RAMADA PLAZA NEWARK LIBERTY IN

Because of a recent bad experience with a Holiday Inn property in Chicago, I called ahead to Holiday Inn Newark and confirmed all the details for my 1 night overnight stay. Jay was gracious and answered all my questions. When I arrived every thing was as expected. I had a 6am flight and needed to insure that the shuttle would get me to the airport on time. One caution, with Newark airport construction- the shuttles don’t go to the airport..they go to a drop off point to the airtran that goes to the airport. Hence if you have mobility challenges or lots of luggage call a taxi or Uber. However the hotel is a good option- it’s literally minutes from the airport, has a restaurant on site, and reasonable parking options.

Nothing negative to say about this hotel; the staff is smiling and courteous, and the rooms are very clean. There is a very good restaurant right in the hotel, and they offer parking service if you need to leave for another city. Please note that parking is $21 per night regardless of the time.

I had a confirmed reservation at Holiday Inn Newark Airport that was fully paid for with Chase points. After arriving after midnight following a delayed flight, I was informed that the hotel had no room available despite my confirmed reservation. The only solution offered was a refund of my points. No compensation, assistance, or meaningful effort was made to address the situation. The hotel arranged for a shuttle to take us to another non-IHG property, but the shuttle driver dropped us off at a Howard Johnson motel that was in poor condition and did not even offer shuttle service back to the airport area. As a result, we had to pay out of pocket for a room that night and then pay again for a rideshare the next day to return to the airport hotel area. This was an unnecessary expense and inconvenience caused entirely by the hotel's failure to honor a confirmed reservation. Overbooking happens, but what matters is how a hotel handles it. In this case, Holiday Inn Newark Airport failed to provide the service it had contracted to provide and offered no compensation beyond returning the points for the room they could not deliver. Being stranded after midnight in an unfamiliar city following a delayed flight is unacceptable, and the lack of customer service made the experience even worse. I would not recommend this hotel based on how they handled this situation.