Name: Holiday Inn Express & Suites - Lake Forest by IHG
Address: 20768 Lake Forest Dr, Lake Forest, California, United States of America, Lake Forest, California, US
Price range: US$91–US$327 per night
Rating: 8.73

What guests think

At Holiday Inn Express & Suites - Lake Forest by IHG, travellers report clean, comfortable rooms and a convenient location near eateries and roads, plus mixed breakfast quality and some maintenance issues affecting hot water, the pool, or in-room equipment.

Staff service is widely praised as welcoming and attentive, with several guests mentioning standout front-desk experiences. Rooms are often spacious and quiet, though some report noise between floors or occasional odors. Facilities like the pool and hot tub are present, but cleanliness and functionality can be inconsistent. Overall, expect a friendly, comfortable stay with a few rough edges.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Amenities include a pool and hot tub, though several reviews cite dirty water or outages. Many guests also appreciate free parking.

Related guest reviews

10

Staci

6 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great stay. We were in town for a volleyball match just down the road. Breakfast ready early with great variety. Room comfy, bathroom and shower large and clean. Very quiet at night. Starbucks in the parking lot along with couple other restaurants that we didn’t try. Nothing fancy as most HIE hotels aren’t, but just what we needed for a quick overnight. Definitely stay here again when playing at Clava.

6

John R

12 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Wasn’t allowed to check in until about 2 hrs after the posted check in time, was told room wasn’t ready. Kept being told 20-30 more minutes. When we got to the room we found a cork from a bottle in one of the lampshades so pretty sure the room wasn’t cleaned very well. Pool looked greenish and not very clean. Used to love staying here, but will probably look elsewhere next time.

10

Patrick

25 Dec 2022

·

Stayed 1 night

Awesome! From start to finish. Early check in, hot cookies delivered, room upgrade, View, late check out. What's not to like... Hot tub was broken. But the place more than made up for the hot tub. Great staff, clean and really nice room with a view.

8

Leslie

10 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Appears they have done some upgrades, but the elevator was scary, and the touch up paint in the room didn’t match the first color.

10

Judith

14 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We stay a few times a year when we need to go to CA. It is a comfortable hotel. The staff are always friendly and helpful. Breakfast is nourishing and included as is the parking. The hotel is convenient to the toll road and there are dining options close by.

10

LAKEISHA

6 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great place to stay , the hotel was clean and had great staff. I felt like I was at home with the cleanliness ! Free breakfast , free parking. You have Starbucks right next door, other food places as well. Great location , glad I choose this place !

8

Jill

18 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Stayed 2 nights for a volleyball tournament. King suite, spacious, with a desk and 2 sitting chairs. Pretty comfortable bed, although I did call front desk at 11pm to ask for a blanket and was told that there were none and that the front desk was too busy at the moment to help me which was strange to be busy so late at night in this area? I could have easily walked down to front desk to grab a blanket but that apparent wasn't an option. Anyway, quiet location just off of the toll road. Good breakfast ready at 6:30am which was convenient for us. No Netflix or streaming capability just regular cable. WiFi was spotty. Very small parking lot but parking was free so no complaints. Starbucks in same parking lot which was helpful, as well as a few restaurants (sushi, Mediterranean/pizza) within walking distance. All in all good for what we needed, which was a quiet place to sleep central in OC.

10

m

9 Sept 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great property, friendly and helpfstaff, comfortable beds and pillows, great price, good breakfast. Pool and hot tub were dirty so we didn't use them, I think it was because of the rainy weather prior though. Would definitely come back.

8

Jose Eduardo

1 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Housekeeping was good, I was just hoping the pool was cleaner to enjoy

6

Dante

31 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Breakfast was underwhelming. The turkey sausage links looked like they've had a hard life, dried out and spikey. The staff were nice and friendly enough. Good location with restaurants next door. Clean with nice amenities like a pool and spa. First times at Holiday Inn Expresses and will seek them out since they do seem better than other options in the mid range.

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Cleanliness

Most guests find the property and rooms very clean, with housekeeping praised. A few note odors, dust, mold in a shower, or worn items like blinds.

Related guest reviews

4

Peggy

7 Feb 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

The room had an old hotel odor. Had to open the window to air it out. The shades were torn. The last morning there was no hot water. The front desk person was very friendly and helpful.

10

VICTOR

25 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great hotel, very clean, comfortable bed, quiet.

10

ruifeng

25 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 5 nights

nice and clean

10

Marjan

13 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very clean

10

Judith

23 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This hotel is always very clean and comfortable. The office staff are courteous and friendly. It is like a home away from home.

6

John

5 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The TV did not work properly. The blinds had holes in them. Dust hanging from the lamps. The people were very nice through

8

Juan

1 Oct 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Special thanks to Rosario who cleaned the room, unfortunately the code didn’t work to give her a review, hopefully she will get this, she deserves a five stars

6

Sarah

2 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was dirty there was mold in the shower.

8

Antonina

7 Aug 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Everything was good, except the room was clean but had a terrible smell.

10

VICTOR

25 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very clean, quiet bed comfortable, great hotel, will come back. Thank you

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Rooms

Rooms are often spacious, quiet, and comfortable. Some guests report noise between rooms, occasional odors, or equipment problems like TVs, fridges, or hot water.

Related guest reviews

10

Jose

5 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Everything was good the staff was very nice and helpful. The only thing was that my room smelled like cigarette smoke when I first walked in. It went away after i turned on the air-conditioning.

10

VICTOR

25 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great hotel, very clean, comfortable bed, quiet.

10

Lora

26 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was huge, double the size of a normal room. Refrigerator, microwave and dark out window shades.

6

Jean Margaret

9 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 5 nights

Very busy hotel. Can hear through the walls. Lots of noise during the day.

4

sara

1 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

I’m surprised this hotel was full. The hotel itself looks old. The room I was in though big was very run down. It seemed like a Motel 6.

8

Jill

18 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Stayed 2 nights for a volleyball tournament. King suite, spacious, with a desk and 2 sitting chairs. Pretty comfortable bed, although I did call front desk at 11pm to ask for a blanket and was told that there were none and that the front desk was too busy at the moment to help me which was strange to be busy so late at night in this area? I could have easily walked down to front desk to grab a blanket but that apparent wasn't an option. Anyway, quiet location just off of the toll road. Good breakfast ready at 6:30am which was convenient for us. No Netflix or streaming capability just regular cable. WiFi was spotty. Very small parking lot but parking was free so no complaints. Starbucks in same parking lot which was helpful, as well as a few restaurants (sushi, Mediterranean/pizza) within walking distance. All in all good for what we needed, which was a quiet place to sleep central in OC.

10

Rochelle

27 Jan 2024

·

This was one of the best laid out hotel rooms I’ve stayed at. It was easy to lay out our suitcases, be organized and access our stuff. I appreciated the coat hooks in the room and plenty of plugs. The bathroom was well laid out and easy to share with my family. The room was clean and the beds were comfortable. I heard no noise from adjacent rooms or the street. The breakfast was good. We all found something that satisfied us. It was not my favorite included hotel breakfast. It was somewhere in the middle but definitely not the worst. I would stay here again and enjoy it.

10

John

6 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

TV wasn't working probably.

6

Anthony

6 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very loud upstairs

6

John

5 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The TV did not work properly. The blinds had holes in them. Dust hanging from the lamps. The people were very nice through

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Service

Service is a standout, with welcoming, personable front-desk staff frequently praised by name. There are occasional lapses in responsiveness.

Related guest reviews

10

Christianne

19 May 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Good customer service

10

Amparo

17 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Todd and his team provided such great customer service to me during my stay. The rooms were ample and bed very comfy.

6

John R

12 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Wasn’t allowed to check in until about 2 hrs after the posted check in time, was told room wasn’t ready. Kept being told 20-30 more minutes. When we got to the room we found a cork from a bottle in one of the lampshades so pretty sure the room wasn’t cleaned very well. Pool looked greenish and not very clean. Used to love staying here, but will probably look elsewhere next time.

10

Robert

6 May 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Todd is amazing manager. He truly is the opitome of customer service. He accommodated all of my requests, not many, but it the thought that counts. On check out, he even invited us to send a team photo of our team, and he would post it in his lobby. Genuine person. Rare find nowadays. Like a unicorn. Thank you Todd.

10

Rebecca

5 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The front desk staff was amazing.

10

Rebecca

31 Dec 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I absolutely love Todd at the front desk and all other employees I've had contact with at this hotel. They're not just great employees who are professional in every way, they're just lovely people.

8

Jill

18 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Stayed 2 nights for a volleyball tournament. King suite, spacious, with a desk and 2 sitting chairs. Pretty comfortable bed, although I did call front desk at 11pm to ask for a blanket and was told that there were none and that the front desk was too busy at the moment to help me which was strange to be busy so late at night in this area? I could have easily walked down to front desk to grab a blanket but that apparent wasn't an option. Anyway, quiet location just off of the toll road. Good breakfast ready at 6:30am which was convenient for us. No Netflix or streaming capability just regular cable. WiFi was spotty. Very small parking lot but parking was free so no complaints. Starbucks in same parking lot which was helpful, as well as a few restaurants (sushi, Mediterranean/pizza) within walking distance. All in all good for what we needed, which was a quiet place to sleep central in OC.

10

John R

17 Jun 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Love this property and stay fairly regularly. Friendly staff great free breakfast in the am. Very clean and quiet. Wouldn’t stay anywhere else!

8

Jimmy W

30 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean room. Breakfast options were good. They were painting the 2nd floor and our room had a strong chemical smell. My husband mentioned this to the person working the desk and they sent someone up to check. The person told my husband they didn’t smell anything and they acted like we were exaggerating.

10

Rebecca

9 Dec 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

This will always be my go-to hotel when visiting the Lake Forest/Mission Viejo area. The people who work at this hotel in every function are wonderful, the best!

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Location

Quiet, practical location near restaurants, coffee, and major roads for getting around Orange County. Most felt safe and well-situated, though one review disliked the neighborhood.

Related guest reviews

10

Michelle

26 Dec 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

This is in a nice area of Lake Forest, equidistant between 241 and I-5/405. It's quiet, safe and surrounded by nice little shops for breakfast and evening.

10

Heather

12 Feb 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

A Starbucks and a bakery with gluten-free options were in the same parking lot. Also a nice place to walk in the morning, a nature trail within a half a mile.

10

Staci

6 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great stay. We were in town for a volleyball match just down the road. Breakfast ready early with great variety. Room comfy, bathroom and shower large and clean. Very quiet at night. Starbucks in the parking lot along with couple other restaurants that we didn’t try. Nothing fancy as most HIE hotels aren’t, but just what we needed for a quick overnight. Definitely stay here again when playing at Clava.

10

Chris

14 Aug 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

This hotel is perfectly located, quiet and very clean. The rooms were spacious and beds were comfortable. I would definitely stay here again.

10

LAKEISHA

6 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great place to stay , the hotel was clean and had great staff. I felt like I was at home with the cleanliness ! Free breakfast , free parking. You have Starbucks right next door, other food places as well. Great location , glad I choose this place !

8

Jill

18 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Stayed 2 nights for a volleyball tournament. King suite, spacious, with a desk and 2 sitting chairs. Pretty comfortable bed, although I did call front desk at 11pm to ask for a blanket and was told that there were none and that the front desk was too busy at the moment to help me which was strange to be busy so late at night in this area? I could have easily walked down to front desk to grab a blanket but that apparent wasn't an option. Anyway, quiet location just off of the toll road. Good breakfast ready at 6:30am which was convenient for us. No Netflix or streaming capability just regular cable. WiFi was spotty. Very small parking lot but parking was free so no complaints. Starbucks in same parking lot which was helpful, as well as a few restaurants (sushi, Mediterranean/pizza) within walking distance. All in all good for what we needed, which was a quiet place to sleep central in OC.

10

Adrienne

5 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Away from the freeway. Very comfortable and affordable.

10

Jean-Marc

27 Jul 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

Convenient to the area that I visited.

6

Dante

31 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Breakfast was underwhelming. The turkey sausage links looked like they've had a hard life, dried out and spikey. The staff were nice and friendly enough. Good location with restaurants next door. Clean with nice amenities like a pool and spa. First times at Holiday Inn Expresses and will seek them out since they do seem better than other options in the mid range.

10

Nicholas

3 Jul 2023

·

Neighborhood not great but staff and accomodations were.

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Dining

Breakfast feedback is mixed: many enjoy the hot, included options and early start, while others find it underwhelming with limited variety, lukewarm items, or a broken pancake machine.

Related guest reviews

10

Staci

6 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great stay. We were in town for a volleyball match just down the road. Breakfast ready early with great variety. Room comfy, bathroom and shower large and clean. Very quiet at night. Starbucks in the parking lot along with couple other restaurants that we didn’t try. Nothing fancy as most HIE hotels aren’t, but just what we needed for a quick overnight. Definitely stay here again when playing at Clava.

10

Pamela

29 Oct 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

Staff was great, room very clean and nice. Breakfast was better then expected.

10

Mitsuko

30 May 2024

·

Stayed 6 nights

Updated and clean! The breakfast is very good and the staff is nice and friendly!

6

Karen

24 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The room was comfortable and the beds were comfortable. The breakfast was the worst! Coffee was barely lukewarm, the hot food looked like it had been sitting out for a couple of days, and selection was low. The bagel I ate was stale.

10

Alishia

22 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Breakfast was the same everyday, not switched up. Pancake machine wasn’t working pancakes not cooked.

10

Bonnie

14 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

Outstanding breakfast!!!

6

Haydi

31 Jul 2023

·

Stayed 4 nights

Cons- Limited breakfast options and short breakfast times. Room walls were dirty. Sheets and blankets had stains of different colors even when changed with washed ones. Pool was green and jacuzzi wasn’t working properly. Pros- Great customer service and friendly staff. Coffee available all day.

6

Dante

31 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Breakfast was underwhelming. The turkey sausage links looked like they've had a hard life, dried out and spikey. The staff were nice and friendly enough. Good location with restaurants next door. Clean with nice amenities like a pool and spa. First times at Holiday Inn Expresses and will seek them out since they do seem better than other options in the mid range.

10

Amy

19 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great small hotel! Friendly service, nice spacious clean rooms. We loved the cookie at check in! Breakfast was just ok. I’ve stayed at many Holiday Inn Express hotels and this was not my favorite. The fried eggs were kind of rubbery, the pancake machine was broken, and there weren’t a lot of bread options BUT I’m still super grateful for a free breakfast and it was very clean. Overall a great experience and we would stay here again!

10

Pamela

27 Dec 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

The front desk employees were very friendly! The breakfast each day was excellent! Thank U

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	US$115
February	US$118
March	US$131
April	US$126
May	US$127
June	US$156
July	US$170
August	US$120
September	US$130
October	US$124
November	US$131
December	US$114

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16 $127	17 $123	18 $200	19 $208
20 $106	21 $116	22 $116	23 $116	24 $124	25 $314	26 $327
27 $123	28 $111	29 $120	30 $120

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $107	2 $127	3 $127
4 $100	5 $113	6 $114	7 $118	8 $114	9 $135	10 $123
11 $100	12 $103	13 $107	14 $111	15 $106	16 $103	17 $111
18 $91	19 $101	20 $107	21 $107	22 $102	23 $107	24 $115
25 $94	26 $99	27 $99	28 $103	29 $106	30 $110	31 $102

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Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Accessible (Mobility, Transfer Shower)

Suite, 1 King Bed (Spin Bike)

Standard Room, 1 King Bed

Standard Room

Suite, 1 King Bed, Accessible (Comm, Mobility, Accessible Tub)

Suite, 1 King Bed

Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds

Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds, Accessible (Mobility, Transfer Shower)

Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Accessible (Communications, Mobility)

Guest reviews

Fabulous

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property policies

Check-in instructions

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about Holiday Inn Express & Suites - Lake Forest by IHG

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Prices for upcoming dates