Palm Plaza Oceanfront Resort

I honestly don't know where to start. We have stayed at this hotel before and had a great experience which is why we booked again. We will never book this place again. We checked in Friday night after prepaying for a two-night stay, upon arrival we were given our key and sent on our way. We go to the room number listed on the little envelope the key comes in, the door wouldn't open, we go back downstairs, try again as instructed. The door still didn't open until someone opened the door (the room was already occupied) now this may seem small but it's actually a BIG deal and a HUGE mistake. This could have gone horribly wrong very quickly. We go back downstairs to inform the front desk of what happened, the young man was very rude and nonchalant about HIS error stating that's how he writes his numbers, the card had #714 on it which looks NOTHING like #719. Rather than him acknowledging his error he'd rather explain the WHY. Once we got in our room, we got locked out the balcony door, called maintenance who showed up with no tools, only to have to go get them to fix the door. We came back Saturday afternoon after spending the day at the beach to our room door being ajar. Thankfully nothing was missing. We requested an extended stay on Sunday to allow a little more time to get our things together before traveling back home. Trent (the same guy who gave us an occupied room) was at the desk when I spoke to Millie (she was super helpful) about the extended stay until 2PM. While I was stepping out of the shower the guy from the front desk (Trent) was attempting to use his key to enter the room, saying "oh you guys have extending stay until 2PM right" to which my fiancé responded yes. We were both extremely confused because if you know the stay is extended WHY are you using your key to enter the room. This was the worst stay I've ever had. Side note, there was only ONE elevator working for ALL guess, which just added to the frustration, we talked to many people who were very unhappy regarding their stay. I said all that to say 10 outta 10-I DO NOT RECOMMED.

I stayed at the HI Express Daytona Beach Shores a few times before. It is not a new hotel but everything is taken care of and okay. The rooms are spacious and have everything needed. The complementary breakfast offers a variety of items. I was able to watch an Atlas V launch all the way from liftoff to stage separation during the night. It was a clear night and I was able to follow the glowing Atlas V flying towards north east. I used a tele lens to follow its path and was able to see booster separation. I guess this is only possible when there is no moon light and the sky is absolutely clear. It was a great experience and I recommend to anyone this way of watching a rocket launch that is flying in this particular direction.

⭐ 1-Star Review – Extremely Disappointing Experience for an IHG Gold Elite Member Hotel: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Oceanfront Daytona Beach Shores Stay: 05/01/2026 – 05/03/2026 Room: 1016 As an IHG Gold Elite Member and long-time Holiday Inn Club Vacations owner, this was honestly one of the most disappointing hotel experiences I’ve had in years. I redeemed 130,000 IHG points for this stay (equivalent to roughly $1,500+ in HOA fees, annual ownership costs, and reservation fees), yet I was treated worse than at many low-budget roadside motels. RESERVATION / CHECK-IN When booking, I specifically requested a room AWAY from the elevator. Upon arrival around 9:00 PM on a Friday night: * no acknowledgment of Elite Gold status * no welcome * no hospitality whatsoever The front desk employee acted completely indifferent to our presence. To make things worse, we were assigned Room 1016, literally DIRECTLY in front of the elevator doors — approximately 3 feet away from the elevator entrance. I immediately returned to the front desk and explained that my reservation specifically requested a room away from elevators. The employee barely even looked at the computer and instantly replied: “We are sold out tonight. Come back tomorrow morning.” No effort was made to assist. No attempt to search another floor. No concern whatsoever. Even after mentioning my IHG Gold Elite status, it clearly meant absolutely nothing to the staff. ROOM CONDITION The room itself was shocking: * extremely humid * strong mold/mildew smell * air conditioning was OFF upon arrival * room felt stuffy and unhealthy We had to immediately open the balcony door just to breathe fresh air. Later we realized the A/C barely cooled the room at all. Regardless of temperature settings, the room seemed locked around 78–80°F and never properly cooled during the entire stay. To make things even worse, the TV remote control did not work at all. We literally had to get out of bed every single time just to: * turn the TV on/off * adjust volume * change channels I even attempted to replace the batteries myself, but the battery compartment was screwed shut, making it impossible for guests to access. Again, another example of poor maintenance and lack of basic room inspection. CUSTOMER SERVICE Later that same Friday evening, around 9:30 PM, I returned to the front desk simply asking for recommendations for nearby restaurants or bars. Remember: this is a BEACHFRONT hotel area on a Friday night, where multiple restaurants are obviously open nearby. The same employee responded: “I don’t know any.” I even asked again: “Any restaurant nearby at all?” Again: “I don’t know.” It is honestly unbelievable that a lobby/front desk employee at a beachfront hotel claims to know ZERO nearby restaurants or bars around the property where he works. ELEVATOR ISSUES The next morning we discovered that only ONE of the two elevators was functioning. Guests were waiting 10+ minutes just to go downstairs for breakfast. The elevator arrived completely packed and everyone inside was actively complaining that one elevator had reportedly been broken for DAYS. BREAKFAST Breakfast was another disappointment. Even arriving around 9:00 AM: * milk was completely gone * sausage trays were empty * food was not replenished during the entire time we were there To make it worse, there was literally a paper sign taped to the breakfast refrigerator saying: “OUT OF MILK” That alone perfectly summarizes the low level of management and service standards at this property. So the “included breakfast” became essentially coffee and leftovers. HOUSEKEEPING During the ENTIRE 3-day stay: * no housekeeping * no bed making * no towel replacement * no room cleaning whatsoever Apparently some IHG hotels now believe “no housekeeping at all” is acceptable service. CHECK-OUT & UNAUTHORIZED CHARGE At check-out I requested a receipt. The employee told me: “You paid fully with points, so there is no receipt. You’re all set.” Then, to my surprise, on the SAME DAY: I was charged $430.10 on my credit card by the hotel. I called the hotel repeatedly: * Monday * Tuesday * Wednesday * over 5 calls total Nobody answered. Nobody returned my messages. Nobody explained the charge. I ultimately had to open a credit card dispute because the hotel completely ignored all communication attempts. FINAL THOUGHTS What is the point of spending: * 130,000 IHG points * years paying ownership/HOA fees * maintaining Elite status …if guests receive: * moldy rooms * broken elevators * non-working A/C * broken TV remote * no housekeeping * poor breakfast * terrible service * unauthorized charges * and complete disregard from staff? Honestly, had I simply paid cash, the stay would have cost around the same $430 I was incorrectly charged anyway. This property seriously damaged my confidence in the IHG brand and in the value of being an Elite member. Very disappointing experience overall.