I stayed at the Holiday Inn Salmiya for 6 nights on a business trip to Kuwait - the hotel was booked by the Kuwaiti partner I work with (I previously stayed in the other Holiday Inn Downtown near the towers). The hotel is in a good location near the Scientific Center and is a 15 minute walk from a supermarket and a 25 min walk from Marina Mall (or of course a quick taxi ride but I like to walk). I had arranged the Hala Visa service and was met at the airport by the hotel which all worked well. The reception was empty when I arrived as it was 3am... The staff are Ok, but not very enthusiastic overall. My room was very well furnished and comfortable. A big TV with 40 channels and a fridge, tea/coffee and a writing desk. The bathroom was large with nice toiletries. The pool is quite large and most of the time I had it to myself. The breakfast was very tasty and there are many restaurants in the hotel - Chinese, Lebanese, Pizza, Steak, buffet and sushi - so you won't starve. I wasn't paying the bill, but the food seemed to be reasonably priced and was good. The service in the restaurants in very slow... There is a free airport shuttle on the hour and free internet in all rooms (so such better than Australia!!). I would stay here again and I think it is nicer than the Downtown one. There are also two massive malls coming soon (World and Showbiz) which will be a minute walk away from the hotel. Overall, a modern, well appointed hotel with character, but lacking a little in service (but this did not really worry me or spoil my stay).

Stayed there for two nights and all in all, one of the best business hotels I have been to. Everything is great, and you really feel at home...

Nice hotel, with really helpful staff. Beds were really comfortable and I slept extremely well. Good facilities and gym was very well equipped.

I had a 3-day stay in this Holiday Inn, on March 2010. The hotel is on the heart of Salmiya district (be aware about your booking: there is another Holiday Inn in downtown Kuwait), close to the Scientific Center and Aquarium (5 min walking distance), and the corniche. After my complimentary transfer from the airport, they upgraded me in an executive room on 8th floor, overlooking the Gulf sea and the Kuwait towers! The room, althought small in size, had a very comfortable king bed and various types of pillows to select, a mini bar, a work desk, flat screen TV, as well as all the amenities which every traveler needs. The decoration of the room was fine, creating a luxury and relaxing ambient. All the public spaces of the hotel were big and also luxury decorated, giving an overall impression of a 5-star hotel. There were 4 main restaurants inside the hotel: The Al Diwan with international foods, serving also breakfast, the Ayam Zaman (Lebanese) serving also shisha on the terrace, a Chinese restaurant, and an American style steak restaurant. There was also a lovely place in the lobby, L' Aroma cafe, serving coffee, soft drinks and light snacks all day and night (alcool is strictly prohibited in Kuwait). I tried the Al Diwan, the Ayam Zaman and L' Aroma Cafe: Breakfast and foods were very good either in quality or in variety. The hotel also features a well equipped business center, a fitness center, and an outdoor pool (which however was out of service because of reconstruction). Finally, all the staff was very helpful, polite and professional.
My overall opinion: this was one of the best Holiday Inn I ever stayed. Its official rating is a 4-star hotel, but compared to the American and European standards it must be a 5-star without any doubt.