Name: Holiday Inn Express Mountain View South Palo Alto by IHG
Address: 1561 West El Camino Real, Mountain View, California, US
Price range: US$131–US$894 per night
Rating: 8.38

What guests think

At Holiday Inn Express Mountain View South Palo Alto by IHG, travelers highlight welcoming staff, clean and comfortable rooms, and a convenient location, while pointing out dated areas of the property and occasional noise from thin walls or nearby traffic.

Breakfast receives frequent praise for variety and taste, though some reviews cite a cramped setup and, during renovation, a lack of hot options. Parking is generally safe but limited, with small spaces, and the elevator is very slow and was occasionally out of service. A few guests reported maintenance issues, odors, or pests, while others noted trouble with room assignments or follow-up on requests. Overall, expect a straightforward, no-frills stay.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Parking is generally safe with covered options but feels limited and spaces are small; the elevator is very slow and was out of service on some stays.

Related guest reviews

8

MICHAEL

22 Oct 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

Limited parking...

10

Mark David

21 Sept 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

The property was excellent and parking was great.

8

Amelia

16 Aug 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Only bad part was not enough parking

2

Julie

30 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Arrived very late from emergency flight from out of state. Parking lot spaces small and when I told front desk no parking spots he said, "you will have to park on the street". Did manage to find one tight spot with car on one side with a sticker "new driver please be patient". No way we were going to park in a spot like that. Canceled reservation and headed directly to hospital with no idea of where we would be staying. Idea was to find hotel then drop passenger to stay at hospital with patient and driver would return to hotel. Driver ended up at Strata Hotel near hospital. Very nice place.

8

Ramesh

22 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The elevator for a 2 floor property was very slow...it took anywhere from 60s to 120s to show up in each floor and would take full 15s to close :-)

10

Karen

24 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Parking spaces are small

10

DANA

1 May 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Easy check in. Covered parking in a location only for guests was very nice. Elevator very slow. Excellent breakfast, scrambled eggs and crispy bacon were very good; also had cereal, cinamon rolls, pancakes (too slow), bagels, toast, biscuits and gravy, fruit and drinks. Rooms werent very soundproof, you could hear everybody in the hallway, no matter where they were, very clearly. I'd stay again any time. Nothing was bad.

10

kimberly

3 Jun 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel was clean, the staff was very friendly, and the complementary breakfast was very good. Parking was also free.

4

Robert

14 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

No elevator all three days.

10

Karen

6 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Parking Area was safe

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Cleanliness

Many guests found rooms very clean, but there are recurring reports of odors, mold or pests, and occasional maintenance issues like broken safes or chairs.

Related guest reviews

4

MaryBeth

19 Nov 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

We had bugs in the bed and the bathroom we ask for the manager to call and they never did. Very frustrating when we had to be at the Stanford hospital at 4:30am and they would not even let us get the complementary breakfast before we left for the hospital.

6

Daniel

14 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The room and the lobby had a really weird smell, kind of like sausage and dog. But other than that the rooms were pretty nice.

6

Anna

26 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The room was clean, but the safe didn’t work, the desk chair hydraulic was broken and didn’t stay up, made it hard to work. The air conditioner was very noisy and the elevator made a lot of noise and had an expired certificate - 2023.

10

Ethan

25 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Weird smell from the ac and the elevator safety inspection is a year past due date. But otherwise it was great

4

staci

15 Nov 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Our family stayed there for a Stanford hospital surgery so we had to get up at 4 am we went to get coffee in the lobby then my sister needed milk out of the little fridge and the desk clerk said we could not use it because breakfast wasn’t until 6 am. So my sister said I can’t believe it we weren’t asking for food just a little milk for her coffee. Also my sister had cockroach’s in her bed and bathroom. Their customer service could use a little help. Otherwise it was an ok location . I think my Aunt and sister needs some sort of reimbursement from holiday inn express. And an apology. But Expedia was an easy and good experience for myself and my husband.

4

Franklin

26 Oct 2023

·

Stayed 5 nights

On check-in the staff was very nice and accommodating. Mold in the grout in the shower is always a bad sign. In the morning I could hear people taking showers in adjacent rooms and people walking around in the room above me. So noise from other rooms was an issue. On check-out the desk person didn't even ask how my stay was, just printed my receipt and was done with me.

10

Stephen

25 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very pleasant stay. Nice, clean room.

2

Fady

2 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

One of the worst hotels you will ever experience. Rooms are dirty and will get you sick. Stay away at all cost.

2

Anthonio

5 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Well for first off our room was ready at check in time. Our “New clean sheets” were dirty there was a stain. The mini fridge did not work as well so I had nowhere to store my insulin. There had to be a plumbing issue because there was a foul smell coming from the toilet without the fan, ac or having any type of air circulation going in the smell would linger into the room. We told the employees but there was nothing the staff could do for us, no change of room not even a refund if we wanted to leave. We only tolerated it one night and spent the rest of our trip elsewhere. I hope the company can fix the issue we experienced because it was not right what we had to deal with.

10

Soonkap

18 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room is very clean. Staff is very nice.

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Rooms

Rooms are generally comfortable, with some larger or modernized, but several reviews mention thin walls, street noise, and issues like curtains that do not fully close or loud HVAC.

Related guest reviews

8

Kimball

17 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Holiday Inn Express was enough for a quick one night stay. Room was clean but first room had an odor that made us want to change rooms which staff promptly allowed us to do. HVAC was extremely loud which did not help my jet lag. Breakfast was good. Parking was safe and close.

10

Christian

18 Oct 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Walls are thin, you can hear the traffic outside

6

Yvonne

20 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Disappointed in the state of the property. Old and over-priced. I wouldn’t rate it 3 star. It’s a 2 star. Nothing against the staff. It’s just an OLD hotel being priced as if it were new. Not happy with Hotels.com as a result. Earlier in the week I was at an excellent Westin Element in San Jose. I wish I had not left that property.

8

Allison

15 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Solid. Clean. Quiet. Good value Centrally located. Dated interior.

10

DANA

1 May 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Easy check in. Covered parking in a location only for guests was very nice. Elevator very slow. Excellent breakfast, scrambled eggs and crispy bacon were very good; also had cereal, cinamon rolls, pancakes (too slow), bagels, toast, biscuits and gravy, fruit and drinks. Rooms werent very soundproof, you could hear everybody in the hallway, no matter where they were, very clearly. I'd stay again any time. Nothing was bad.

4

Tim

14 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The room I was given has a window whose curtains did not close all the way. It was also next to a busy street and I had trouble falling sleep for the 2 nights I was there. Also the keycard didn't work at first and I had to go back down to get it re-programmed. Other than that, it is very close to Castro Street in Mountain View.

6

Amir

9 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

Room had curtains that would not cover the whole window. Very average hotel.

10

Victoria

4 Apr 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

Super friendly staff. They greeted us every time we came and went. Room was huge and comfy.

10

Ivy

19 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Room size is good and very near eateries and supermarket. Night staff is very friendly and helpful.

10

Aaron

17 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Like the TARDIS, the hotel is effectively invisible from the road and much larger inside. It's a quiet retreat just ten steps from busy El Comino Real. The breakfast was excellent and the front staff were a joy to chat with in the early morning. My family and I will be back, I have recommended the hotel to my friends.

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Service

Staff are frequently described as friendly, helpful, and accommodating, though a few guests reported rude interactions, poor follow-up, or problems honoring room types and refunds.

Related guest reviews

2

Corrine

2 Nov 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

We did not have a good stay. Friday night wasn't great because the walls are paper thin, but Saturday night was horrible. There were people running up and down the hallway and being extremely loud from about 2:00 AM until about 4:00 AM. I finally called the front desk at 3:00 AM and asked them to stop the loud noise. It quieted for about 5 minutes and then continued. We were supposed to stay for 3 nights, but told the desk clerk the next day what had happened and that we were definitely not spending a 3rd night. She completely understood, but said she could't credit us for the night, but her manager could okay a credit back through Expedia. We called Expedia on Monday and were told the manager denied our credit. She said we booked three nights and had to stay, no matter what had occurred. We will not be staying at a Holiday Inn Express again.

8

Amalia

11 Sept 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Our weekend stay was overall a good stay. However when I called to asked for an extra pillow I was told the room should have extra pillows in closet but we didn’t find have any extras. When I mentioned that the clerk was surprised and said she would check to see if there was any extras and get back to me. I waiting for her to call back and she never did. A courtesy call would have been nice even if it was to say there was no available pillows.

10

Cheri

22 Oct 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

The stay at the hotel was great. Ms Tracy at the front desk was very nice and helpful. I would definitely stay again.

10

Adrian

3 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Young man at the front desk was very helpful for bus ride to Stanford University. Great breakfast and cleaning staff and maintenance staff were very friendly and kind asking us if we need anything. We will definitely come back!! Thank you!!

10

Qian

19 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

The front desk staff is very helpful.

2

Dmitry

14 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We reserved a room with two beds. Upon arrival, they said they don’t have the room and if we want to stay we need to get another second room. And the front desk person was rude. Wanted us to get second room directly through him instead of hotels.com. BTW, both hotels.com and IHG website was showing there were multiple two bed rooms still available while we were checking in.

10

Stephanie

2 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Front desk staff was so friendly even with us getting there late into the night! Thanks guys!

2

Dmitry

15 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This review is for the second reservation we were forced to make because our first reservation for two beds wasn’t available. Front desk person was rude and didn’t explain why our reservation for two beds isn’t available. He made us get a second room which cost us more than twice. We’ve used hotels.com for dozen of years and hopefully you can resolve it and hotel should refund us cost for one rxtra room

10

Michael

1 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

All staff members great! The front desk personnel very helpful and friendly and fun! The weekday lady that prepared the breakfast items daily was wonderful, went out of her way to make sure food area was kept supplied and clean. Rooms very clean, and quiet!

10

James

2 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great customer service at the front desk very personal young man

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Location

Convenient to Castro Street, shopping and eateries along El Camino, and practical for Stanford and Shoreline visits; several guests also found the area quiet and walkable.

Related guest reviews

10

Steve

5 May 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

I felt safe. It was quiet. I was able to walk to restaurants and shops. I will be a regular customer to this location.

8

Anita

2 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 9 nights

Great location, good price

8

Ly

18 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Convenient and close to shopping center.

4

Tim

14 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The room I was given has a window whose curtains did not close all the way. It was also next to a busy street and I had trouble falling sleep for the 2 nights I was there. Also the keycard didn't work at first and I had to go back down to get it re-programmed. Other than that, it is very close to Castro Street in Mountain View.

8

Kristen

31 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

It’s a bit outdated, but clean and the staff was nice. I did ask for late check out and they said they couldn’t unless I was a gold member. Then me and my husband stayed in the car to talk and the person that checked us in asked if we were ok and that if we needed a late check out and apologized and said we could’ve done that. He was very nice and pleasant and was helpful with any concerns or questions I had. I enjoyed our time and also it was only 8 mins away from the shoreline which is why we stay there.

10

Christie

3 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The location was convenient it was quiet, clean, and affordable compared to some other places in the area.

10

Christopher

19 Apr 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The property is located in a nice neighborhood near shopping and good restaurants. The staff are professional and the room was clean

10

Ivy

19 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Room size is good and very near eateries and supermarket. Night staff is very friendly and helpful.

10

Kevin

5 Oct 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Surprisingly quiet and located very conveniently along El Camino

10

Aaron

17 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Like the TARDIS, the hotel is effectively invisible from the road and much larger inside. It's a quiet retreat just ten steps from busy El Comino Real. The breakfast was excellent and the front staff were a joy to chat with in the early morning. My family and I will be back, I have recommended the hotel to my friends.

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Dining

Breakfast is commonly praised as good with decent variety, but multiple reviews note a small, crowded setup and, during renovation, the absence of hot options or limited items.

Related guest reviews

8

Dong Hee

3 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

I liked that they provided a simple but varied breakfast for free.

8

Hua

1 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Very nice breakfast

6

Susnata

24 Dec 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

no hot breakfast, renovation going on, you should tell that inwebsite

10

DANA

1 May 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Easy check in. Covered parking in a location only for guests was very nice. Elevator very slow. Excellent breakfast, scrambled eggs and crispy bacon were very good; also had cereal, cinamon rolls, pancakes (too slow), bagels, toast, biscuits and gravy, fruit and drinks. Rooms werent very soundproof, you could hear everybody in the hallway, no matter where they were, very clearly. I'd stay again any time. Nothing was bad.

8

Mauricio

26 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

It was a comfortable bed & breakfast deal. But the breakfast area was very small and the room looked a bit oldish. The TV didn't work but as I was out most of the day I did not really cared. he cost-benefit ratio was not that good.

8

Arthur E.

9 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

I love the breakfast however the set up was very poor. Not enough space to serve yourself. No where to put your plate. Three hand set up.

10

Eva

7 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

A great place to stay. Very quiet and the personnel very friendly. The breakfast was good.

10

Pakou

10 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Love the breakfast , one of the best

8

Elizabeth

1 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Check in was very smooth. Room clean, comfortable and quiet. Breakfast very good.

6

Anthony

31 Dec 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The continental breakfast pictures on the website are false advertising. Only a few pieces of bread offered

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	US$236
February	US$260
March	US$263
April	US$237
May	US$224
June	US$242
July	US$187
August	US$209
September	US$245
October	US$239
November	US$221
December	US$174

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16 $894	17 $277	18 $131	19 $138
20 $186	21 $440	22 $378	23 $474	24 $269	25 $163	26 $241
27 $211	28 $299	29 $380	30 $319

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $259	2 $149	3 $178
4 $223	5 $298	6 $424	7	8 $333	9 $171	10 $188
11 $223	12 $403	13 $470	14 $437	15 $348	16 $268	17 $210
18 $206	19 $321	20 $408	21 $375	22 $218	23 $143	24 $139
25 $214	26 $315	27 $361	28 $390	29 $240	30 $134	31 $158

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Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Suite, 1 King Bed

Standard Room

Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds

Standard Room, 1 King Bed

Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Accessible (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 Mountain View South Palo Alto by IHG

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