Holiday Inn Express Hotels in Powell

We've stayed here before. Our first visit wasn't the greatest but the location was convenient so we gave it another try. There were remodeling improvements in the overall room decor and buffet so the appearance was much improved since our last stay. The buffet area is small. I appreciated the staff member who kept the tables cleaned up and the buffet tidy. She was on the job, friendly, and checked if we needed anything. The location of the buffet is basically in the reception area with foot traffic going back and forth. If you are unfortunate enough to get a table next to the foot traffic, you have to deal with a draft from the front door. The food fare was standard. I'm gluten free so there were limited options. The room looked okay but the inside of the fridge wasn't clean, there were dried ring marks from someone's beverage still on the bed side table and there was a shampoo dispenser in the shower that was essentially empty. These little things make me question how well the room was cleaned. It took a while for the room to warm up and the bed covers were more appropriate for a summer than for a winter stay. There were no extra blankets or towels. We usually have no problems with the check in process and you don't realize how friendly staff is until they are not. The receptionist was almost sullen, and definitely not friendly. We were not greeted, not recognized as reward members, and barely acknowledged. She did not inform us as to our room number, breakfast hours, nor direct us to the location of the elevators which is typical reception protocol. The check out receptionist was just the opposite i.e. very friendly. Would I recommend staying here? I guess I could say it's ”clean enough” but not up to Holiday Inn Express standards.