The Midnight Express

I liked Albuquerque, and I liked the Albuquerque Midtown Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites on Menaul Boulevard. I had appointments all over the city, so location wasn't an issue. I picked this hotel completely at random off the list of hotels on the website. As it turns out, I made a good choice. Due to a delayed flight, I arrived at the hotel at midnight rather than the anticipated 7:30 pm. The desk clerk was a wonderful young man who immediately acknowledged me as a Priority Member, and had my room keys ready and waiting for an express check in. He offered me a "goody bag" with bottled water and a snack. The snack came in very handy as I had missed dinner because of the airport delays. I was upgraded to a suite, and the room was quite spacious with a nice executive workspace. The only real downside to the room was the bed. It was an extra firm mattress with no nice comfortable pillow top. Most hotels nowadays have pillow top mattresses, so I missed that.

I was key-challenged at this hotel. The key reader for my room was quirky. If you put the key card in too slow it didn't work. If you put it in too fast it didn't work. After two replacement keys, they sent me with the maintenance guy to see if he could help and he showed me the "slow slide while pushing up" method. A little weird, but I didn't have any more problems after that.

You just gotta love the complimentary breakfasts at the HI Express. (If for no other reason, they provide excellent people-watching opportunities.) While the choices are the same at all properties, the quality can be questionable. This breakfast bar was well stocked, fresh, and had a very pleasant and attentive hostess.

The next time business takes me to Albuquerque, I would definitely consider this hotel again... especially if I want to work out the kinks in my back from sleeping on all those soft pillow top mattresses at the other properties.