Name: Holiday Inn Gainesville-University Center by IHG
Address: 1250 West University Avenue, University Heights, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America, Gainesville, Alachua County, US
Price range: $83–$1,312 per night
Rating: 7.52

What guests think

Reviews of Holiday Inn Gainesville-University Center by IHG highlight a very convenient location near UF and generally friendly staff, but also note ongoing renovations that cause noise, outages, and many dated or inconsistent rooms and cleanliness concerns.

Several guests enjoyed newly renovated rooms and appreciated the attached restaurant and pool. However, others reported musty odors, worn bathrooms, maintenance issues like AC or hot water problems, and occasional service lapses or overbooking. Expect a prime location with variable room quality during the renovation period.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Major renovations frequently impact facilities, with reports of Wi-Fi outages, hot-water interruptions, construction noise, and occasional elevator issues; the gym was closed in at least one stay. The pool is available and sometimes enjoyed, though cleanliness varied, and parking is on-site.

Related guest reviews

8

Mark

Jul 12, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The staff was very professional and friendly. They reached out by text and were great at communicating about any needs. The room was super clean. The hallways smelled a bit weird and the elevator was creaking a lot.

10

Katherine

Apr 22, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel is undergoing renovations but we were not inconvenienced at all by the work being done. Our room was beautiful and clean. The staff of the hotel was friendly and very accommodating. We enjoyed the outdoor pool. We would definitely stay here again!

4

Cason

Mar 31, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely staff and very nice and clean rooms but the hotel being under construction was very inconvenient and not worth the price for the hotel, not having wifi my entire stay and then also the hot water situation was quite annoying and then to top it off the tv only had 40 working channels. But the staff were friendly and amazing

10

Francisco

Jan 19, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great catch for a quick trip; currently under renovations so no wifi during my stay but i didn’t need it. Staff is very attentive and accomodating to needs. My room was completely renovated and very comfortable and modern. Convenient parking on-site and within walking distance of the social scene in town.

6

Leisha

Jan 11, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The property is under construction and I was aware of that. what was not listed on the expedia website nor told to me by the staff at check-in was there was no internet service in the hotel other than on the first floor where check in is located. I wouldn't have checked in had i known internet surface wasn't available.

2

brandon

Jan 11, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Gym is closed

2

Hope

Jan 3, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Construction at the hotel was loud from 7 AM to 9 PM. I was reactive to the fresh carpet glue--it gave me head aches. There were stains on the new carpet and a hole in the wall already (marked with blue tape). The alley way where we had to park had sketchy characters going around most of the night. There was cardboard flooring in the elevator and foyer. There was no breakfast area. This is the first negative review that I have ever written.

4

Isabel

May 18, 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

Disappointing. First I had no knowledge that there were renovando construction because it was not on the website. I felt uncomfortable with so many construction workers walking around. Second, the hotel had a weird smell. Third, the elevator was not clean and only one of two worked. Fourth, the breakfast at the indoor cafe was terrible. Fifth, the bathroom in my room looked dingy and dirty. The mirror was rusty. The showerhead was not working properly. The sheets were not clean so I got ringworm. The parking lot was pitted and dangerous for walking. There were no lights. It felt unsafe at night. The nearby Publix was convenient and refreshingly comforting as I could buy snacks there. I have stayed at other locations for Holiday Inn and my stay was much MUCH better.

6

TJ

May 14, 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

Construction on-site, were not warned prior. Hot water was down without warning for ~24 hours, then down with warning for ~12. Staff however were friendly, professional, and apologetic for the inconveniences.

4

Jacqueline

May 15, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The Hotel is really old. The shower wall was broken (before us) and the repair was really bad and repainted. Even when the room was clean. But the pool was not, a lot of bugs in there, we cannot swim in there.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Cleanliness

Cleanliness feedback is inconsistent: some guests found rooms and common areas very clean, but many others reported musty odors, mold or mildew in bathrooms, dirty or worn carpets, and occasional lapses like uncleaned rooms; a few mentioned bed bugs.

Related guest reviews

10

Angelo

Nov 9, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Very clean

10

Roujau

Oct 3, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The server at the bistro was great! Everyone at the front desk was fantastic. Facilities were clean and tidy. No bugs. I was very happy with my stay

2

andrew

Jun 14, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Worst hotel I have stayed at by far. Renovations were not a problem. What made it so is the critters under the sheets. I report itching profusely and the front desk did nothing. I searched the room and found BED BUG droppings and the front desk still did nothing. Logically I could not sleep in the room and left by 3 AM to drive to the next city. The manager responds with "must be an allergic reaction because the exterminator found nothing." I know what an allergic reaction looks like, and these are clearly bug bites. STAY AWAY. You'll get ate up and they will just sweep it under the rug. By far the most greasy set of management I've ever encountered. You not only risk bringing them with you to your next stay, but the hotel will do nothing and disregard clear evidence.

2

Antuanet

Nov 10, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

This review is for the Holiday Inn Gainesville. We were given room 314, which was far from what we expected. The hotel is undergoing construction, which wasn’t disclosed at the time of booking. We had requested and paid for a King room but were instead given a double. The 3rd floor hallways smelled musty and moldy, the bathroom light was broken, and the shower had almost no water pressure. The room itself was poorly maintained, with visible cracks on the walls and ceiling. When I asked to change rooms, I was told there were none available. I ended up checking out and booking another hotel. Essentially, I paid for a weekend stay (Friday to Sunday) at a hotel where I didn’t stay. I booked through Hotels.com, I’ve been told I have to request a refund through them. I use Hotels.com for all my bookings, but unless this issue is resolved, I will no longer use their service in the future. I have attempted to contact their customer service multiple times via phone and virtual chat, with no resolution. This experience has been incredibly frustrating, and their lack of support is unacceptable.

4

Flavia

Nov 4, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel is in bad condition supposedly they are renovating the rooms really stinks they are not clean In general the hotel is a no no stay maybe when they remolded the whole hotel as now I will not recommend to go, there are better options than this neat by you can google it .

2

Marc

Jun 2, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Under heavy construction and limited parking. The check-in process took too long. The first room they gave me was never cleaned. Towels on the floor and the bed u made. I believe they will return to better standards after construction but right now I would not go back.

4

Isabel

May 18, 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

Disappointing. First I had no knowledge that there were renovando construction because it was not on the website. I felt uncomfortable with so many construction workers walking around. Second, the hotel had a weird smell. Third, the elevator was not clean and only one of two worked. Fourth, the breakfast at the indoor cafe was terrible. Fifth, the bathroom in my room looked dingy and dirty. The mirror was rusty. The showerhead was not working properly. The sheets were not clean so I got ringworm. The parking lot was pitted and dangerous for walking. There were no lights. It felt unsafe at night. The nearby Publix was convenient and refreshingly comforting as I could buy snacks there. I have stayed at other locations for Holiday Inn and my stay was much MUCH better.

2

Annabella

Nov 19, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Room had a terrible moisture problem. Due to this the carpet was wet, wallpaper was peeling, mildew in the bathroom, stains all over the curtains, peeling furniture, and absolutely horrible smell of stale wetness and urine. The pictures that show their updated lobby is extremely misleading. However the staff was understanding and professional in helping us get refunded

4

Cheryl

Sep 26, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

We love location, but our room was musky old smelling. The was a white wash rag crammed up by the air-condition Wass unit covered in mold and you could see directly outside around areas of the was unit, There was mold in the caulking in the bath tub all around the drain and on outside corners of tub. It's in need of major over haul. Outside clean-up is coming along well. Been staying here four years and hasn't changed much, Should have review in the past.

4

Sharon

Sep 22, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The rooms are very dated & desperately need renovation. For this stay, my room had a horrible musty smell coming from the AC unit. Maintenance serviced the unit & spayed a deodorizer which helped somewhat. By the last night of my stay, warm air was coming from the AC unit. The bathroom had mold. This hotel is overpriced for the condition of the rooms. I will look for other options the next time I’m in Gainesville.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Rooms

Rooms are often described as dated and worn, with recurring issues such as noisy or weak AC, small bathrooms, and poor water pressure; some also noted traffic noise. Newly renovated rooms receive praise for being comfortable and modern, with a few offering campus views.

Related guest reviews

8

Javier

Oct 13, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

nice room. wish they had larger soap and shampoo. The one in the bathroom are super tiny.

10

Steven

Aug 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Friendly staff, renovated room, extremely convenient location to UF campus.

10

Eliana

Aug 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Everything was good, but the air conditioning was leaking a lot. But the bed was great!

8

Michael

Apr 13, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Hotel is located in a prime location for access to the main campus. They are remodeling, which caused problems with the TV cable service in my room. My room did have a wonderful view of the University of Florida campus. Traffic on University is busy and get load at times.

6

Saw

Dec 16, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Beds in the room are very high. It isn’t good for everyone.

4

Andrew

Oct 7, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The floor we were on was "under renovation" but was opened anyway since the hotel "sold out" all the rooms. The door wouldn\'t shut from the outside unless you used the key card, one wall had no electricity in the room (the USB charger and lights next to the bed did not work), there was no fridge or microwave in the room, the ice maker down the hall was still wrapped in plastic. For $700 a night, I would have expected much better. Maybe worth $300, just for the location.

4

Brandon

Jul 25, 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

Under construction, multiple fire drills, humid rooms, kind of dirtyz

10

Julia A.

May 15, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I'd highly recommend this hotel if staying in Gainseville. The room was extremely clean, spacious & well-appointed. I appreciated having a microwave and substantial sized mini-fridge. The Italian restaurant right off the main lobby looked winderful smf smelled delicious, and Im sure I'd have loved it I hadnt already had dinner.

6

Michael

Mar 29, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Hotel is all about location and nothing special. They seem to be renovating so in the future it might be good. Rooms are old. Bathroom and water pressure are bad.

6

Brian

Jun 7, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice location, rooms need remodeling

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Service

Service is frequently praised as friendly, attentive, and communicative, with several guests highlighting standout front-desk and restaurant staff. However, a few experienced overbooking or poor communication at check-in and limited support when problems arose.

Related guest reviews

10

Roujau

Oct 3, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The server at the bistro was great! Everyone at the front desk was fantastic. Facilities were clean and tidy. No bugs. I was very happy with my stay

10

Tiffany

Sep 25, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Your staff was excellent and communicative!

10

Maria

Jul 14, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The staff is very attentive, caring and professional, especially Mr. Danley and Mrs. Amarys at the reception, and the lady who served us in the restaurant for breakfast. They regularly checked on our needs and offered help. Even though the hotel is in a construction process, everything is very clean. I would recommend this place to anyone who needs accommodation in the Gainesville area.

8

Mark

Jul 12, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The staff was very professional and friendly. They reached out by text and were great at communicating about any needs. The room was super clean. The hallways smelled a bit weird and the elevator was creaking a lot.

10

Jessica

May 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Krystyn made our graduation check-in so wonderful and she was amazing!!! Love the upgrades to the rooms!

4

Scott

Oct 11, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

When we arrived, we were told our room was cancelled but there was never an email or phone call to us regarding the cancellation. Also, we got an email earlier in the day stating that our room was ready and if we had any preference. Luckily, they had extra rooms for us but the room that we got didn't have a refrigerator or wifi and was still in the middle of a renovation so there was no door frame and other things were missing as well. I expected some sort of discount for the inconvenience but nothing was provided. Finally, the front desk lady was not very nice and didn't really care about our frustrations or concerns.

2

Tyler

Sep 1, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

This property overbooked the rooms on a football game weekend where the rooms were inflated to $900/nt. They offered to accommodate 8 people into 4 king rooms rather than 2 double queen rooms but were requiring us to pay even more for the additional rooms needed due to their negligence. The staff was rude and ultimately cancelled the reservation all together when we argued that we should not be charged more to accommodate our group.

2

Marc

Jun 2, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Under heavy construction and limited parking. The check-in process took too long. The first room they gave me was never cleaned. Towels on the floor and the bed u made. I believe they will return to better standards after construction but right now I would not go back.

2

Bonnie

Aug 6, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

On July 9th, I found myself experiencing a horrifying incident at the Holiday Inn located at 1250 West University Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601. Assigned to room 620, I was unpleasantly surprised to discover that I was sharing my accommodations with bed bugs. In response to this distressing situation, I contacted the front desk at 2AM. Despite reaching out for assistance, the manager didn't extend the courtesy of a return call. Upon personally confronting the manager, I was given a promise of a refund, which, unfortunately, was never processed. I had to resort to reaching out to Expedia, the platform through which I had booked the stay, to secure my refund. It's worth noting that in an effort to seek resolution, I called the Holiday Inn customer service and corporate numbers six different times, only to be met with silence. There was a complete lack of concern shown towards my unfortunate experience, which is deeply concerning. This traumatic experience resulted not only in physical discomfort due to the bed bug bites, but also led to the loss of my personal belongings due to the risk of potential bed bug infestation. This incident reflects an alarming level of negligence on the part of the management at this Holiday Inn establishment. Potential guests, especially parents of the University of Florida students, need to be aware of the risk they undertake by choosing this hotel. Until this situation is properly addressed

8

Laura

May 25, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

The property is clean and in a convenient location. The staff are truly accommodating and welcoming. Highly recommend this property!

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Location

Location is consistently praised as very convenient for UF, downtown, and area dining, with many places walkable. Some noted traffic noise or occasional safety concerns around the parking area.

Related guest reviews

8

JOHN and SARA

Aug 10, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Nice stay close to campus. Newly renovated (still ongoing). Staff was very friendly. Only complaint was the AC had trouble keeping up with the old windows. The heat coming in was too much but was OK overnight when set to 63. I’d stay here again,

10

Steven

Aug 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Friendly staff, renovated room, extremely convenient location to UF campus.

10

Nathalie

Jul 18, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Very convenient location with helpful staff

8

Michael

Apr 13, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Hotel is located in a prime location for access to the main campus. They are remodeling, which caused problems with the TV cable service in my room. My room did have a wonderful view of the University of Florida campus. Traffic on University is busy and get load at times.

2

Ursula

Jun 3, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I wanted to love my star here. It was very close to campus, the ONLY plus. There were homeless people out front, and one chased my son and tried to take his chain off his neck. There were Creepy construction people staring at me in the elevator. There was blood on the ceiling of one shower, mold in corners of the shower, grime on the da user and black grease marks on the bed skirt. They used a strong smelling disinfectant that smelled horrible. The staff was very nice and I felt bad for them. Not their fault, but this place was very dirty and had homeless people around day and night

10

Maribel

May 14, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great proximity with proximity to the College of Business!

8

James

Nov 19, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

This is propably the most convienent location for anything at UF. Great service... parts of the property show some age, but things are currently getting remodeled and look great. Pizza/Brewhouse adjoining the property is excellent!

10

Suzanne

Apr 30, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice hotel, clean, staff friendly and very convenient to UF

8

Hayden

Apr 10, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

It was right in the middle of town so convenient to anywhere around downtown

10

YURII

Jan 21, 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

Safe and convenient

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Dining

On-site dining draws mixed feedback: several guests liked the attached Italian restaurant/bistro and made-to-order breakfast, while others reported poor breakfast or limited service/space during renovations.

Related guest reviews

10

Roujau

Oct 3, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The server at the bistro was great! Everyone at the front desk was fantastic. Facilities were clean and tidy. No bugs. I was very happy with my stay

10

Sharon

Jul 19, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We needed a quick stop for an overnight stay in Gainesville. We would have had no issues staying longer. Clean room and bath, small fridge, coffee and room to relax after a 16 hour car ride. Five Stars all around and the restaurant attached had outstanding food and service as well.

10

Jodi

May 6, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

We stayed here for our daughters graduation from UF. This is an ideal location, within walking distance of campus and the downtown. The hotel is under renovation and we stayed in one of the newly renovated rooms and it was very nice. Breakfast was great and it was made to order and not a buffet. There is also an Italian restaurant attached to the hotel. We would stay here again if we were back in Gainesville.

2

Hope

Jan 3, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Construction at the hotel was loud from 7 AM to 9 PM. I was reactive to the fresh carpet glue--it gave me head aches. There were stains on the new carpet and a hole in the wall already (marked with blue tape). The alley way where we had to park had sketchy characters going around most of the night. There was cardboard flooring in the elevator and foyer. There was no breakfast area. This is the first negative review that I have ever written.

4

Isabel

May 18, 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

Disappointing. First I had no knowledge that there were renovando construction because it was not on the website. I felt uncomfortable with so many construction workers walking around. Second, the hotel had a weird smell. Third, the elevator was not clean and only one of two worked. Fourth, the breakfast at the indoor cafe was terrible. Fifth, the bathroom in my room looked dingy and dirty. The mirror was rusty. The showerhead was not working properly. The sheets were not clean so I got ringworm. The parking lot was pitted and dangerous for walking. There were no lights. It felt unsafe at night. The nearby Publix was convenient and refreshingly comforting as I could buy snacks there. I have stayed at other locations for Holiday Inn and my stay was much MUCH better.

10

Denise

May 13, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I had a procedure at UF Shands down the street very early. We came from Daytona Beach and stayed the night. Has a restaurants on site. Pool on 3rd floor can sit and relax. Very good just what we needed

8

James

Nov 19, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

This is propably the most convienent location for anything at UF. Great service... parts of the property show some age, but things are currently getting remodeled and look great. Pizza/Brewhouse adjoining the property is excellent!

6

Jana

Apr 26, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Pizza Restaurant

10

Sal

Apr 24, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

We had a very comfortable bed and the room was nice as well. The shower was a bit of a challenge to get the water temperature right. We know the hotel will be undergoing a major renovation sometime this year so we are not complaining about anything, as it was noted when we checked in and before. Mistakenly thought breakfast was included but the meal we had was wonderful and no complaints about the price we did pay for it. Nice dining options all around as well and having the refrigerator in the room was perfect for all our leftovers.

10

Barbara

Apr 11, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Was clean, quiet, comfortable, conveniently located & easy to access, secure, food options on site (2restaurants). hot water quickly. Early check in, close to Shands hospital. Would definitely stay again.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	$112
February	$175
March	$176
April	$181
May	$223
June	$113
July	$100
August	$172
September	$142
October	$241
November	$175
December	$104

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16 $130	17 $108	18 $119	19 $120
20 $90	21 $107	22 $106	23 $107	24 $163	25 $1,312	26
27 $104	28 $113	29 $113	30 $112

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $110	2 $126	3 $126
4 $104	5 $106	6 $106	7 $106	8 $148	9	10
11 $95	12 $106	13 $110	14 $119	15 $104	16 $131	17 $131
18 $83	19 $97	20 $100	21 $131	22 $284	23	24
25	26 $117	27 $124	28 $117	29 $140	30 $231	31 $231

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Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds

Premium Room, 2 Queen Beds

Standard Room

Standard Room, 1 King Bed

Guest reviews

Good

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property Policies

Check-in instructions

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about Holiday Inn Gainesville-University Center by IHG

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