With relatives in Stamford, we have 15+ years experience staying at various area hotels (Stamford Sheraton - now Stamford Plaza Hotel, Stamford Westin - now Hilton, the Hampton Inn, and Greenwich Hyatt) and can provide extensive comparison among these properties. This is our 1st stay at the HIE and were very impressed and definitely plan to be back.
For its large suite, price, convenience, cleanliness & good staff, & complimentary amenities, this HIE is now our FIRST choice in Stamford!

I will summarize the many pros & a few cons:
1. Loc is best for us, compared to all the other hotels. We used to stay at the Sheraton (now Stamford Plaza & connected to HIE) but it's still undergoing reno to become a Crowne Plaza.
That property is tired looking, and not sure how long is the reno time frame as it's been going on for several years!
2. HIE's 1-BR suite is extremely spacious, pretty new, clean, with good contemporary furnishing and a spacious & well stocked kitchen area.
On the 3rd floor facing the 1-way street, there was traffic noise and could use better
sound-proofing windows.
3. Bathroom: large separate vanity area with plenty of counter space, & plenty of towels.
The bathroom itself was very small & space was tight.
Very small lotion bottles were hard to use.
4. Free Wi-Fi was fast & reliable.
5. Complimentary breakfast buffet was plentiful & had good variety. Helpful staff was prompt in re-stocking of items and cleanup.
Though she started to pack away food trays at 9:30am, when bkft hour is supposed to last to 10AM.
I know some reviewers did not like the all-disposable tableware, this could be improved upon.
6. All staff were courteous & helpful.
7. Complimentary shuttle to Stamford train station was great, the driver came in < 15 minutes & was also courteous.
8. Lobby coolers with complimentary bottled water & treats were a huge plus & please continue!

A huge hotel complex a mile out of downtown Stamford. Service was first rate, truly exceptional, nothing was too much trouble for the front desk staff. Cleanliness and housekeeping were great, the only drawback was the buffet style self service breakfast, so far so what you cry; the crockery was polystyrene and the cutlery plastic. Now I'm all for cutting costs so long as they're passed on to the customer, but really - disposable plates, coffee cups and cutlery? The coffee was served from pump thermos dispensers which also annoys me. But the beds were excellent, the shower powerful and hot and the wifi is free.

This is not a luxury, high service facility. So while some of the reviewers criticize the place for having mediocre service, I urge them to look back at their bill - this place is very inexpensive, and one way a facility keeps cost down is by cutting personnel. But for a basic hotel, it is excellent. Big rooms with recent makeover. The public spaces and the rooms are kept very clean. The rooms have decent amenities like soaps, shampoo, etc. Little extras like a small frig and a microwave add to your comfort. I will definitely stay here again when I come to Stamford. Again, for the price it really can't be beat. If you need a bellboy and room service, go someplace else and pay for it.

Freshly remodeled hotel. the place is clean and there is almost no sign of the buildings former life. (You have to look hard to find the old details inside.) you have to park in a garage behind the building and it can be a bit of a walk if you are traveling alone and have an ailment or a bunch of stuff. When walking to the Holiday Inn Express from the garage, they have you walk thru another section of the building that is dated and has not been remodeled. The hotel does have a valet service if you wanted for $12.