Holiday Inn Express Durham, an IHG Hotel

We stayed here during a college tour road trip! It is literally right off of the highway. However, our room faced the highway and we did not hear the traffic! The breakfast is free and abundant, albeit mostly cheap processed fare. The room was clean and the common areas were clean. Parking is ample and this place is dog friendly!! This was great as we had our family dog with us. There is a large plot of grass between the hotel and the raised highway where they can walk and potty peacefully. The reception staff was very pleasant and there seemed to always be more than one person on duty, which was very helpful.

Cons: The outlets in our lamp (in room 206) were loose and had no USB port. The elevator took many minutes to reach you, no matter which of the only 3 floors you were on. It is faster to take the steps. The room was so humid (there was no dehumidifier in the AC unit and no bathroom exhaust fan) that the sheets and carpets were damp our whole stay. It was hard to sleep as it was so muggy!! Also, they have no guest laundry.

Overall I would stay here again. It was close to Duke and within 30 minutes of many local colleges. If you stay here, check out the eateries on 9th street!! It's a quick jaunt down the street to a hip part of town with a grocery store, laundromat, and restaurants!