My stay here was an excellent one well worth the money. The hotel exterior and interior look brand new. The linen and bed was really comfortable. I asked for an extra blanket and it was brought up in good time. I was also able to get late check out without an issue. I would stay here again without hesitation.

I booked 15 rooms for a sports team for two nights. Our stay was supposed to be a team rate that included breakfast vouchers for free breakfast each day we were there. We also wanted to be close to the West Edmonton Mall. There was a bit of confusion as some Holiday Inn websites say that this hotel is on 179A St when it is in fact on 170St. The hotel is only a month old but it's probably important to get the facts correct on the web. First problem: When we arrived in Edmonton we realized that the hotel was in fact not near the mall. The map provided by the hotel, which is still on their website, is incorrect. Hmmm...Probably important to give correct directions since people staying at the hotel are more than likely visitors to the city and have no idea where they are going. Second problem: A lot of the athletes were under 18 years old so all rooms were booked by me on my credit card. However, when they arrived to check in with their chaperones they were told that they needed to have a credit card to secure any extra charges. That was supposed to be on my CC…do they give credit cards to 14 year olds these days? They were told that incidentals were not to be put on my credit card. Strange...I thought the simple fact that it was my credit card meant that I had the right to say what is and isn’t charged to it. The athletes had to wait until someone with a credit card arrived to put the deposit for incidentals on their CC. Third problem: Every room had 4 athletes assigned to them and a separate confirmation number. The hotel had this list of names. The adult team was arriving at different times so I gave them all copies so they could check in on their own (good thing they had credit cards). They checked in all 4 people regardless of whether they had arrived or not. As the other members of the room arrived they were told they could not get a key as the other room members had all of the keys. When they then asked for the room number they were told that they couldn’t give out that information...even if it was their room. Really? A hotel can't give you your own room number? Isn't that kind of important when you stay at a hotel? They had to call their roommates long distance on their cell phones to see what room they were in. BUT if you forgot your room key you can just say what room you are staying in and get a card with no questions asked...not even ID. That's safe. Fourth problem: Upon my arrival I discovered that they had the wrong credit card information and the contract they had was for 20 rooms and did not have my signature on it. They did not have the latest contract I signed for 15 rooms. Neat. I gave my credit card information and all seemed good until I asked for our breakfast vouchers. I was told that we don't get them and that it wasn't in my contract. I had the group rate but none of the group perks. That's odd. After lengthy discussion with the clerks and after the clerk talked to the manager I was told that there was nothing they could do. I'd have to call the agent...on a Friday night at 10pm. Thanks. They also said that I could talk to the restaurant manager and see if he would work a deal. He had already left as it was 10pm. Front desk were completely unhelpful and not very apologetic or sympathetic. I called my travel agent who probably doesn’t work late on Friday night or on the weekend. Needless to say I did not get through and my 60 athletes and their parents were not happy. Fifth problem: In one of the rooms they discovered an unclean sheet when finally settling in for bed on the first night. A "stain", most likely human, was found on the sheets. NOT a nice thing to see when you are ready to hop into a fresh new hotel bed. A picture was taken and the front desk was called. The clerk offered them to change rooms but as it was 1:30am and they had fully unpacked and gotten ready to sleep. They just asked for their sheets to be changed. The front desk clerk explained that housekeeping is gone for the night. They then asked if he could come and change it and he replied that he wouldn’t know where to begin as he had never changed bed sheets before. Wow...I’m guessing he still lives at home. They took the sheet down to him and he was disgusted by the stain and did not want to touch it. He then took them tot he laundry room and told them to pick out what they needed to make a bed and they can change the sheets themselves. How nice of him to offer them clean sheets. The next day I made a complaint about him and the situation. I was later called to come down and discuss the situation as the manager and housekeeping manager inspected the so-called soiled sheets and found no stain. I took the digital camera down and they squinted trying to see the stain in the picture. They were still squinting and stressing to see the stain after I zoomed in. Perhaps Holiday Inn should look into an eye care benefit for their employees. They still didn't believe me but apologized as they're probably told to do by head office, and said they'd give me a credit for that room...I had already brought down the "satisfaction guaranteed" policy they have posted in their bathrooms. Clearly they didn't believe us. I never did meet this elusive manager. Sixth problem: It says late checkout available. The 15th room was apparently not booked with our group even though it was supposed to have been. They called for late check out and were told that it was fine. When our rooms called for late checkout it was apparently not fine and not available...which is fine...I'm sure there are people who are clamoring to get into our 14 rooms on a Sunday afternoon. After it was brought to their attention that one room had late checkout room 15 was called back and told that they no longer had late checkout and had to be out ASAP. Vindictive? Maybe a little. On the second day we ended up getting vouchers for $3.50 off our breakfast. Still not what I asked for but at least it was some mildly better. I spoke to the agent when we got back and she was livid. She worked out a credit for us and was appalled by the horrible service we received. She had confirmed everything with the manager before we arrived to make sure everything was set. She was told it would all be taken care of. I have yet to hear anything from a manager who I had asked to speak with several times. I have had no kind of apology. The travel agent is going to give me confirmation when the credit is applied to my CC....hopefully that will actually happen. Summary: Ambiance: Very good...nice and new. Beds are super. Shower pressure a bit low. Location: Not where the map indicated. Actually quite far from WEM. Restaurant: Yummy! Great sweet potato fries! Staff: Not good. Sometimes friendly but not knowledgeable or helpful. Did not make us feel welcome even though we were paying to feel welcome. Felt like a bunch of relatives you don’t really like but your mom said you have to let stay with you for the weekend. Overall: Don't stay here. I will take my 15 room booking elsewhere.