Holiday Inn in Managua

February 25, 2014

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It had been a while since we had stayed at the Holiday Inn Select in Managua, Nicaragua. In fact, almost 12 years, I think. The hotel has been around for a little more than that…

It’s a decent place to stay in Managua. It is a little bit dated, not because of the decor but rather the wear and tear on this Managua hotel. I recently saw an ad saying that Holiday Inn is ‘refreshing’ hotels worldwide. This one is a good candidate. However, if you look past the details (which really don’t affect comfort – except one that I will mention later) it is a good place to spend a few days.

The rooms are small.

Bathrooms are spacious, however.

Toiletries include Bath and Body Works selections. Hot water is nice. What was hard to get was cold tap water to drink. At best it was tepid. That’s what ice is for, I guess. And most of you probably won’t be drinking the tap water anyway. Minibar has reasonable prices, as well does room service. In fact, I had a hard time deciding between ordering room service or going down to the restaurant.

The bed is comfy but the pillows…the pillows have to go (says my achy neck this morning). That’s a pretty big oversight. Really unusual for a good chain like Holiday Inn.

The restaurant is nice. Not top notch but good.

Dinner was decent but some details (like not so fresh bread) and OK service won’t win any awards. I did get a great churrasco here (Nica style) but the BBQ ribs weren’t outstanding. The breakfast buffet is tasty but doesn’t have an exciting variety of hot food.

I still stand by statement that the best breakfast buffet in Managua can be found, not at Holiday Inn but rather, HERE (CLICK LINK TO SEE). The breakfast table settings have paper napkins.

Pool area is nice, especially at night when you get a really nice breeze most of the year. The pool and gym are small but well designed and enjoyable.

I did have a nice welcome cocktail.

All said, Holiday Inn would be a constant choice for me because it does represent a good value, especially among the other hotels in Managua. Soon, it will have in-house competition as a new Holiday Inn Express is being built on Jean Paul Genie highway. We’ll see how that stacks up later….