Holiday Inn Express & Suites Sequim

This place recently wrapped up a full renovation. The results have the hotel looking generally quite good. Overall, I would say that it’s a solid destination for folks who are traveling to the Olympic Peninsula. The front desk staff was polite overall and routinely greeted guests coming and going. A younger 20-something female front desk staff member who worked during afternoon and evening hours was especially nice…very perky and cheerful. (I didn’t catch her name. She had a great smile). Guestrooms here are large and comfortable, and the common areas were clean and updated. The indoor pool was great, and the morning breakfast offering was also solid. The hotel sits in a rural setting with cows grazing across the road, on the front side of the building. There is no commerce within walking distance other than a restaurant adjacent to the hotel. We had one dinner at that place. The quality was average, service very slow. There are better places nearby. Downtown Sequim is a short distance away, maybe a mile up the road. Tedesco’s in downtown was quite good. If you’re a prospective guest and are pondering staying in Sequim versus Port Angeles, both communities offer some advantages. While the water setting in Port Angeles is nice, that city is shockingly dated in appearance. It’s like a throwback to 1970’s. As an observation from an urban dweller, I was taken at how stagnant the economy is in the nearby area, with not a lot of visible new commercial development. All that looks new is a big Walmart. Most lodging options in Port Angeles & Sequim are generally old and substandard. You see very little of anything that looks brand new and fresh. Hotel rates in either Sequim or Port Angeles are both shockingly high in the peak season, but I guess its supply and demand economics for travelers heading to Olympic National Park, or on to Victoria. There are few good hotel options nearby. In my opinion, the Holiday Inn Express-Sequim may well be the premiere place to stay in the nearby 30-mile vicinity given its recent and pleasant update. Bottom line, you’ll need to ante up a high price point to stay at the Holiday Inn Express during the summer season, often $350 or more per night. If you bite the bullet and pay prevailing rates, at least know that you’ll get a modern and updated accommodation and a friendly staff if you opt for the Holiday Inn Express. Thumbs up overall!