting Gainesville: 1) Location: it is right on the corner of 13th and University, putting it directly across the street from the University campus. It is located near a handful of good restaurants and some fast food joints, a gas station, and a beer/liquor store. 2) The Staff: the employees of this hotel are all really nice. From the front desk folks, to the folks that clean the rooms, to the folks that drive their van/shuttle, the staff was super friendly and smiley. When my room keycard didn't work the first night, someone ran right up with a replacement. As I prepared to leave, they were willing to hold my bag behind the counter while I got lunch and sat and wrote this review. Very accommodating. 3) The Room: like a McDonalds hamburger, Holiday Inns offer rooms that look and feel exactly the same no matter where you are. I am happy with what these rooms offer, and I found the bed to be very comfortable and I took naps and slept soundly all night. Only gripe was they were unable to give me the room for the promotional price because I had already paid for the room ahead of time with my credit card. It would have saved me like a hundred bucks if they had, so that sorta pissed me off. Just be sure you don't let that happen to you, and you might be able to give this place a 5 star review. read more

This hotel is conveniently close to campus. Trey at the front desk is amazing and the staff is always friendly and helpful.

This hotel needs some major renovations. Upon check in our room had a sock under the mattress and dirt and hair build up under the sink.

Always my favorite place to stay while in Gainesville. Resteraunts are plentiful and via walking distance. Plenty of bars. Staff is always top notch. I'd say the best Holiday Inn staff I have experienced. Rooms are a little compact especially the bathrooms which is my only reason for 4 stars out of 5. Enjoy your stay! Highly recommended. read more

i give this place three stars. service here is great! the staff are all extremely friendly and accommodating. top-notch folks. they have free wireless, which is a big bonus. free on-site parking is also a plus. AND, every time i've been here (i've stayed here three times) they've given me a coupon for a free drink at the bar next door. try the landshark microbrew on tap -- you won't regret it! finally, it is immediately opposite the UF campus, which makes it uber-convenient for anyone with business at the school itself. the facility itself can be a little on the dingy side (interior features not updated/well worn), but it's clean. the bathrooms are extremely small. so yeah - three stars. read more