Name: Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Brainerd-Baxter by IHG
Address: 15739 Audubon Way, Highway 371 North, Brainerd, Minnesota, United States of America, Brainerd, Minnesota, US
Price range: $126–$345 per night
Rating: 8.3

What guests think

At Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Brainerd-Baxter by IHG, travellers consistently highlight the indoor waterpark as the main draw for families, alongside generally clean rooms and friendly staff who keep check-in smooth and stays easygoing.

Facilities often please kids, but recurring downsides include limited bar/cafe hours, occasional closures or broken games in the arcade/laser tag, and a single slow elevator. Rooms are spacious and comfortable for many, yet the property feels dated in places and some guests report maintenance problems or disruptive noise on busy weekends. Breakfast offers variety but quality is inconsistent, while the location is convenient for shops, restaurants, and local attractions. Expect a family-focused stay with big waterpark fun over polished finishes.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

The indoor waterpark is the standout and popular with families, with slides, a lazy river, and separate hot tubs noted. Downsides include limited bar/cafe hours, occasional arcade/laser tag closures or broken games, a single slow elevator, and sporadic temperature or chemical issues.

Related guest reviews

8

Lucina

Aug 15, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

I don't understand why they give out tickers in the arcade for prizes but then the prize redemption is in the laser tag that I've never once seen open. You have to go and bug someone at the front desk to take you back to a closed part of the hotel to get a ring pop for a hundred million points. Just don't give out prizes, and also, fix the broken games in the arcade. It's been over a month.

10

Luvenia

Dec 7, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great stay for families with kids. Separate hot tub for kids and adults in the waterpark area. Dining and drink options in the waterpark. Complimentary breakfast had robust options.

10

Jodi

Jun 5, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I love the pool area. It was awesome. There are two slides for adults-one with a tube and one without. There is a pool a lazy river, and a large area for young children. There are also two hot tubs-one for adults only. I would highly recommend this hotel. I went with my 13 year old daughter and we had a great time.

8

yvonne

Jul 24, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

The hotel room was great except white bedspread had blood stains on it (it had been washed but should not have been used again. Arcade could have had more games and games working. Arcade was closed part of visit as storing luggage for large group. Amenities didnt have set hours or they were not followed. Laser tag closed early (we were told open until 8) so when we arrived, we couldn't play. Concessions near pool also closed early. My husband asked and staff said it was open until 8 p.m. but he was planning on leaving at 6? Pool and waterpark were FABULOUS?

6

Calvin

Aug 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Hot tubs did not work but we were only there for a night. It met our needs but not our expectations.

8

Mandy

Oct 20, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Check in was fast and efficient. Staff were friendly. The only problem was stuff shutting down earlier than anticipated. Waterpark is closed from 3-4 for safety check which is understandable and appreciated but slide was closed at 2:30. Happy hour at the bar from 5-7 but they closed at 6:45 and stopped taking food orders at 6. Signs were not very visible to have known when to order before they closed. Arcade closes with the pool which was a bummer for everything to shut all at one since we had just checked in at 3. Overall would stay again but would request better signage for all the closures and times.

8

Nicholas

Feb 2, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Was a great stay. Rooms were clean, beds were comfortable. Breakfast selection was okay. We make a weekend trip here every here for the water park. This year, there were no hockey teams staying here which was great. The indoor air temp in the water park was cold one of the days and the water temp in the kids area was quite cold also. Kind of killed the fun. The kids got chlorine rashes from swimming. The bar/food area is always nice for a quick lunch. All in all, was a nice stay. Pretty fair priced. Will stay again. 4/5 stars.

2

Brianna

Feb 27, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Too many chemicals in the pool area. Made my kids sick.

8

Steve

Apr 8, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Everything was really good except some games in the arcade were broken and the water at the bottom of the waterslide is to shallow for adults and i would hit my feet on bottom of the pool coming off the slide

10

Teri

May 20, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff were all friendly, the waterpark was awesome and clean, i love that they have an arcade and plenty of breakfast options. The room was clean and cozy and well stocked. The only complaint I have is the long lines for the 1 small elevator in the lobby. I had a stroller so i couldnt just squeeze in with other. All of the other guests i met were also very kind.

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Cleanliness

Many guests find rooms and common areas clean, with housekeeping maintaining tidy spaces. However, recurring issues include stained bedding, dirty or worn carpets, inconsistent pool area cleanliness, and occasional bathroom cleanliness lapses.

Related guest reviews

8

Lisa

Apr 2, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Needs updating and a good cleaning, especially the water park.

6

Kelly

Mar 23, 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

Pool area was not very clean. Water had to much chemicals. Rooms not very clean. Surface clean but definitely needs a solid deep. Air vents very gross which makes a person wonder how clean is it.

8

yvonne

Jul 24, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

The hotel room was great except white bedspread had blood stains on it (it had been washed but should not have been used again. Arcade could have had more games and games working. Arcade was closed part of visit as storing luggage for large group. Amenities didnt have set hours or they were not followed. Laser tag closed early (we were told open until 8) so when we arrived, we couldn't play. Concessions near pool also closed early. My husband asked and staff said it was open until 8 p.m. but he was planning on leaving at 6? Pool and waterpark were FABULOUS?

10

Angela & Kevin

Feb 3, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Our stay was great! Hotel was nice and clean and staff was friendly.

10

Leah

Dec 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean room, clean bathroom, clean bed, great pool and waterpark, clean breakfast area, overall a great hotel. We will be back!

10

Joseph

Sep 24, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Good experience. Helpful staff, clean and well prepared.

8

Adrian

Sep 4, 2024

·

Stayed 5 nights

Hotel staff were very good room was clean but public area carpets were tatty and dirty by the look due to people walking from the on site swimming pool too the rooms dripping wet

10

Michelle

Dec 16, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel was clean and the staff friendly

10

Elizabeth

Jan 8, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

This was wonderful and clean and the water park was awesome!

2

jessica

Aug 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The bed was terrible. The toilet was dirty and didn’t flush and the breakfast was awful.

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Rooms

Rooms are generally spacious and comfortable for families, with layouts like bunk-bed rooms appreciated. Still, several guests cite dated decor, noise transfer, and maintenance problems such as broken fixtures, door latches, fireplaces, or sofa beds.

Related guest reviews

4

Christie

Sep 15, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The fireplace didn't work and was included in the price i paid. The room was bg and nice.

8

Shantel

May 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Quick getaway with our 9 year old son. Check-in was great, very happy helpful attendant. Water park was great. The room on the other hand was a hug disappointment. There were two men in a room next to us, we heard every bit of their conversation and they talked until after midnight. Bed was uncomfortable. The room next to us had a morning alarm on their phone and it literally woke us up at 5:45! Room was spacious for the 3 of us however I got less than 3 hours sleep due to the rooms not being sound proof enough.

4

Megan

Feb 19, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Beds were not good, spring broke in one of the beds. Outdated.

10

michael

Sep 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Large enough rooms to have gatherings for the whole family. Clean rooms and quiet after 10pm. Breakfast isn’t anything special but does the trick.

8

Edward

Sep 7, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The young lady at the front desk was so accommodating. She let us have the floor and room we wanted. Yes, it’s dated, but the room was clean, mattresses were perfect. Breakfast the next morning was ok.

6

Kimberly

Aug 6, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Tv in bunk bed room was broken. Plug wouldn’t not open in the tub. Front desk staff gave me a window suction cling on a pen to open drain myself.

6

Lucina

Jul 19, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Sink broken. fridge in room broken. Late check out but they kept bugging me about it since syb.stem was being dum

10

Tara

May 24, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The waterpark area was big with lots to do to keep my kids of all ages entertained all weekend! The room was big and beds were comfortable.

2

Dustin

Mar 2, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Door does not latch closed. Attached door wasn't locked, two young kids walked into our room. Damaged furniture, hole in carpet.

10

Holly

Aug 2, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Loved this motel and water park! The water and room temperature in the water park was perfect and there was plenty to keep all the kids (and adults) occupied. The rooms were clean and the bunk bed rooms were great for the kids. The only complaint I have is the arcade. There were several games out of order and the air on the air hockey table wasn’t strong enough to play at all, so I did not get to stomp my 11 year old nephew when he challenged me! Will definitely stay here again!!!

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Service

Staff are frequently described as friendly and helpful, with smooth check-ins and attentive teams during difficult weather. Some guests experienced service lapses, including check-in errors, inconsistent pool supervision, inflexible policies, and mixed interactions with bar or front-desk staff.

Related guest reviews

10

Hilary

Apr 1, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

We stayed in during a snowstorm and the staff was wonderful, the woman who ran the breakfast was wonderful and all the staff that braved the weather to open the water slides were fantastic. Great housekeeping services as well.

6

Kassandra

Jan 20, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Pros - - The front desk and breakfast area staff were great! Super friendly and accommodating. - Breakfast had a ton of options and loved the fresh omelets and the biscuits and gravy - We enjoyed the adult hot tub and tube slide - Our hotel room was mostly clean minus the extra sheets that had wine stains Cons - - The pullout sofa bed was pretty much unusable even though it was noted as a usable sleeping space. The bed was broken. The bedding to put on it was stained with what looked to be wine. - Our room only had one waste bin that was in the bathroom to use for a family of 6 - There were not enough tubes for the number of people so we had to often wait, especially with people continuing to use them vs. sharing - The lifeguards were often in groups and chatting and not paying attention - There were no pool towels to use even though there was still an hour before closing the pool - The Bar & Grill was not open the entire time we were there and there weren’t any hours posted for us to know when it was open.

4

RaeAnne

Jul 7, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We stayed Friday- Sunday and the area of the hotel was very nice. At check in we were given keys to our room and as we opened the door there were already guests in the room and we felt terrible walking in on them. We then went to get new keys and got to our new room. We were fine with our new room. We then realized late Saturday night there was a leak coming from our toilet in our bathroom.. we alerted front desk as we checked out. We had a few issues, but the waterpark was a blast for the kiddo and we also enjoyed the breakfast.

2

Nancy

Jul 5, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

We had a reservation that was iff by one night. We asked to switch from Saturday and Sunday nigh night on July 4th weekend to Friday and Saturday night-staff were unwilling to make the change and insisted on keeping the prepaid amount and charging an additional $299. It was an extreme ripoff!

10

Maria Rizza

Feb 17, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great Hotel and service

2

Jared

Nov 27, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Make sure you eat before coming to the hotel because you wont be able to eat at the pool because the Cafe closes right at dinner time and they dont allow you to bring food into the pool area. Worst customer service ever!!!!!! Arrowwood lodge accross the street is cheaper and better service

10

Kari

Jun 13, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

3rd time visiting. Always clean and inviting. Front desk staff is always friendly.

10

RHONDA

May 28, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Check in was a bit screwed up for one of my sons. Credit card was not on his reservation at 130p when they assured at 1030a same day that it was. His check in was delayed for several hours til i get there.

10

Simon

Apr 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Super fast check in. Great room. Perfect for our quick 1 night stay.

10

Jessica

Mar 25, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Friendly staff! Pools and play areas clean and well kept! Good food and drinks

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Location

Convenient for reaching restaurants, shopping, and nearby attractions such as the zoo, and easy to find. The area generally felt safe and worked well for quick access around Baxter/Brainerd.

Related guest reviews

8

Nicole

Jan 11, 2023

·

Stayed 19,367 nights

Convenient for my needs

10

Elizabeth

Mar 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great location! Our room was clean, beds were comfortable, lots of options for breakfast, and the waterpark was a blast! We will definitely be back!

8

Nicole

Jul 8, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Convenient for the reason we come to Baxter. Staff is wonderful as always.

8

Nicholas

Jan 21, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Had a great time at the water park. The bar/food area within the park had limited hours. The hotel itself needed a 2nd elevator. There was constant traffic at it and it was pretty slow. Breakfast had decent selection. The breakfast area needs to be bigger as it is over run with people. Hockey families were staying there at the same time and were running around the halls and leaving garbage around. Otherwise it was a a decent stay. Lots of food options nearby.

10

SarahJean

Jan 17, 2023

·

Stayed 19,369 nights

Great location. Easy to find. Clean property. Friendly staff.

10

Marge

Nov 15, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel was nice, the water park was really nice, there were several dining options close by, getting around was very easy.

10

Kalyn

Sep 2, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

This was our second time staying here. We loved the waterpark. We loved how close it was to the shopping and the zoo. We will definitely stay up here again when we get the chance.

10

Jennifer

Sep 1, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Close to location and airport!

10

Heather

May 31, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Water park was a blast. Water was warm and the hot tubs were nice and hot. It’s a small water park but great for a 1 day/2 day experience with kid for a couple hours. Front desk people were really friendly! They were always busy cleaning or helping to keep the place looking great. I was disappointed the game room wasn’t working. The rooms and beds aren’t the greatest. You can tell lots of families have come and gone through them. They have a cute gift shop. Wish it had more variety of things to buy. There’s lots of restaurants near by. The area was clean and safe. I would definitely come back and bring a big family party here for some fun!

10

SarahJean

Jan 14, 2023

·

Stayed 19,370 nights

Friendly staff. Great location.

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Dining

Breakfast offers good variety for many guests, but quality ranges from solid to disappointing. Bar/cafe service has limited or early hours, which can be inconvenient.

Related guest reviews

10

Elizabeth

Mar 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great location! Our room was clean, beds were comfortable, lots of options for breakfast, and the waterpark was a blast! We will definitely be back!

10

Luvenia

Dec 7, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great stay for families with kids. Separate hot tub for kids and adults in the waterpark area. Dining and drink options in the waterpark. Complimentary breakfast had robust options.

6

Christopher

Feb 10, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The room was good, but we were surrounded my rooms being used by a middle school basketball team, and the hotel staff seemed unable to get them to be quiet, leading to a bad night's sleep. The breakfast was also very mediocre, and all plastic plates and cutlery.

10

Carol

Aug 5, 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

Friendly helpful staff. Nice breakfast; nice options. Comfortable room. Fun water park.

10

Christina

Sep 3, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Our stay was amazing, rooms very clean, spacious. Breakfast was NOT so good. I think the eggs were made from powdered eggs mix. Sausage needed to be cooked a bit longer. Coffee was fantastic 😄😄 Overall the stay was good. Definitely use this hotel again.

6

Cassandra

Mar 17, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The front desk people were amazing!!! So nice and accommodating. 10/10 The person at the bar in the waterpark was snippy. Breakfast was not good, cold eggs cold sausage and the toaster was not able to keep up at all with the amount of people. Better off having a regular one, you had to put it in a ton of times. Book ahead also if you wanna do laser tag.

8

Mandy

Oct 20, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Check in was fast and efficient. Staff were friendly. The only problem was stuff shutting down earlier than anticipated. Waterpark is closed from 3-4 for safety check which is understandable and appreciated but slide was closed at 2:30. Happy hour at the bar from 5-7 but they closed at 6:45 and stopped taking food orders at 6. Signs were not very visible to have known when to order before they closed. Arcade closes with the pool which was a bummer for everything to shut all at one since we had just checked in at 3. Overall would stay again but would request better signage for all the closures and times.

8

Joseph

Jun 1, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Overall it was a great stay. The only thing that would have been better is if there were vegetarian options other than toast and ceral at breakfast.

2

jessica

Aug 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The bed was terrible. The toilet was dirty and didn’t flush and the breakfast was awful.

10

Shelly

Jul 18, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Rooms were clean, the breakfast was good and we had plenty of options, staff was friendly and the waterpark was great! We will definitely stay here again

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Month	Average price
January	$162
February	$176
March	$164
April	$151
May	$166
June	$206
July	$216
August	$219
September	$175
October	$178
November	$160
December	$153

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17 $193	18 $302	19 $305
20 $167	21 $176	22 $309	23 $322	24 $167	25 $231	26 $249
27 $158	28 $183	29 $174	30 $169

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $161	2	3 $263
4 $135	5 $149	6 $159	7 $159	8 $161	9 $249	10
11 $150	12 $132	13 $166	14 $180	15 $258	16 $345	17 $264
18 $158	19 $158	20 $166	21 $162	22 $157	23 $231	24 $243
25 $126	26 $133	27 $137	28 $142	29 $132	30 $175	31 $200

Select dates to see prices and availability

Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Suite, 1 King Bed

Suite, 1 Queen Bed, Accessible (Communications)

Suite, 2 Queen Beds

Standard Room

Standard Room, 1 King Bed

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

Standard Room, 1 King Bed with Sofa Bed

Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Accessible (Communications)

Suite, Multiple Beds

Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds, Accessible Bathtub (Communications)

Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds

Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds, Accessible (Communications)

Standard Room, Multiple Beds

Suite, 1 Queen Bed, Accessible Bathtub (Communications)

Guest reviews

Very good

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property Policies

Check-in instructions

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Brainerd-Baxter by IHG

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Prices for upcoming dates