I stayed in Olive Branch recently at the Hampton in Olive Branch and the service was not that great. The people were not helpful at all. So I decided to stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Olive Branch. And I did. The Guest service was excellent. Jonathan checked me in and was helpful. He knew Olive Branch. I was able to pick resturants and know where they were because of him. The rooms was great. I am a big breakfast person and I was able to get a great breakfast in the morning. Will I stay again? YES!!!

We stayed here two different nights, on our way to Disney World and on our way back home. I called the front desk to reserve both times. They gave us their best rate the second time through. Every employee we encountered was helpful and friendly. We had no problems. The beds were typical HIE beds with soft and firm pillows. Rooms were clean and comfortable. Internet worked well. Breakfast was good with lots of variety and an attendant to help you out.

Excellent, clean hotel. Very easy access to Memphis without the crime! It is about 15min from Graceland. Had a great nights sleep. The beds were very comfortable, rooms clean, excellent staff. Kudos to the manager who was helping me check in.

This Holiday Inn Express has the new green signage package, but everything else about the hotel screams "old" HIE. The exterior has modern lines and blue uplights for dramatic effect, but once inside, the brightly lit hallways seem only to emphasize the odd-colored carpet and the years of mars, scratches and nicks along the walls.

My king room was very typical Holiday Inn Express - circa 1992. Furniture is tired and worn. The solid surface surround of the tub/shower was beginning to fade, and there were rust stains on the bottom of the tub. A forlorn 20" Zenith tube-style TV occupied the spot in the armoire/dresser next to the microwave and mini fridge. The hotel did have flawless wifi service and a comfortable bed, so all is not lost - it simply all averages out to, well, average.

While the staff was generally friendly and interactive, a lot of their interaction was with me as I made the mistake of coming down for the complimentary breakfast at 9:31 AM. Unlike many other HIEs, this property cuts off breakfast at 9:30 AM...every day. Including weekends. (Most others I've stayed at extend the weekend breakfast by an hour.) Most of the breakfast items were still there but the staff had efficiently whisked the cereal tower away, evidently at 9:30:00 exactly. I got lots of sweet questions like "Would you like a cinnamon roll?" (Of course I would; it's a primary reason to choose HIE) and "Do you need any jelly or peanut butter?" But these questions were in the context of the staff having these items in hand, desperately wanting them to disappear to the back, evidently so they could clean up and punch out before some magical labor cost target was exceeded.

Understanding that I was "that guy" because I dared to show up for breakfast at closing time (and of course I thought in my mind I had another hour)...wouldn't it be better just to smile, stand by, allow "late guy" to shuffle through the offerings and sit down...and THEN start dismantling the breakfast? That, to me, is the difference between focusing on one's job functions and focusing on the overall goal of the hotel - giving its guests a great experience.