Name: Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Waterloo - St. Jacobs Area by IHG
Address: 14 Benjamin Road, Township of Woolwich, Waterloo Regional Municipality, Canada, Kitchener (and vicinity), Ontario, CA
Price range: US$103–US$325 per night
Rating: 8.35

What guests think

Across many reviews of Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Waterloo - St. Jacobs Area by IHG, guests praise the walkable market-side location, clean and spacious rooms, and friendly staff, with recent renovations lending some spaces a fresh feel.

On the downside, multiple stays cite construction detours, occasional elevator outages, and winter parking or snow-clearing problems. The pool and splash area are popular with families but recurring comments mention closures, strong chlorine, cold water, or missing towels. Breakfast is often described as good with variety, though some found it basic, cold, crowded, or short on options. Overall, expect a practical, family-friendly stay with some trade-offs.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Families like the indoor pool and kids splash area, but reviews repeatedly note closures, strong chlorine, cold water, and missing towels. Parking is generally convenient yet can be limited or poorly plowed in winter, with occasional elevator outages, construction detours, and an inoperable EV charger.

Related guest reviews

10

Candy

21 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We stayed in and used the pool. Pool was a little cold and the jets being in the pool were annoying, no towels for swimming so we did have to drip on slippery floors back to our room. My main reason for the stay was to give my grandbabies a night of swimming if It was just for a place to stay I would say great location. We did enjoy our stay.

8

faezeh

4 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

It was clean,but the pool was too messy and cold water.

10

Jaime

24 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The parking lot was terrible. I understand there was snow and such, however why was the parking lot not plowed. It limited the parking for guest and was very slippery to walk to the door.

6

Daryl

24 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Under renovations no one informed me that we would have to carry luggage up stairs at time of reservation Both of us have back issues and would have booked another hotel if we had been made aware of the conditions OR staff could have found us another room or offered to carry luggage The TV remote control was not working properly

8

Lisa

26 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Enjoyed our stay, I would say the only thing was the pool, we wanted to takes the kids for a swim however there was a hockey team there who over took the whole pool so a bit disappointed with that.

6

Samantha

16 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We had no towels in the room, no towels at the pool, too much chlorine and the pool was very cold in the morning. We went 2 years ago and did enjoy our time so we were excited to come back but it seemed to lack a bit in comparison to our last stay. Breakfast had less options this time too but still tasted good. Staff was friendly and the room was clean and the beds were comfy.

6

Norman

23 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Unfortunately no lounge/bar area to socialize in. We were a large group and there was no restaurant or bar working walk in Ng distance open at this location. Also I had an EV and the EV charging station was unserviceable which was slight inconvenient.

6

Rhonda

3 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

only 1 working elevator in a busy hotel.

4

Jennifer

4 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Beds were comfortable and breakfast was alright. One elevator was not working the whole time and the manager allowed staff to take over the one working elevator before paying customers so wait times for an elevator was ridiculous. Spoke to Kristina the manager and she didn’t care. We didn’t get our king bed as requested even though someone texted me to verify. Very dissatisfied and will never stay at another Holiday Inn Express or equivalent chain.

10

Aaron White

1 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Fantastic customer service Awesome breakfast Pool chlorine was super strong.

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Cleanliness

Many guests report very clean rooms and public areas. Others mention dusty or dirty spots in bathrooms and common areas, occasional odors or mold, and housekeeping misses like no towels or rooms not serviced.

Related guest reviews

2

Toni

17 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

There was a huge black mould area near my nozzle in the shower. And, the handy man said it was paint. But I knew it was black mould.

10

Dolores

21 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Friendly staff, exceptionally clean and good breakfast.

10

Rosemary

8 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very clean, nice rooms, good breakfast

10

Todd

19 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Convenient location, sparkling clean, comfortable room (particularly the bed and pillows). The ambiance is way nicer than I was expecting with a modern decor and lots of light in the public spaces. The only improvement I would recommend is replacing the towels with something more comfortable. I had a nice stay and would definitely return.

8

ron

23 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Fan in bathroom didn’t work. Lights in hall in room didn’t work. Floor of bathroom shower needed to be scoured to get clean. Cobwebs on lights by bed. Nice room but needed a deep clean.

6

Paakzaad Rustom

24 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The staff are polite and great at reactive problem solving. That is where it stops. We were there on Saturday night, and there was some team event. On Sunday morning the garbage was still there in the bins and they were overflowing. The elevator button was right above the overflowing garbage. The staff also had offered cold lemon water to guests, thank you. However the used plastic cups and that bin was overflowing too...right in front of the check in counter. All while the receptionists at the front desk were twiddling on their personal phones. They had no pride in their property. Couches, chairs and carpets in the lobby are full of stains and stuck on debris. We found gnatts in the juice at breakfast. Our room had a leak in the closet, and I know that the hotel knew about this as the ceiling tile was removed. Water leaked on our clothes. Thankfully the staff helped us wash them in the guest laundry for free, but it took up my evening with an unplanned event. The automated message on the phone says that this is a "new property, however there is nothing new about it. To the owner or GM...do a walk around. Wrinkled carpets that could trip someone. Torn wallpaper. Torn and disgusting curtains in the breakfast area. Stains on furniture.

10

Andrea

3 Jan 2026

·

Stayed 2 nights

Very clean room, staff was friendly. Close to where we needed to get to :)

10

Victor

18 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

excellent breakfast; super clean room;efficient check in

6

Mark

17 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Floor was dirty, not vacuumed. Dirty tissues in ice bucket. Furniture dated and some light damage. Ice machine on 2nd floor not working.

2

Virginie

8 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The beds were not cleaned The milk bottle was still in the bed with kids vomit!!!

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Rooms

Rooms are frequently described as spacious, comfortable, and newly renovated, with some quiet stays. Common downsides include hard mattresses, thin walls or hallway noise, loud HVAC, lack of blackout blinds or bathroom fans, dated fixtures in places, and TVs without smart features.

Related guest reviews

10

Karen

1 Dec 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Fabulous suite. We were chosen to be upgraded to a suite. Very nice suite. Huge bathroom, 2 queen beds, and a sitting area. We known now that we could take our grandchildren and would be comfortable with plenty of room in this suite.

8

Mihiko

16 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

It was very clean and big room

10

Dave

29 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I didn't like that I could hear the people next to us talking. Need to insulate or sound proof the wall better

2

Jennifer

21 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The check in process was slow. The beds are very hard and the heating/AC unit was so loud we had to it off to sleep.

8

TERRY

29 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room cleanliness exceded my expectations. Wish the TV had smart features so I can have other options like youtube and netflix, instead of just cable. Also, I think the milk (both kinds) at breakfast were about to go bad.

10

Runbo

10 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

huge space

10

Cassandra

24 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great updated rooms, helpful staff. Only downfall was it was very noisy as there were a group of about 10 kids running up and down the hall for a while.

6

Sa

30 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Overall good hotel. The only issue we had was that our room did not have room darkening blinds. Also, the bathroom does not have fan.

6

Alison

6 Jan 2026

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was spacious, clean. We only grabbed juice and coffee but the breakfast looked good. The only problem we had was check-in. When we entered the hotel there was no one at the front desk, we stood there waiting for a little while looking for a bell or way to call but there was nothing. We ended up waiting in the chairs in the lobby that were comfy. About 10 minutes later someone came and checked us in. I had pre-paid for the room so only had to give a credit card for incidentals. They had me put in my card and authorize the $200 charge which I was fine with. The person working stated that it didn't go through on their end. I pulled up my visa on my banking app and showed her that it did in fact go through. She has me do it again and the put another $200 hold on my visa. She then told me that the first one would be reversed, which it took almost a week to do.

8

Amanda

5 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice hotel, close to the farmers market. Big rooms, bathroom was a little old (shower) but otherwise nice. Friendly staff. Pool needed to be reserved in advance. Rooms not super sound proof you could hear people above and next door at times. Free breakfast but little to no vegan options which was a downfall. Free parking.

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Service

Service is often friendly, helpful, and accommodating, with smooth check-ins and occasional upgrades. However, several reviews cite slow or unattended check-in, insensitive or rude interactions, billing or deposit disputes, poor communication about construction or pool status, and delayed responses to requests.

Related guest reviews

4

Lynne

3 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Staff here is nit friendly. Some are even rude. They would not even provide us with a cot. I would not stay here again.

6

Bonnie

3 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

I booked this property because of the pool for my grandchildren. The pool was closed upon arrival. I needed to ask 3x for bedding for the pull out, the last time I was handed a set of sheets to make it up myself. Then I needed to call again for pillows and a blanket. With my grandchildren there were not enough towels and it took 2 calls requesting them before they arrived. Our room was never made up, or even given fresh towels.

10

Maria

28 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Exceptional assistance from the front desk staff. Expedia had failed to inform the hotel of our request for an “assisted room” because I am disabled. I needed a walk in shower and a low accessible bed. Holiday Inn did not have any available, however, they very kindly gave us an accessible suite in the adjoining hotel. And they checked on us later to see that all was ok. They went out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable. Breakfast was a very nice variety of breakfast items, hot and cold.

2

Mary

1 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I was overcharged inernet fees. I followed the instruction and used the wifi code they gave me. But I was overcharge internet fees. When I contacted them about this issue, they didn't do anything to resolve it, but showing bad attitude.

10

Abbas

14 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great service

10

rob

5 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Arrived 2 hrs before check-in. We were greated with a friendly smile and they were able to find 2 rooms that were ready and check us in early. Very helpful and accomodating.

10

Doug

3 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room was clean, parking convenient, breakfast offered many choices, staff friendly and professional

4

Jennifer

4 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Beds were comfortable and breakfast was alright. One elevator was not working the whole time and the manager allowed staff to take over the one working elevator before paying customers so wait times for an elevator was ridiculous. Spoke to Kristina the manager and she didn’t care. We didn’t get our king bed as requested even though someone texted me to verify. Very dissatisfied and will never stay at another Holiday Inn Express or equivalent chain.

4

Christopher

7 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

This hotel is currently under major renovation, we needed to access it through adjoining hotel. Upon initial check-in, the first room they gave us was a room connected to another room which we didn't ask for and didn't want due to the possibility of noise transfer and security concerns. Plus this first room was located just outside of elevators on second floor which would be a noise issue and there was no view because of the overhanging part of the building over the window. It was a lousy room to give a customer, a poor choice by staff. So we asked for a better room, which they gave us kind of reluctantly on the sixth floor, it had a nice view. Unfortunately, that night we could hear someone snoring all night long in the adjacent room which was very disturbing to us and interfered with our sleep. When we told front desk staff about this the next morning and asked for a quiet room, the staff person said to us "well, if you're that sensitive" which was a very inappropriate and insensitive comment. We don't pay them over $200 per night to hear someone snoring in the next room. Obviously there's no soundproofing in this older hotel, this is a deal-breaker for me. After some reluctance on the part of this staff person, they finally gave us a quiet room, our third room in less than 24 hours. I would not book this hotel again for these reasons.

2

Jade

17 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

They tried to put us in a dirty room, not even touched by house cleaning yet. The next room they gave us was a bit bigger. When we came back from dinner we found a strange man in our room doing maintenance. We complained and asked for a full refund, looking to stay somewhere else that night. Because of the awful experience, but we were told no, and we could only have a 20% discount on a future stay at that same Hotel. To which I am never staying again.

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Location

Excellent location within an easy walk of St. Jacobs Farmers' Market, the playhouse, restaurants, and shopping, and a short drive to Waterloo, Kitchener, and the universities.

Related guest reviews

10

Richard

21 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

So close to the Market, awesome quiet area - Peaceful and calm.

8

James

13 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great location . Easy ride to the universities.

10

Cheryl

9 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff has been amazing. Spacious room. Convenient location within walking distance of market, restaurants and the playhouse.

10

John

23 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This property is very new and very clean. Excellent parking availability and yummy breakfast. It has a great pool! This is a tremendous location if you want to be within a 2 minute walk across the street to St. Jacob's market. There are also restaurants and the Stock Yard Brewing Company and St Jacobs Playhouse Theatre and an Antique Mall all within a short walk. St. Jacob's village is 3-4 minute drive down the road.

10

Jeannette

28 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Right next to St Jacob's Farmer Market; outlet stores; antique market and close to village of St Jacob and its boutiques, cafés, restaurants, etc.

10

Michelle

10 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Location is excellent for our market visit

10

Christina

8 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Central location was great for accessing the market nearby without worrying about driving to find a new parking spot!

10

Evange

12 Jan 2026

·

Stayed 1 night

Perfect getaway for one night away from home with easy access to market, restaurant and village of St. Jacobs.

10

kirsty

20 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

We came up for the night for st jacobs market. The hotel is within walking distance (right across the street) and is easy to find. Close to a plaza with food and other items/stores you may need. Lovely complimentary breakfast spread in the am. Friendly staff, clean rooms.

10

Shafina

17 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great location

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Dining

Complimentary breakfast is commonly described as good and varied. Some guests found it basic, cold, crowded, short on items like coffee, or limited for vegan and dairy-free options.

Related guest reviews

10

wenjing

12 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

It's a very good, clean and quiet place. I like it. It's just that the breakfast is too simple 。recommend 👍

8

Ian

11 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Breakfast is free……but awful. The staff could not keep,up,with the demand even early in the day. Coffee, out, bacon. All,gone replaced with a few rashers, eggs cold, toaster…doesnt toast. Butter. Frozen…… If it cant be done better than this then dont offer it at all.

10

Helen

24 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The breakfast was delicious and hot!

10

Chris

13 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Staff were very friendly and the room and common areas were kept clean and tidy. The complimentary breakfast was always hot and tasty, the change in menu items over the course of 3 days was a nice touch.

10

Doug

3 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room was clean, parking convenient, breakfast offered many choices, staff friendly and professional

6

Brian

26 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Breakfast was not hot, no Bacon. Breakfast is the main reason we stay at that locatio.

8

Shannon

12 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was really nice but there was tons of pesty bugs flying around the breakfast area and all over the juice dispenser. We were swatting them while eating. The breakfast wasn't that great. I tried to close the lid on the oatmeal but the lady working there told me to leave it open which isn't very sanitary with bugs flying around. Coffee was very watered down. We will go out for breakfast next time.

8

John De

5 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The hot items on breakfast is somewhat bland and is typical for similar chains nothing really special about it.

8

Amanda

5 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice hotel, close to the farmers market. Big rooms, bathroom was a little old (shower) but otherwise nice. Friendly staff. Pool needed to be reserved in advance. Rooms not super sound proof you could hear people above and next door at times. Free breakfast but little to no vegan options which was a downfall. Free parking.

10

Heather

25 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Really enjoyed the convenient location to the Market. Staff was helpful and friendly. Breakfast was great!

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	US$115
February	US$105
March	US$122
April	US$109
May	US$131
June	US$142
July	US$143
August	US$142
September	US$139
October	US$132
November	US$132
December	US$110

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18 $325	19 $161
20 $103	21 $112	22 $125	23 $129	24 $128	25 $215	26 $221
27 $114	28 $121	29 $132	30 $144

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $141	2 $179	3 $162
4 $110	5 $125	6 $136	7 $155	8 $125	9 $158	10 $166
11 $111	12 $121	13 $138	14 $146	15 $179	16 $218	17 $215
18 $110	19 $126	20 $139	21 $136	22 $148	23 $151	24 $164
25 $109	26 $112	27 $115	28 $115	29 $112	30 $129	31 $126

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Waterloo - St. Jacobs Area by IHG

Prices for Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Waterloo - St. Jacobs Area by IHG

Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Suite, 1 King Bed with Sofa Bed

Suite, 2 Queen Beds

Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Accessible

Standard Room, 1 King Bed

Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds

Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds, Accessible

Standard Room

Suite, Multiple Beds

Suite, 1 King Bed, Jetted Tub

Guest reviews of Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Waterloo - St. Jacobs Area by IHG

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What guests think

Property policies

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FAQs about Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Waterloo - St. Jacobs Area by IHG

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