Murphysboro's BEST Hotel? Holiday Inn Express Review (You Won't Believe This!)

Holiday Inn Express Murphysboro Carbondale By IHG Murphysboro (IL) United States

Murphysboro's BEST Hotel? Holiday Inn Express Review (You Won't Believe This!)

Murphysboro's "Best" Hotel? The Holiday Inn Express: A Surprisingly Good (and Weird) Ride! (SEO-Packed Review!)

Alright, folks, buckle up. Because I've just survived… ahem, experienced, the alleged "BEST" hotel in Murphysboro, Illinois: the Holiday Inn Express. And let me tell you, it was a wild… well, let’s call it an experience. This isn't your cookie-cutter review, this is the unfiltered, slightly-caffeinated truth. Prepare for rambles, opinions, and maybe a touch of existential dread. (Just kidding… mostly.)

SEO & Metadata Stuff (Because, you know, gotta get found!):

• Keywords: Murphysboro Hotel Review, Holiday Inn Express, Southern Illinois Hotels, Accessible Hotels, Pet-Friendly Hotels, Free Wi-Fi, Swimming Pool, Breakfast Included, Car Parking, Fitness Center, Meeting Rooms, Cleanliness, Safety, COVID-19 Protocols, Murphysboro Restaurants, Southern Illinois Vacation, Hotel Deals Murphysboro, Accessible Rooms, Disability Access, Wheelchair Access.
• Meta Description (Short & Sweet): Uncensored review of the Holiday Inn Express in Murphysboro, IL. Find out if it lives up to the hype, including details on accessibility, cleanliness, amenities, and (of course) the free breakfast!

First Impressions (The Chaos Begins!):

Pulling up, the exterior… well, it's a Holiday Inn Express. You know the drill. Clean lines, vaguely beige-ish… nothing to write home about, but not offensive. (Exterior Corridor, Hotel Chain – Check! Right there in the database baby!) The parking lot was packed. (Car park [on-site], Car park [free of charge] - CHECK and CHECK!) A good sign, maybe? Or a harbinger of doom?

Inside, everything was… fine. The lobby was surprisingly spacious, and the front desk staff were friendly. (Front desk [24-hour] – Yup!) Definitely appreciated the warm greeting after that drive. Speaking of friendly, I was relieved to see a clear emphasis on safety. They're taking COVID seriously, which gave me some peace of mind. (Staff trained in safety protocol – check! Hand sanitizer and staff wearing masks – also check, double-check!) They had these little packets of hand sanitizer everywhere.

Accessibility is Key (My Personal Crusade!):

This is HUGE for me. I travel with a family member who uses a wheelchair, and accessibility is everything. And guess what? The Holiday Inn Express in Murphysboro delivers!

• Wheelchair Accessible: Absolutely. Ramps, elevators, the works. (Elevator, Facilities for disabled guests - CHECK!) Getting around the lobby and accessing the rooms was a breeze.
• Accessible Rooms: The accessible room we got (and booked specifically!) was spacious and well-designed. Plenty of room to maneuver, grab bars in the bathroom, the whole shebang. (Accessibility, Available in all rooms: - CHECK!) They even had a lower peephole, which is a detail I rarely think about, but is a huge help to my family member. A+ on that attention to detail!
• [Insert name]’s (Family Member) Take: "It's easy to get around and the bathroom is great." (That's about as high praise as I can get from them, trust me!)

Rooms: Comfort and… Quirks?

The room itself was standard Holiday Inn Express fare. Clean, comfortable bed, decent TV. (Non-Smoking Rooms - Check!) I appreciated the blackout curtains. (Blackout curtains – Check!) The bathroom was well-lit. (Mirror, Shower - Check!)

However… and this is where things get a little weird… the placement of the hairdryer. Seriously, it was… on the wall, right next to the… a little further in than you normally want to be to the toilet. And the air conditioner blasted right above the bed. (Air conditioning - Check!) And what was with the single picture by the bed? I'd swear it wasn't hanging straight and slightly off center. (Room decorations- Check!) But hey, at least the Wi-Fi was free and FAST. (Free Wi-Fi in all rooms!, Internet, Internet [LAN], Internet services, Wi-Fi in public areas - Check, check, check, check!)

Cleanliness and Safety: Peace of Mind (And a Few Questions):

Okay, the big one. In these crazy times, are they keeping it clean? YES. YES THEY ARE.

• Anti-viral cleaning products, Daily disinfection in common areas, Rooms sanitized between stays, Hygiene certification, Individually-wrapped food options: Check, check, check, check, and CHECK! They went all out. It was a little overkill, maybe?
• Room sanitization opt-out available: I didn’t even know this was a thing, but I appreciated the offer.
• They even had a little card in the room explaining their enhanced cleaning protocols, mentioning things like “professional-grade sanitizing services”. (Professional-grade sanitizing services - CHECK!)
• Shared stationery removed: No pens, no notepads. That’s probably for the best. And I noticed what seemed to be a ton of staff buzzing around constantly.

The Breakfast Saga: A Tale of Waffles and… Confusion:

Ah, the free breakfast. A cornerstone of the Holiday Inn Express experience. And in Murphysboro? It was an adventure. I'm just going to say that the waffle maker was… busy. REALLY busy. As in, a scrum of people trying to craft their perfect waffle. (Breakfast [buffet] - Check!)

The selection was the usual fare: scrambled eggs (that looked suspiciously yellow), sausage, cereal, yogurt, fruit. (Asian breakfast, Asian cuisine in restaurant, Breakfast in room, Breakfast takeaway service, Breakfast service, Buffet in restaurant, Vegetarian restaurant, Western breakfast, Western cuisine in restaurant - Check, check, check, check, maybe check?) The coffee? Mediocre, but drinkable. The juice? From a machine that sounded like it was about to explode. Important Aside: The bacon was surprisingly good, crispy, and perfect.

Amenities and Things to Do (Because It Wasn't Just About the Waffles!):

• Fitness Center: There was a small fitness center. I peeked in and saw some treadmills and weights. I’m not a gym person, so I gave it a wide berth. (Gym/fitness, Fitness center - Check, check!)
• Swimming Pool (Outdoor): The pool was closed for the season, so I can't comment, but it looked decent. (Swimming pool, Swimming pool [outdoor] - Check, half-check!)
• Meeting/Banquet Facilities: I didn't use them, but they were available. (Meeting/banquet facilities, Outdoor venue for special events, Indoor venue for special events, Audio-visual equipment for special events - Check!)

The Verdict: Is the Murphysboro Holiday Inn Express "Best"?

Look, it's not the Four Seasons. It's a Holiday Inn Express in Murphysboro, Illinois. But for its price point, accessibility, cleanliness, and overall effort to make the experience as pleasant as possible… I gotta say, it's pretty darn good.

The Good:

• Excellent accessibility.
• Cleanliness is a priority.
• Free Wi-Fi that actually works.
• Friendly staff.
• Those darn crispy, perfect bacon.
• The fact that they tried.

The Bad (and Slightly Weird):

• The oddly placed toilet-adjacent hairdryer.
• The waffle chaos at breakfast.
• The wonky picture hanging.
• The "meh" coffee.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. It's not perfect, but it's a solid choice, particularly if you have mobility needs. And hey, if you're ever in Murphysboro, and just need a good, clean, accessible place to crash… give it a shot. You might even get a decent waffle out of the deal. (Or, like me, you might end up just eating a lot of bacon.)

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Holiday Inn Express Murphysboro Carbondale By IHG Murphysboro (IL) United States

Alright, buckle up buttercup, because this ain't no smooth-sailing, perfectly planned travel itinerary. This is… well, this is me trying to wrangle a trip into something resembling order, and that involves a whole lotta “winging it” and probably some questionable life choices. We're headed to the majestic (and, let's be honest, slightly… unassuming) Holiday Inn Express in Murphysboro, Illinois. Gonna make this fun, or at least try.

The Murphysboro/Carbondale Misadventure: A Messy Itinerary (and Possibly a Therapy Bill)

Day 1: Arrival and Immediate Existential Dread (and Pizza)

• 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Flight/Drive of Doom. Okay, let's be real. I’m either flying into St. Louis and renting a car (pray for my sanity on the drive) or… shudders… driving from wherever I am. Either way, this is where the anxiety kicks in. Packing is never as simple as it seems. Did I pack enough underwear? Will I forget my charger? OH GOD DID I FORGET MY CHARGER?! The constant internal monologue is exhausting.
• 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Check-in and Hotel Room Inspection. Arrive at the Holiday Inn Express. Let's hope the check-in process isn't some bureaucratic nightmare. First impressions are everything. I will be intensely judging the lobby décor. Gotta be honest, I have a weakness for free cookies. And a strong dislike of elevators that smell faintly of chlorine.
• 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM: Room Reconnaissance. Unpack. The absolute best part of any trip, because it's basically "legal" hoarding. I'll immediately assess the room. Does it have a decent view (doubtful)? Is the bed comfy (mandatory)? And most importantly, is the WiFi strong enough for a decent stream? (Gotta catch up on Real Housewives, priorities.)
• 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM: Deep Sigh and a Moment of Contemplation. Okay, deep breath. You're here. You survived the travel. Now what?
• 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Dinner Pilgrimage. It's gotta be pizza, right? I'm thinking Iguana's Pizza Bar in Carbondale because I am a sucker for a name that sounds like a dive bar. Hope they have a decent selection of beers. Otherwise, I'm going to order a pizza for the table and pray I get the right toppings. Maybe reflect on my life choices while I’m at it. (Probably will.)
• 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Hotel Hangout and Bedtime Ritual. Back to the hotel. Maybe a swim if I'm feeling ballsy (and the pool isn't full of screaming children). Wind down with some mindless TV. Try to remember how to adult. Brush teeth. Regret any questionable decisions made in the last 24 hours. Attempt sleep.

Day 2: Southern Illinois Adventures (and the inevitable caffeine withdrawal)

• 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM: Breakfast Buffet Battle Royale. The legendary Holiday Inn Express breakfast. Free breakfast, sure, but the breakfast experience is a whole different beast. Will I be brave enough to try the questionable scrambled eggs? Will I hoard all the tiny muffins? Will I accidentally spill my coffee on myself? (Likely.)
• 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Giant City Park and the Myth of Southern Illinois. Okay, I'm going to have to be honest. I'm not entirely sure what to expect here, what exactly is there to do? So, after a quick google search, I'm going to attempt to go to the Giant City Park in Makanda. Hike, maybe? I’m not a hiker, but it seems like the "thing to do" in this part of the world. I can already feel the leg pain.
• 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Southern Illinois University, or the Idea of a University. I might drive through SIU's campus. Pretend I am a smart intellectual, and soak up some of that college-y vibe. Reminisce about my own (slightly more disreputable) college days. Maybe grab a coffee at a campus cafe. Or maybe not.
• 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch Break - Destination Undetermined. I’m flying by the seat of my pants here. Perhaps another pizza place? Or maybe a local diner with a menu that reads like it was written in code.
• 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Giant City State Park, Take 2. The second attempt at the park. If I skipped it, it's probably because I chickened out. Did I even wear the right shoes? Did I bring enough water? Honestly, probably not. But I’ll give it a go. Maybe get lost. It would add some drama.
• 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Wine Tasting (Attempt). There are wineries in the area, aren't there? This is where I get slightly classy. Find a local winery. Pretend to understand anything about wine. Order a flight. Spit politely. Probably end up buying a bottle.
• 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Dinner and Debrief. Back to a restaurant. I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse… or at least a hearty burger. Over-analyze everything that happened today. Probably complain about my sore feet. Drink more wine.
• 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Hotel Downtime and Contemplation. Another night of TV. Maybe try to read a book. Fail. Scroll through my phone. Worry about tomorrow.

Day 3: Departure & Post-Trip Trauma

• 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM: Breakfast…Again. More questionable eggs. More tiny muffins. More existential dread.
• 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM: Packing and the Desperation of Departure. The worst part. Always. Stuff everything back into the suitcase. Realize you forgot something important (probably your charger). Question why you have so much stuff. Vow to travel lighter next time (lies).
• 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Check-out & Emotional Goodbye. Return the hotel key. Smile awkwardly at the front desk staff. Say goodbye to the free cookies.
• 10:00 AM - Noon: The Drive of Doom (or the Flight of… Whatever). Get on the road/in the air. Reflect on my adventure. Probably be relieved it's over, but already missing it.
• Afternoon onward: Post-Trip Recovery. Unpack. Laundry. Catch up on sleep. Start planning the next trip (because, you know, I'm a glutton for punishment). And then, the inevitable… the post-trip blues. Why does life feels so boring back home? And maybe, just maybe, start saving for therapy because let's face it, this itinerary probably gave me a few new neurosis.

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Holiday Inn Express Murphysboro Carbondale By IHG Murphysboro (IL) United StatesOkay, buckle up, buttercups, because we’re diving HEADFIRST into my experience at the Holiday Inn Express in Murphysboro, Illinois. And let me tell you, it's...an experience. I'm going to try to keep this structured, but honestly, after dealing with THAT bathroom, who can guarantee anything? Here's the lowdown, FAQs-style, but with a healthy dose of my own brand of chaos: ```html

So, is this place *really* the BEST hotel in Murphysboro? The review title made it sound like...a hyperbole?

Look, the title's clickbait, I'll admit. BUT. Best is relative, right? It's *probably* the best of the, well, *limited* options. Let's just say the competition isn’t exactly a five-star resort. Is it luxurious? Absolutely not. Does it have a certain… charm? Debatable. Did it give me material for a solid review? You bet your sweet bippy it did. (And that's what matters, right?)

Let's get to the basics: Room quality. What’s the deal?

Okay, so the rooms. Standard. Textbook Holiday Inn Express. My first thought? "Huh. This is…fine." Not sparkling clean, not falling apart, a definite "lived in" vibe. The carpet wasn't particularly sticky, but it gave a slight "I've been walked on by a thousand tired souls" impression. The bed? Comfy enough. The pillows? A little…lumpy. The TV, though, was decent, and I actually managed to find a decent channel for the entirety of my stay, which is a win in my book. Also, the air conditioning worked, and in Southern Illinois in July, that's practically a religious experience.

And the bathroom? The *legendary* bathroom? What's the story?

OH. MY. GOD. The bathroom. Buckle up, folks. This is where the magic...or the trauma...happened. It wasn't *dirty*, exactly. But...the grout. Dear Lord, the grout. Let's just say it had seen things. *Horrible* things. And the water pressure? Imagine a polite trickle of disappointment. I swear, I could have taken a longer, colder shower standing outside in the rain. The shower head itself looked like it was on its last legs, dangling precariously, just *begging* for me to accidentally rip it out of the wall. I considered filming a reenactment of the Psycho shower scene, but I was too scared of the grout-based horror to stay even a second longer in there. Honestly? I'm still having nightmares. That bathroom... forever etched in my soul. I think I'll be needing therapy.

Breakfast! The Holy Grail of Holiday Inn Express. How was the free breakfast?

Okay, here's the thing. The breakfast was… adequate. The usual suspects were present: the sad-looking scrambled eggs (suspect in any hotel breakfast situation), the slightly-too-sweet pastries, the stale bagels (I'm sensing a recurring theme here). The coffee? Strong, which is a mercy. They had the waffle maker, which, let's be honest, is the *real* star of the Holiday Inn Express breakfast buffet. I made two waffles, piled them high with enough syrup to induce a diabetic coma, and called it breakfast. Because sometimes, you just need that little bit of joy, even if it comes in the form of artificially flavored syrup.
Oh, and the best part? They had a little fruit cocktail. I almost died. Of excitement. It was the best thing I've eaten in the last year.

What about the staff? Were they nice? Did they wear name tags? Is there a pool? (These are important questions)

The staff were *lovely*. Super friendly, helpful, and seemingly oblivious to the bathroom atrocities. They were definitely trying their best, and their smiles were genuinely welcoming. They *did* wear name tags. I think. I wasn't staring at them, I was trying to wipe the image of that bathroom from my mind. There is a pool! A small, outdoor pool. I didn't use it. I was too terrified of what kind of life forms might be lurking in the depths. And for real, between the heat and other...things...I was afraid I'd catch something.

Okay, so... overall? Would you stay there again? Be honest!

Ugh... Here's the thing. I'm going to be brutally honest. If I *absolutely* had to? If there was no other option, and I was bleeding money? Probably. Maybe. The convenience factor is undeniable. Again the AC works. But that bathroom... *shudders*. It really haunts me. So, to reiterate: if you go, check the bathroom *first*. And maybe bring your own bleach.
I hope the next person's experience is better. I really do.

What about the surrounding area? Anything fun to do? (Because I'm stuck in Murphysboro, apparently)

Murphysboro! Okay, it's a small town, but don't despair! Explore the Shawnee National Forest, because, well, it's close. There are some cute little antique shops and restaurants around the town square, which is always interesting if you're inclined to that kind of thing. Also, the hotel is close to the Great River Road, so if you're feeling adventurous, go explore! But for real, be ready to do some driving for some of the cooler sights and activities around the area. It's the Midwest, baby!

``` Note: To give an even more authentic feel, you could add a line or two during some answers that are just a stream of thought. * For example, after the breakfast section: "And the breakfast lady was actually really nice. I almost felt bad stuffing my face with those waffles. ...Almost." * Or after the bathroom section: "I should have taken pictures. For the record. I didn't, because I was too busy trying not to vomit. I really shouldn't have gone in there after sundown." * After the "area" response, you could add "I'm hoping to find a decent craft beer in a little while. Keeping my fingers crossed." Hyatt House Denver Aurora: Your Dream Denver Getaway Awaits!

Holiday Inn Express Murphysboro Carbondale By IHG Murphysboro (IL) United States

Holiday Inn Express Murphysboro Carbondale By IHG Murphysboro (IL) United States

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