We stayed at this hotel for one night on 21/10/12. The location is miles from town. The staff were very indifferent and busy in their personal issues. When we checked in the receptionist was on phone talking to someone for about 10 minutes. Finally when more customers came she put the phone down and started dealing with us. The room was pleasant and nice but air conditioner kept blowing the curtain open as it was just underneath it. Our bedroom window faced the car park so it was not private when the curtain kept on blowing open. The staff were very indifferent but the hotel decor is nice and clean. The breakfast in the morning was just very frugal and not worth having. Otherwise it would have been a very nice if these issues are addressed.

This Holiday Inn Express is convenient to Stony Brook, but does sit on a divided, six-lane highway -- meaning lots of U-turns and going-around-the-block trips, and something of a haul to find meals. Fortunately, they're easy to spot on the highway at night. There also seemed to be adequate parking.

As for the room ... yes, as others have said, pretty firm bed. Average layout for the category. Then, there was climate control. There was a wall panel for the heat & A/C, but it was non-functional. There was also apparently a remote (evidenced by bearing the same logo as the A/C unit) but that, too, was non-functional. Neither are big deals, once I figured out that you use the controls on the unit, old-school style. But regrettably, the fan on this unit runs at a volume approaching "vacuum cleaner" -- a bit above acceptable white noise. But the choices are "run constantly" and adjust to the noise, or deal with the on-and-off cycling that woke me up repeatedly the first night. The curtains are also hung directly over the unit, so I had to use the fake plant on the windowsill to hold the curtains back and closed.

I also found it odd that the "closet" door was just a full-length mirror on a piano hinge, tacked on to cover the "closet" cubby.

For the age of the building, I expected stronger construction, but the middle night of my stay, a family of elephants moved in above me around 12:30 a.m., and were back up at 6:30. I was also surprised by the clarity with which one could hear hallway conversations from within my room.

But, as a nice bonus, this hotel has a baseball diamond, tennis and basketball courts, putting green, beach volleyball court and horseshoe pit. Certainly not the options one expects from this level of hotel.

Solo travelers should note that the pool and fitness center are in the basement, and the pool rules state that an adult must be on deck anytime someone is in the pool proper. It's safer that way, and I get that ... still might have liked to use the pool at least once in my stay.

And breakfast is unique; I've never seen an automated pancake-making machine before.

Lest my opinion be misconstrued, every encounter I had with staff was pleasant. My "average" rating is based solely on the facility. If you're willing to drive just a few more minutes, there are a number of cheaper-priced, newer options along the LIE in Farmingville and Medford.

Lately, the Holiday Inn Hotel chain has been slipping. Part of this comes from the notion that the company that owns Holiday Inn hotels (Express, Intercontinental, Candlewood Suites, etc.) has been franchising their hotels at a record rate. So when a problem happens ... you call your Priority Club and they say they can't do anything because the hotel has been franchised and is independently operated. This is not the case with most Marriott or Hilton hotels ... so if you experience a problem during a stay, they make it right vs. Holiday Inn which tells you they can do nothing.

When I checked in and saw the sign that this hotel was a franchise, I shook my head and figured on another bad experience. I can say that all my fears were relieved as I had a wonderful stay here and the service exceeded just about any other Holiday Inn experience I have had. I stayed here in the past before the rennovations and the hotel was pretty used and dated and dumpy. However, the new owners really rennovated the heck out of the hotel and it is now very nice.

The best thing I like about this hotel is that they know how to take care of their top tier members. They will upgrade you if you are Priority Club Platinum, which also is getting to be a rare thing these days. Anytime a hotel honors their commitment to me as a top tier member, I will keep coming back.

The rooms here are older, but have been rennovated with fresh paint, etc. The bathrooms are on the small side and the rennovation seemed to stop before the bathroom ... but the rooms are comfortable and spacious. The suites are great, although the beds are like sleeping on only a box spring.

In all my travels for business and liesure, I have never experienced a worse bed. It seriously is like sleeping on a board ... in fact I did lift up the sheets to make sure someone didn't take the mattress off and just leave the box spring. This was the worst part of the trip ... the bed really was almost unsleepable to someone who prefers a softer mattress.

Downstairs is a nice lobby with new furniture and a breakfast room. The breakfast is your typical Holiday Inn Express foods with more fruit than normal, which is nice. There is also a pretty good manager's reception on Weds. nights with free wine and beer. The gym and pool are on the bottom floor. Not the biggest or best ... but its there anyways. They also have a mystic tan machine (or did) here ... which never worked. I used to get free certificates every now and again, go down there and the machine would never work right.

The staff is really what makes this hotel stand out. Lots of hotels have a 'no can do' attitude whereas the staff here goes out of their way to make their customers feel like they are being taken care of. The staff is always pleasant and tries to do whatever they are asked to make things right. It seems like a simple thing, but not too many hotels do this these days as it is easier to say no. Also, as mentioned, you are always welcomed as a top tier member, given a goodie bag and upgraded, if available.

The area is great. It is near Stonybrook University and also near a lot of great restaurants and shopping. While 347 is the worst road I've ever driven on in terms of red lights ... it will seriously take you 20 minutes to go 3 miles on this road if you hit it wrong ... you can get to the LIE, 25 or Northern Expressway or 454 within 15 - 20 minutes. The Smithhaven Mall is a pretty nice mall and there are lots of restaurants nearby. There is a Red Lobster, JR Steakhouse, etc. within 5 minutes of the hotel and one of the biggest Marshalls you'll ever visit.

Even though the beds are absolutely terrible, I would come back. The hotel does everything right in terms of service and the area is nice. They also have a putting green, basketball court, etc. with equipment you can sign out.

I was upgraded to an excutive room and was shocked when I walked into a gorgeously appointed suite. Very modern, clean, and comfortable. This HI Express is a step above many of the standard HI Express properties in terms of amenities. Location is good, service was fine. Wifi was very slow, as was the elevator, which took away from the rating a bit. I travel for work, so fast internet is important to me, and I was a bit disappointed. But, I will return when I am in the aa for business.