Holiday Inn Express Mill Valley San Francisco Area

This Holiday Inn Express makes a good base for outdoorsy tourists, with the Mill Valley-Sausalito Path for biking and hiking running along the hotel, and the Muir Wood shuttle just a brief walk away. Guests exploring San Francisco will find it convenient, too, as it’s right off the highway. But, it’s a quiet and peaceful setting that faces the bay more than the traffic. The hotel celebrates its setting by using lots of natural stone both outside and in the lobby, where a two-sided fireplace is framed by craggy masonry. Terra-cotta-style tile floors enhance the natural feel of the spacious lobby and adjoining breakfast room. The hotel entices guests outdoors, with a nice patio just outside the breakfast room where they roast s’mores at the fire pit. The spacious outdoor pool is also popular. It feels secluded, with lots of large trees nearby and a wood fence around it. Chic, wood-slat cabanas complete the look.  

The Holiday Inn Express is situated in Marin County at an on ramp of the 101 freeway heading south across the Golden Gate Bridge to San Francisco (a 25-minute drive). A few restaurants are within a brief walk, including a popular Italian restaurant next door. The Mill Valley-Sausalito Path for biking and hiking is runs right by the hotel, and guests can take advantage of its proximity by using one of the hotel’s free loaner bicycles. The Marin County airport shuttle to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is about a two-minute walk, a grocery store is a four-minute walk, and a pharmacy is seven minutes on foot. The Muir Wood Shuttle stop is a six-minute walk -- driving to Muir Woods takes about 18 minutes. Mount Tamalpais can be reached in about 30 minutes driving, and Sausalito and its ferry terminal is about 10 minutes driving. Approximate travel times to SFO are 40 minutes driving and 90 minutes by public transit. It takes approximately the same time to reach Oakland International Airport by public transit, and about 45 minutes by car.  

Rooms at this Holiday Inn are surprisingly stylish, with retro details like tufted headboards and armchairs set off by jaunty white piping. Olive green and navy are the featured colors, seen in the olive drapes and bed runners and navy bed skirts and upholstery. Art Decor-style lamps and X-leg luggage benches enhance the elegance of the spaces, but the heaps of dark-hued decor and limited sunlight from windows combine to make the spaces a bit dim and shadowy overall. Standard amenities include work desks with office chairs, 40-inch flat-screen TVs, DVD players, mini-fridges, coffeemakers, and free Wi-Fi, which some guests report to be spotty. The bathrooms are not as stylish but still pleasant, with sizable granite vanities and dusty-rose tiles surrounding the shower/tub combos. Though rooms are generally clean, some past guests have reported minor housekeeping and maintenance complaints, such as malfunctioning TVs and tubs that could use a more thorough scrubbing. At 270 square feet, Standard Kings and Queens offer ample space for comfort. Double Queens offer even more space at 350 square feet, and include additional granite-top vanities outside the bathrooms. Small patios or balconies are also standard, and some rooms have nice views of Mount Tamalpais, the pool area, or the nearby marshy area. While relatively quiet, rooms can pick up ambient noise from neighboring units and the nearby highway.

This Holiday Inn Express offers an attractive amenities package that includes a free hot breakfast buffet. The spread offers omelets and other hot egg dishes along with breakfast standards. Coffee and tea are also free in the lobby all day, and a small convenience shop on site sells sundries, snacks, and drinks. The outdoor fire pit doubles as a s’mores roasting station, too, when weather permits, and the outdoor patio has a gas grill that guests can use. The heated outdoor pool is spacious, surrounded by large trees, padded loungers, and even a couple of private curtained cabanas. A whirlpool is adjacent to the pool as well. Other highlights include free parking and free loaner bicycles, so guests can take advantage of the nearby bike path. Guest that want to break a sweat indoors can use the hotel's fitness center. Though it's small, it's equipped with free weights and four cardio machines. The business center is open 24/7 and has a printer and copier. Three meeting rooms offer enough space for up to 100 people, and free Wi-Fi is accessible throughout the property. An ATM is located in the lobby, where free newspapers and free loaner DVDs are available. Valet dry cleaning and laundry services are available, and pets are welcome with a surcharge. Note that when we visited the hotel, there were no elevators to the second-floor rooms, but plans to add elevators are underway.