Holiday Inn Express Kearney

Located south of I-80 on the western side of Nebraska, the Holiday Inn Express in Kearney is a great stay for big families. This location has everything that big families are looking for such as a free continental breakfast buffet, indoor swimming pool, good sized suites, free wi-fi, and a friendly staff.

Travel Tip: Avoid room 213. While the suite itself is very nice, the location is not. This suite is located right above the lobby which means you'll be able to hear the lobby doors open and close all night. Plus you'll hear every car that pulls up and people coming into the hotel. If you look at the night picture you'll see that the lobby entrance is well lit. That's because right outside room 213's window there is a bright light that shines like a spot light all night down into the lobby entrance and into room 213. Even with the shades pulled shut, the light poured into the room around the window edges. The light seriously needs a reflector on the suite side.

Needless to say, I had us moved to another room. The great staff quickly moved us to room 413 when I asked.

The second suite was a little different than the first, there was a half wall dividing the 2 doubles from the sofa sleeper which was smaller than the first room. However in the second suite we gained a second TV and a sink for our microwave and fridge area. The fourth floor did smell of cigarette smoke but our room did not.

The free breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, cereal, cinnamon rolls, bananas, yogurt, bagels, muffins, rolls, juice, milk, and coffee. The big hit with the kids was the pancake machine. Just press a button and in about a minute a pancake is spit out the side of the machine. The breakfast attendant did a great job of keeping the area clean, stocked, and making sure the somewhat finicky pancake machine worked.

The pool area is a bit on the small side but big enough for my kiddos. Towels are available at the pool and regular towels are available to take up to your room.

The free wi-fi was easy to connect to and a decent speed.