Escape to Laurel: Your Dream Holiday Inn Express Awaits!
Okay, buckle up, buttercups, because we're about to dive headfirst into the glorious, slightly wonky, and hopefully-still-standing world of "Escape to Laurel: Your Dream Holiday Inn Express Awaits!" Prepare for a review that’s less corporate brochure and more… well, me. Let's get weird.
SEO-Optimized (ish) Breakdown - Because Apparently Google Needs to Know Everything
First, the obligatory (and slightly tedious) laundry list of keywords. I’ll try to weave them in organically, I swear.
- Keywords: Holiday Inn Express, Laurel, hotel review, accessibility, wheelchair accessible, free wifi, swimming pool, spa, fitness center, restaurant, breakfast, clean, safe, family friendly, business facilities, airport transfer, [insert other keywords related to the above list, like "massage," "sauna," "non-smoking rooms", "meeting facilities", "car park (free)" etc.]
Alright, deep breath. Here we go…
The Entrance (and My Initial Impressiosn, a bit like how I was feeling when I got there)
Okay, picture this: you’re road-weary, maybe slightly sunburnt (Laurel, Mississippi, is hot), and all you crave is a cold shower and a decent bed. That was me. Driving in, the first impression was… solid. The Holiday Inn Express in Laurel isn't some sprawling luxury resort; it's a clean, well-maintained, and importantly, inviting-looking building. The car park was spacious and free of charge – a HUGE win after a long drive. Also, hello, car power charging station! That's a nice modern touch, even though I didn't need it (yet…).
The exterior corridor was a bit… motel-y, but hey, it's functional. Then there's those CCTV in common areas and CCTV outside property. Good. I felt safe, and frankly, after the last gas station stop, that was a requirement.
Accessibility – Let's Talk About That (Because It Matters!)
This is where I really paid attention. I want every hotel review I do to be inclusive and to shine a light on the hotels that make themselves truly accessible to everybody. I'm happy to say that the Holiday Inn Express in Laurel seemed to have it sorted: Wheelchair accessible rooms are available, and the lobby and public areas were easy to navigate. This included the elevator, vital for reaching the upper floors. I did note that the facilities for disabled guests were clearly marked. This kind of thing is important!
Sadly, I wasn't able to personally try out a wheelchair accessible room, but my overall impression was positive, and the hotel is seemingly set up to Facilities with that in mind.
Checking In (And the Joy of Contactless!)
The front desk folks were efficient and friendly. Contactless check-in/out was a bonus, especially these days. I was exhausted, and the ability to skip the drawn-out chat and paperwork was much appreciated. The doorman wasn't there at the time I arrived, but it was a good thing to know.
The Room – My Sanctuary (or, Where I Ate Too Many Snacks)
My room? Perfectly fine. Nothing mind-blowing, but exactly what I needed. Here's the rundown, packed with available in all rooms of the hotel:
- Air conditioning: Essential. It worked perfectly. Hallelujah.
- Air Conditioning: A/C was great. Worked.
- Alarm clock: Yup.
- Bathrobes: Nope, but not expected.
- Bathroom phone: Not a thing, and I'm fine with it.
- Bathtub: Had one, which was lovely. Needed it!
- Blackout curtains: Excellent. Slept like a log, especially with…
- Bed: Comfy. Pillows? Good.
- Carpeting, Closet: Standard
- Ceiling fan - This was included, and I really appreciated it.
- Coffee/tea maker: Yes, and stocked with coffee and tea, which was a godsend after that drive.
- Complimentary tea: Indeed.
- Daily housekeeping: They're good. Clean.
- Desk: Functional. I did some work, but let's be honest, mostly I watched TV.
- Extra long bed: I'm tall, so I was happy.
- Free bottled water: Always a welcome touch.
- Hair dryer: Check. Important.
- High floor: (Not my preference) but had a good view.
- In-room safe box: Didn't use it, but it's there.
- Interconnecting room(s) available: Good for families.
- Internet access – LAN/Internet access – wireless/Wi-Fi [free]: Worked flawlessly. I could even Netflix without buffering. Glory.
- Ironing facilities: Yep, although my wrinkled shirt remained a testament to my laziness.
- Laptop workspace: Plenty of space.
- Linens: Clean.
- Mini bar: Empty, as expected. (But hey, there's a convenience store downstairs!)
- Mirror: Present and functional.
- Non-smoking: Thank goodness. The whole place smelled fresh.
- On-demand movies: Didn't use, but good to know it's there.
- Private bathroom: Always a win.
- Reading light: Yes.
- Refrigerator: Yes. This is key. Kept my snacks cold.
- Satellite/cable channels: Yep.
- Scale: (I hid my eyes from the scale. Ignorance is bliss.)
- Seating area: Yes. Sofa.
- Separate shower/bathtub: Yes.
- Shower: Good water pressure.
- Slippers: Not in my room, but hey I didn't ask.
- Smoke detector: Present.
- Socket near the bed: A necessity these days.
- Sofa: Yup.
- Soundproofing: Decent. I didn't hear much from the hallway.
- Telephone: Had one.
- Toiletries: Standard, but adequate.
- Towels: Nice.
- Umbrella: Nope. (It didn't rain, thankfully.)
- Visual alarm: Not sure.
- Wake-up service: Available, but I used my phone.
- Window that opens: Phew! I love some fresh air.
- Additional toilet: Not in my room.
- Blind curtains - Good for sleeping in.
The "Things to Do" Rundown (or, My Reluctant Gym Visit)
Okay, truth time. I'm not the most enthusiastic vacationer. The thought of a fitness center/Gym/gym/fitness filled me with a mild dread. But, I’m getting older and I needed to walk off the 12 bags of chips I ate prior to my trip.
- Fitness center: Small but functional. Treadmill, some weights. Job done, or at least, "job partially attempted".
- Swimming pool [outdoor]: Looked inviting. Didn't go in because I'm a delicate flower, but it was clean and folks seemed to enjoy it.
- Sauna/Spa/Spa/sauna/Steamroom: Nope. (Not my thing.)
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking (The Real Priorities)
- Breakfast [buffet]: This was the highlight. Let's be honest. Waffles, bacon, eggs, the works. Decent breakfast service and Breakfast [buffet] was good, and the option to not do much and just eat, was welcome.
- Coffee/tea in restaurant/ Coffee/tea maker in room: Always a win
- Restaurants, Coffee shop, Snack bar, Poolside bar, Bar: Didn't try those.
- Room service [24-hour]: Not available.
- Breakfast takeaway service: Yes. Smart.
Cleanliness and Safety – My Inner Germaphobe Approved
- Daily disinfection in common areas: Reassuring.
- Hand sanitizer: Everywhere.
- Individually-wrapped food options: Good.
- Rooms sanitized between stays: Excellent.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: Always a plus
- Smoke alarms, Fire extinguisher, Safety/security feature, Security [24-hour]: All present and correct.
- Anti-viral cleaning products: Wonderful.
- Hygiene certification: Good!
The Extras (Or, The Little Things That Matter)
- Cashless payment service: Perfect.
- Convenience store: Downstairs! Crucial for late-night snack runs.
- Family/child friendly: Yeah! I saw kids everywhere running around.
- Air conditioning in public area: Obviously?
- Concierge: Didn
Okay, buckle up, buttercups, because we're planning a trip to the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Laurel, Mississippi. Laurel. Let's just let that sink in for a second. Okay, good. Here we go… this is going to be… interesting.
The Laurel, MS Pilgrimage – A Highly Subjective Itinerary
Day 1: Leaving the Real World Behind (Maybe… Actually, Probably Not)
Morning (approximately 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM): The "Get it Together" Phase.
- Wake up to the shrill symphony of my alarm. Swear I’ll upgrade to a gentler alarm in the future. (Spoiler alert: I won't).
- Coffee. Necessary. Make enough. You know, "pre-emptive coffee", for the road ahead. I'm already a little nervous. Laurel, Mississippi. It's like… the center of everything, and possibly nothing, at the same time.
- Pack. Or, you know, attempt to pack. Toss random clothes into a suitcase, knowing full well I'll wear the same three outfits the entire time. Pack way too many socks, and then realize I forgot my toothbrush. This is going swimmingly.
- Double-check booking confirmation. Triple-check directions. Okay, Laurel. Got it. Mississippi. Got it. Holiday Inn Express. Got it. Ugh.
Mid-Day (10:00 AM - 1:00 PM): The Great Highway Escape.
- Hit the road! Realize I forgot my phone charger. Curse lightly.
- Embrace the open road and make a Spotify playlist full of driving songs. Mostly early 2000s pop-punk. Judge me.
- First pit stop: Gas station. Grab a questionable snack (gas station sushi is ALWAYS a bad idea, right?). Watch people. People-watching is a national pastime.
- Notice the landscape subtly shifting. Trees getting greener. The air feeling thicker, heavier, hinting at the humidity to come. Suddenly feel a longing for… what, exactly? Something new.
Afternoon (1:00 PM - 4:00 PM): Arrival and Initial Impressions (Spoiler: Mixed)
- Arrive at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites. Check in. Smile politely at the front desk clerk. Is there a free breakfast here? Gotta check on that.
- Find the room. It's… perfectly fine. Clean. Standard. No complaints. Yet.
- Unpack (the minimal amount of clothes I actually packed). Survey the scene. The bed looks comfy. The AC is blasting. Relief washes over me. This is going to be easier, right?
- Emotional Reaction: Honestly? A little let down. It's just… a hotel room. I guess I was expecting… something more, or different. Maybe a secret door to Narnia? Silly me.
Evening (4:00 PM - Late): Exploring (Or Not… It Depends)
- Okay, time to wander. Actually, I don't want to wander. I'm tired. But I also feel a weird sort of pressure to… experience Laurel.
- Go out and find a casual, local restaurant for dinner. Maybe a dive bar? (Deep breath). Google Reviews: "The food was amazing, like Grandma's cooking!" Grandma's cooking is always a gamble.
- Decide on a nice, family-friendly diner. Order what I can pronounce on the menu. Try not to be that person, the loud tourist. Fail inevitably.
- Anectode: I remember once, in a similar situation in a small town, I accidentally ordered the "mystery meat platter." Don’t ask. Still traumatized. Let's avoid mystery meat in Laurel.
- Back at the hotel. Watch some TV. Probably fall asleep before the end of the movie. The siren song of a comfy bed.
Day 2: Deep Dive into Laurel (Or Shallow Dip… Depends on the Day)
- Morning (Wake Up - 11:00 AM): Breakfast, The Good, the Bad, and the Questionable.
- Free breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express is a MUST, isn't it? Get there early. Beat the rush.
- Rant: Hotel breakfast is a bizarre paradox. The promise of "scrambled eggs" that are somehow simultaneously rubbery and watery. The questionable sausage patties. The lukewarm coffee. Yet, I gobble it all down anyway. Why? Because I’m a sucker.
- Quirky Observation: Everyone at the breakfast buffet is a little… sleepy. Like we’ve all been through a shared ordeal. The ordeal of the hotel breakfast.
- Do some quick internet searches to look for something to do.
- Mid-Day (11:00 AM - 3:00 PM): The Unexpected Delight
- Stumble upon a local antique shop. Not my usual thing, but, hey, Laurel.
- Doubling down on a single experience: Spend an hour in the antique shop. Get lost in the stories, the dusty objects of times past. Find a bizarre, chipped teacup that calls to me. Suddenly obsess over the history of the teacup. Imagine its previous lives. Decide I MUST have it. Buy it!
- Emotional Reaction: Actually… really enjoyed that. Felt a connection to something… real. A tangible piece of the past. Maybe Laurel isn't so bad after all.
- Afternoon (3:00 PM - 6:00 PM): The "What Now?" Phase and the Unexpected Charm
- Head back to the Holiday Inn Express to rest before dinner.
- Anecdote: Remember when I was in… wait… was it Laurel? Or somewhere else, and I accidentally left my phone on the hood of the car? Luckily, everything was recovered. But, uh, I digress.
- Contemplate life. Or, you know, scroll through social media. Again.
- Find a local park, or something, and take a walk to stretch my legs.
- Opinionated Language: Turns out that there really isn't anything great about Laurel. But everything is just… fine. There's something comforting about that. Or maybe I'm just tired.
- Evening (6:00 PM - Late): Dinner and Contemplation
- Find another local restaurant, this time focusing on the cuisine of Laurel.
- Messy, honest, and human: Eat too much. Feel slightly unwell. But also… satisfied.
- Back at the hotel room. Sit on the edge of the bed. Look out the window.
- Stronger emotional reactions (good and bad): Actually, I feel… a strange sense of peace. Not the “everything is great” kind of peace. More like the “well, this is what it is” kind of peace. And that’s okay. Maybe.
Day 3: Departure (And Maybe, Just Maybe, a Little Bit of Nostalgia)
- Morning (Wake Up - 10:00 AM): The Farewell Breakfast and the Final Packing Panic.
- Breakfast. Repeat the routine. Sigh.
- Pack EVERYTHING up this time. Triple-check for the toothbrush. This is the moment of truth.
- Mid-Day (10:00 AM - 12:00 AM): The Last Look and the Road
- Check out. Say goodbye to the front desk clerk.
- One last drive around.
- Start for home.
- Afternoon (12:00 AM - 4:00 PM): The Highway Home
- Listen to that playlist again.
- Feel a twinge of sadness. Not for the hotel. But for the trip. For the quiet.
- Wonder what the teacup is doing.
- Evening (4:00 PM - Late): Home Sweet Home and the Lingering Memories
- Back home.
- Stream of consciousness: Unpack. Do laundry. Tell people how great my trip went. Or, more accurately, how interesting it was. Place the teacup on the shelf.
- The hotel. The food. The unexpected teacup. The sleepy people. Laurel, Mississippi. It was… different. Maybe I’ll go back someday. Maybe. But right now, I'm just glad to be home. And to
Escape to Laurel: Your Dream Holiday Inn Express Awaits! (Or Does It?) - A FAQ with a Touch of Reality
So, is this place *actually* a dream? The "Dream Holiday Inn Express" bit, I mean. Spill the tea!
Okay, okay, let's be real. "Dream" might be pushing it, yeah? Look, the Holiday Inn Express in Laurel, Mississippi, is… well, it *is*. It's a perfectly functional, reliable… place to crash. Like, you're not going to wake up thinking you've accidentally stumbled into the Ritz, but you probably *won't* get bedbugs either. That's a win, right?
My first impression? I remember driving up after a *brutal* day on the road, totally zonked from a client meeting that felt like a marathon of passive-aggression. The *promise* of a comfy bed and a decent shower was basically my entire reason for surviving. I needed a place to decompress and... breathe, for once.
The front desk was... a front desk. Nothing fancy, but the lady behind it, bless her heart, seemed genuinely happy to see me, which was a welcome surprise after the day I'd had.
What about the *free* breakfast? Is it actually good, or is it the usual sad breakfast bar situation? My expectations are low, but...
Alright, about that free breakfast. Here's the honest truth. *It's a free breakfast.* Manage your expectations accordingly. The "usual sad breakfast bar situation" is a pretty accurate description. Let's be honest.
They usually have those pre-cooked sausage patties—the kind that look suspiciously like they were born from the same mold as… well, other things. There’s the predictable offerings: the instant oatmeal, the sugary cereal options marketed for children, and some sad-looking fruit salad (that looks a bit wilted, if I'm being honest).
The *one* saving grace? The waffle maker. It's a glorious, beautiful moment. You can make your own waffles! The batter is generally passable, and if you get your timing right (the bell dinging when your waffle is perfectly golden-brown… pure bliss!), it can be a small victory in a world of disappointment. *Priorities.* I swear, I'd go back just for those waffles, even if everything else was terrible.
**Pro-tip:** Load up on those waffles. They're your only friend in this breakfast desert.
Seriously, what's the *deal* with the pillows? Hotel pillows are the bane of my existence.
Pillows. Ah, the nemesis of a good night's sleep. Let me tell you... the pillows at the Laurel Holiday Inn Express are… a *mixed bag*. Some are fluffy, some are flat, and you have to play a guessing game with the housekeeping staff. Honestly, I once found myself constructing a pillow fort of four pillows just to get my head at the right angle. It was ridiculous.
One trip, I got stuck with a pillow that felt like a brick wrapped in a pillowcase. I swear, I tossed and turned all night, muttering darkly about orthopedic torture devices. The next morning? My neck felt like I'd tangled with a particularly aggressive badger.
Other times, you get lucky! You find the perfect balance of fluff and support, and you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to conquer the world (or at least, make it through another day of meetings).
It's a gamble. Pray to the Pillow Gods. Seriously.
Are the rooms clean? I *cannot* deal with a dirty room. It's a hard pass.
Look, I'm pretty picky about cleanliness. Like, borderline germaphobe. So, I get it. I understand the "hard pass" on dirty rooms. And the Laurel Holiday Inn Express? Generally speaking, the rooms are… *okay*. They're not spotless, "hospital grade" clean, but they're usually tidy.
Now, I will say I've had a few minor hiccups. Once, I found a stray hair in the bathroom, which made me shudder a little. Another time, the carpet felt a little… gritty. But, on the whole, the rooms are reasonably clean. I've never encountered anything truly horrific, which is a win in my book.
My advice? Check the corners, give the bathroom a quick once-over, and maybe bring your own Clorox wipes if you're *really* concerned. Because hey, you know yourself best! This is just my experience.
What's the Wi-Fi like? I need to work! Or, you know, stream Netflix. Priorities.
The Wi-Fi. Ah, the bane of the modern traveler. It's... variable. Sometimes it's blazing fast, and you can stream Netflix like a champ. Other times, it's slower than molasses in January. It depends on the day, the number of people logged on, and the whims of the internet gods.
There was this *one* time... I was in the middle of a very important conference call, you know, the kind where your entire reputation hinges on your ability to... stay connected. The Wi-Fi decided that was a *fantastic* time to spontaneously combust. I was frantically running around my room, trying to find a signal, sweating bullets, while the client on the other end kept asking, "Hello? Can you hear me?" It was a disaster. Let me promise you, the Wi-Fi is generally not a deal breaker, but it's a dice roll.
So, prepare yourself. Maybe download some movies beforehand, just in case.
What's the location like? Is it, like, near anything interesting?
Location, location, location! Well… it's in Laurel, Mississippi. And if you’re coming for a specific reason (business, visiting family, etc), then the location will be fine. It's not exactly a bustling metropolis, so don't expect a ton of exciting things right outside your door. There are restaurants, a Cracker Barrel (always reliable!), and a few other amenities nearby. You are, more or less, in a pretty generic suburban area. It depends really.
But don't expect to stumble into a speakeasy or a world-class museum. This isn't the location's strong suit.
I think, the best part is, the location is right off the highway, which works in its favor.
Anything else I should know before booking? Any secrets?
Okay, a few insider tips. One: If you can, request a room away from the elevator. Elevator noise can be a killer. Two: The mini-fridge situation. It’s usually there. Sometimes it's cold, sometimes it's not. Prep for either outcome. Three:
The pool… *exists*. I’ve never seen anyone using it, but it’s there. It's probably fine. Probably.
Fourth. The staff, in my experience, is generally friendly and helpful. They're not perfect, but they're doing their best. Treat them with respect, and they’ll probably treat you well in return. Just a general tip for life, really.
And the most important: manage your expectations. It’s a Holiday InnSearch Hotel Guide
