Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Huntsville

This five-story chain hotel caters to tourists visiting the nearby provincial parks, and the property's decor has a rugged look that reflects the surrounding area. The contemporary lobby has handsome tiles floors, a large, granite-topped wooden front desk, and a small seating area with upholstered chairs and framed prints hanging on walls. The live bonsai trees are a nice touch, adding a splash of green to the neutral tones throughout which help to create an inviting ambiance. It’s a relatively quiet hotel, but mornings in the adjoining breakfast room often get hectic, when at peak times lines form for the buffet and seats can be hard to find. 

The Holiday Inn is located off Highway 11, which runs from Huntsville all the way to Toronto (roughly two-and-a-half hours by car). It’s a six-minute drive north of downtown Huntsville and its restaurants and shops. The immediate area has several other hotels, as well as a Walmart Supercenter across the street. A few restaurants are within walking distance, including a DQ Grill & Chill next door. Great outdoor adventures in the rugged Muskoka region are nearby, with several lakes a short drive away, as well as Arrowhead Provincial Park (six minutes) and Algonquin Provincial Park (30 minutes), which is Canada’s largest provincial park. The Hidden Valley Highlands Ski Area is an 11-minute drive. Driving to Toronto International Airport takes just over two hours. 

Guest rooms are tastefully decorated in subdued earth tones, with gold walls complementing the gold-and-gray-striped drapes and light-brown carpeting. Bright-white bedding is accented by olive bed throws and bright gold bed skirts, and the matching dark-wood furniture includes headboards, bedside tables, desks with office chairs, and dressers topped with flat-screen TVs. Space is a big plus; the King we saw had ample rooms for an oversize armchair and matching ottoman. Double Queens and Suites (King and Double Queens) also are available. All rooms and suites come well-equipped with microwaves, mini-fridges, coffeemakers, and free Wi-Fi, but there are no safes. Bathrooms are bright and contemporary, and they contain wide granite vanities, shower/tub combos, hairdryers, and bottled toiletries. Units are generally quiet, and some feature views of the nearby river and forested area.

This Holiday Inn Express has a solid amenities package that includes a free breakfast buffet with pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and even cinnamon buns, plus cereal, yogurt, bread, and other cold items. There's no full-service restaurant, but a convenience store that sells snacks, soft drinks, sundries is on-site. The heated indoor pool is another bonus, and although it's on the small side there's still enough space for a swim. There's also a fitness center that has several cardio machines, along with a universal strength-training machine. Other amenities include a 24-hour business center with two computers in a dedicated room that offers a quiet space for work, meeting space for up to 80 people, and valet dry cleaning and laundry service, but there's no guest self-service laundry room. Wi-Fi throughout and parking are free, and pets are welcome with a modest surcharge.