Whitby Oshawa's BEST Hotel? Holiday Inn Express Review!
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because we’re diving deep into a review of a hotel, a place I’m pretending to know inside and out – and frankly, with this list of amenities, it sounds like a spaceship disguised as a hotel! Let’s get messy, shall we? Expect rambling tangents, genuine excitement (and maybe a little side-eye), and a whole lot of “what if…”
Let’s Get This Show on the Road: The Big Picture
First things first: This place? Seems to really want to keep you happy. Like, seriously. The list is exhaustive. It's almost intimidating. This hotel, with its… well, everything… clearly wants to be the place, whatever "the place" might be for you. Let's break it down by areas, and let’s make this fun, shall we?
The Accessibility Angle: A Golden Ticket?
- Accessibility: Crucial. Crucial, crucial, crucial. I'm looking for real-world info, not just bullet points. Is the wheelchair access actually good? Ramp gradients? Elevator reliability? Wide doorways? These are the questions that matter. I hope it's not a "checked a box and moved on" situation.
- On-site Restaurants/Lounges - Wheelchair Accessible: This is key! No one wants to be stuck in their room because access is a nightmare. I need to know about tables, bar heights, ease of navigating the spaces. Picture this: A late-night craving, a fancy cocktail, and a wheelchair navigating the plush carpets. Now that, is a test
- Everything Else: Good for them. But let’s be real, accessibility is an experience, not just a feature. It's either a joyous experience or a struggle, and the details, are what makes it one or the other.
Internet – Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Wi-Fi (and LAN?)
- Free Wi-Fi in All Rooms!: Okay, good. Breathe a sigh of immediate relief. That's table stakes.
- Internet, Internet [LAN], Internet Services: LAN? In 2024? I'm curious, are they still running on dial-up internet? Is there a dedicated place where you have to plug into a wall? Is it a nostalgic throwback to the 90s, or a genuine, reliable option for serious work?
- Wi-Fi in Public Areas: Essential. Nobody likes buffering mid-selfie.
Things to Do (Because, Let's Be Honest, We're Not All Just Here to Relax)
- Body scrub, Body wrap, Fitness center, Massage, Pool with view, Sauna, Spa, Spa/sauna, Steamroom, Swimming pool, Swimming pool [outdoor]: Okay, now we are talking. This is where the hotel starts talking. Let’s be honest, I’m there for the pool with a view. I want to have a panoramic view on the pool and everything around it! And the spa and massage are the cherry on the top!
- Gym/fitness: What is “gym/fitness”? So vague! What is the brand of the treadmills? Are there enough weights? Is it a dungeon or a bright, airy space? And, a big question… is the air conditioning working?
- A Word of Caution: Let's say you're imagining a relaxing vacation. So, you get there, and you are going to the Spa with the view, and there, you find out that view is actually "a nice view to the park and the neighbors' houses"
Cleanliness and Safety: Are We Safe from Aliens AND Germs?
- Anti-viral cleaning products, Breakfast takeaway service, Cashless payment service, Daily disinfection in common areas, Doctor/nurse on call, First aid kit, Hand sanitizer, Hot water linen and laundry washing, Hygiene certification, Individually-wrapped food options, Physical distancing of at least 1 meter, Professional-grade sanitizing services, Room sanitization opt-out available, Rooms sanitized between stays, Safe dining setup, Sanitized kitchen and tableware items, Shared stationery removed, Staff trained in safety protocol, Sterilizing equipment: Holy moly. Okay, someone read the CDC guidelines. This is a safety protocol bonanza. It shows they’re serious. I almost feel like I need to wear a hazmat suit to book!
- A Note About the Sanitization: Kudos for the effort, but “room sanitization opt-out”? Fine, but I'd want to know why someone would opt out. Is it a "green" initiative? Or, is it just a weird choice to make?
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: Feeding the Beast
- A la carte in restaurant, Alternative meal arrangement, Asian breakfast, Asian cuisine in restaurant, Bar, Bottle of water, Breakfast [buffet], Breakfast service, Buffet in restaurant, Coffee/tea in restaurant, Coffee shop, Desserts in restaurant, Happy hour, International cuisine in restaurant, Poolside bar, Restaurants, Room service [24-hour], Salad in restaurant, Snack bar, Soup in restaurant, Vegetarian restaurant, Western breakfast, Western cuisine in restaurant: Where do I start? So many options. This is a buffet enthusiast's dream! But a few burning questions: Is the buffet actually good, or just a sad display of tepid scrambled eggs? And, if they mention "international cuisine," is it real, or the same tired rotation of pasta and burgers?
- Room service: 24-hour = absolute perfection.
- Poolside bar: Always a win. But imagine the bar closes 10 minutes before sunset, and you get there just minutes before the closing to get a drink.
Services and Conveniences: Someone's Been Thinking!
- Air conditioning in public area: Essential.
- Audio-visual equipment for special events, Business facilities, Cash withdrawal, Concierge, Contactless check-in/out, Convenience store, Currency exchange, Daily housekeeping, Doorman, Dry cleaning, Elevator, Essential condiments: All the basics.
- Facilities for disabled guests: Double check that the disabled guests are actually happy.
- Food delivery: From what? The hotel, or outside vendors?
- Gift/souvenir shop: A little too commercial for me.
- Indoor venue for special events, Invoice provided, Ironing service, Laundry service, Luggage storage, Meeting/banquet facilities, Meetings, Meeting stationery, On-site event hosting, Outdoor venue for special events, Projector/LED display, Safety deposit boxes, Seminars, Shrine, Smoking area, Terrace, Wi-Fi for special events, Xerox/fax in business center: Okay, this hotel is a whole situation, apparently. It's prepared for anything.
- Important Question: Is the elevator reliable?
For the Kids: A Mini-Me Paradise, or a Screaming Nightmare?
- Babysitting service, Family/child friendly, Kids facilities, Kids meal: Family-friendly is a big plus. Are the facilities actually fun? Or, are they just a corner with some dusty toys? I can't wait to discover the truth!
Access: The Gatekeepers of Your Sanity
- CCTV in common areas, CCTV outside property, Check-in/out [express], Check-in/out [private], Couple's room, Exterior corridor, Fire extinguisher, Front desk [24-hour], Hotel chain, Non-smoking rooms, Pets allowed unavailablePets allowed, Proposal spot, Room decorations, Safety/security feature, Security [24-hour], Smoke alarms, Soundproof rooms: Security features galore, which is good! But "proposal spot"? I need the details! Is it a balcony overlooking the city? The pool with a view? A tiny, awkward alcove near the fire exit?
- Key Question: Is the 24-hour front desk friendly and helpful, or a perpetually exhausted face?
Getting Around: From Arrival to Escape (Eventually)
- Airport transfer, Bicycle parking, Car park [free of charge], Car park [on-site], Car power charging station, Taxi service, Valet parking: All the bases are covered.
- Bonus Points: Free parking is a huge win. Car charging station is essential in this day and age.
Available in All Rooms: The Essentials (and Some Extras)
- Additional toilet, Air conditioning, Alarm clock, Bathrobes, Bathroom phone, Bathtub, Blackout curtains, Carpeting, Closet, Coffee/tea maker, Complimentary tea, Daily housekeeping, Desk, Extra long bed, Free bottled water, Hair dryer, High floor, In-room safe box, Interconnecting room(s) available, Internet access – LAN, Internet access – wireless, Ironing facilities, Laptop workspace, Linens, Mini bar, Mirror, Non-smoking, On-demand movies, Private bathroom, Reading light, Refrigerator, Safety/security feature, Satellite/cable channels, Scale, Seating area, Separate shower/bathtub, Shower, Slippers, Smoke detector, Socket near the bed, Sofa, Soundproofing, Telephone, Toiletries, Towels, Umbrella, Visual alarm, Wake-up service, Wi-Fi [free], Window that opens: The full shebang! The "extra long bed" is a nice touch. A window that opens? Praise the heavens!
- **
Alrighty then, buckle up, buttercups! This isn't your sterile, perfectly-curated travel blog post. This is the REAL DEAL, a messy, emotional, and definitely-not-sponsored diary of my (questionable) journey to the Holiday Inn Express Whitby Oshawa, by IHG. Canada, of course. Because… why not?
Title: Whitby & Oshawa: A Hotel, A Headache, and the Questionable Charm of the Durham Region (Spoiler Alert: It’s Gonna Be Fine) – A Messy Itinerary
Day 1: The Arrival, the Panic, and the Pizza (Mostly Panic)
- 1:00 PM: Landed at Pearson. Ugh. Airport, always a logistical nightmare. My bag, bless its cotton socks, decided to stage a disappearing act. Cue the internal monologue of "Did I actually remember to pack pants? Do I have pants anymore?!" Filed a claim. Internally weeping a little.
- 2:30 PM: Finally wrangled a taxi (after a near-meltdown with a self-service kiosk… those things are evil, I swear). The driver, a chatty fella named Kevin, regaled me with tales of Whitby’s "hidden gems" while dodging potholes the size of small craters. My anxiety level: still elevated.
- 4:00 PM: Arrived at the Holiday Inn Express. Pretty standard-issue, you know? Lobby was clean, smelled vaguely of chlorine and artificial cinnamon. Check-in was quick, thankfully. The first hurdle overcome! I just have to get to the end of the hallway.
- 4:30 PM: Room check. Okay, it's… functional. King bed, surprisingly soft. Found the TV remote, victory! But wait… is that a questionable stain on the carpet? (Let's not dwell). Overwhelming urge to just collapse.
- 5:00 PM: Panic snack attack. Ordered a pizza from some place called "Pizza Delight." I'm not proud, but when hunger strikes, all dignity goes out the window. The pizza? Predictable, yet satisfying. I devoured an entire medium. Alone. With the curtains drawn. My soul is in this room with 70% humidity.
- 6:30 PM: Attempted to work but there were so many distractions like my phone kept buzzing…
- 7:00 PM: Actually started the important work, had a great time.
- 9:00 PM: Attempted to sleep.
Day 2: Oshawa, Art, and the Emotional Rollercoaster of a Car Museum
- 7:00 AM: Woke up. That was a full 8 hours of sleep. It's a sign.
- 8:00 AM: Breakfast. The "complimentary express start breakfast". Okay, the scrambled eggs were… vaguely yellow. The coffee barely qualified as coffee - weak and watery. But hey, it's free! I'm not complaining. Much.
- 9:00 AM: Drove to Oshawa. The drive: uneventful. Weather: overcast. My mood: cautiously optimistic.
- 9:30 AM: The Robert McLaughlin Gallery. A surprisingly pleasant start to my day. Saw some art, felt intellectually stimulated. The building itself is pretty stunning, clean, and the natural light in the galleries were perfect. I feel smarter.
- 12:00 PM: I stumbled upon the Canadian Automotive Museum, I'm not even a car person, but holy moly. Witnessing all the history of our cars, it was so interesting. The whole experience was a mix of "Wow, these are beautiful" to "How did they even build this?!" An emotional rollercoaster, I tell you. A profound appreciation for the engineering and art that makes them. Also, a poignant moment of remembering my grandfather's old Ford. I felt very nostalgic.
- 2:30 PM: Lunch at a diner. Greasy spoon comfort food. Felt the need to just unwind, so I ordered a burger and fries.
- 4:00 PM: Drove back to the hotel. The trip back was uneventful. I was glad I had some art and history in my day.
- 6:00 PM: Ended the day with a swim. The pool was empty, which was great. It was nice to relax and take a dip.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner. Got some takeout Chinese food. It's okay.
- 8:00 PM: Back in the room. Doing some journaling.
- 9:00 PM: Sleep.
Day 3: Whitby Harbour, Last-Minute Ramblings, and the Departure (Hopefully with My Bag!)
- 8:00 AM: Another free breakfast. Eggs, coffee, more existential dread.
- 9:00 AM: Checked out. The pressure is on. Time for a nice harbor.
- 10:00 AM: Decided to go for a quick walk in Whitby Harbour. The harbour was pretty, the boats were bobbing, seagulls were squawking. I enjoyed just taking in the fresh air and seeing what the town has to offer.
- 11:00 AM: Packing. Do I even have clean socks? (The answer is probably no). My bag still hasn't been located. Crossing fingers and toes.
- 12:00 PM: Final mini-panic before heading out to the airport. Have I remembered everything? Did I leave something (very important) behind?
- 12:30 PM: The taxi is here. Ready to go.
- 1:00 PM: Heading to the airport.
- 2:00 PM: Arrived at airport.
- 4:00 PM: Flying back home.
Final Thoughts:
Okay, so the Holiday Inn Express wasn't exactly the Four Seasons. Whitby and Oshawa aren’t going to win any awards for glamour. But you know what? It was… fine. It was a learning experience. I saw art, I saw some cars, I ate some questionable pizza, and I managed to survive. Did I have a good time? Depends on the day, sometimes yes, sometimes no. Would I come back? Probably not right now. If it calls me back someday, I hope to have more time and energy. Either way, here’s to embracing the messy beauty of travel, imperfections and all. And hopefully, my bag turns up.
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So, what *is* this whole thing about, anyway? (Like, the website, dummy.)
Alright, alright, settle down. You've stumbled upon a… well, a collection of questions and (attempted) answers. Think of it as a digital therapy session, or maybe just a slightly unhinged friend rambling at you. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure what it is either. But what I do know is, you're here, and so am I, so let's just… roll with it. It's about, uh, things. All the things. Life, death, the meaning of… uh… (checks notes) … the meaning of *cats*? Yeah, we'll get to cats. Eventually.
Why does everything feel SO hard sometimes? Like, just breathing?
Oh, honey, I FEEL you. I really, really do. Seriously, sometimes I wake up and the very act of deciding what to eat feels like climbing Mount Everest. And you know what? That's okay! It’s utterly, completely, and perfectly FINE. Life is… well, a mess. It's a glorious, beautiful, terrifying mess. People will tell you about ‘mindfulness’ and ‘positive vibes’ and all that jazz. And sometimes, that stuff helps. But you know what *else* helps? Acknowledging that it’s hard. Really, really hard. And sometimes, you just gotta eat a whole bag of chips and watch bad reality TV. Don't judge me. You're probably doing it too.
Is there a meaning? Like, *the* meaning of life?
Ugh. The Million Dollar question, eh? Look, here's the deal. If I had the answer to that, I’d be on a beach somewhere, sipping something with a tiny umbrella. I don't, and I suspect nobody *really* does. But here's what I *think*. I think *finding* meaning is the meaning. You know? Creating it, experiencing it, letting it change. It's not something you find, but something you build. Or stitch together. Or maybe… maybe it's just the messy, beautiful, confusing journey itself. And honestly, that's enough for me, if I can keep remembering to breathe.
Okay, fine. But what about *after*? You know… after, after? The Big Sleep?
Oh, THAT one. Ugh, the great unknown. Honestly, the thought of it makes my skin crawl sometimes. Is there an afterlife? Reincarnation? Do we just… blink out of existence? I have no clue. Zero. But what I *do* know is, worrying about it 24/7 isn't helping anyone. My personal, completely unscientific, incredibly biased approach is to hope for something good. Maybe a giant library filled with all the books I've never had time to read. Or a planet made entirely of chocolate. Or just… peace. Mostly peace. And maybe a really comfy chair.
How do I deal with… *gestures vaguely*… all of this? Anxiety, sadness, the feeling that you're falling apart?
Okay, deep breaths. This is a big one, and it's a *very* personal journey. Listen, I struggle with anxiety. A *lot*. And sadness? Oh, that’s a frequent visitor. And the feeling of falling apart? Yeah, I know that one intimately. What works for me? Not always the same thing. But here’s a messy list of my go-to's, so maybe, just maybe, something will resonate... or not. It's a gamble. Take it or leave it!
- Talk to someone: Therapy? Amazing. Friends? Essential. A random barista you vent to while getting your coffee? Surprisingly helpful sometimes. BUT, and it’s a big but, finding the right person takes time. I went through, like, five therapists before I clicked with one. It was exhausting. Like dating, but for mental health. But when you find *the one* it is amazing.
- Find things that make you feel good: For me? Music. Reading (when I can focus!). Stupid cat videos. Long walks in nature. Hot baths with all the bubbles. It’s different for everyone. Don’t try to be someone else. Do what makes *you* feel a little bit better.
- Accept that it's okay to *not* be okay: This is THE BIG ONE. Seriously. It’s totally, completely, and utterly fine to have bad days. Or even bad weeks. Or months. Don’t beat yourself up. Give yourself some grace. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just… survive. Breathe. And know that tomorrow might be a little bit better. Or maybe not. But that’s okay too.
- And honestly, sometimes just… cry. Really, ugly cry. Let it all out. It's cathartic. And then, get back up and try again.
What even *are* we doing? How do we make decisions?
Oh, decisions… Those little demons that haunt your waking thoughts, right? My process is messy, bordering on chaotic. I *intend* to be logical, to weigh pros and cons, create spreadsheets! But the reality? I'm a terrible decision maker. I overthink everything so much, it’s ridiculous. I’m talking hours spent on whether to get the green or blue pen, or a week on choosing a new phone cable! I consult with friends, analyze ancient tea leaf readings, and often, just… flip a coin. Which might not be the *best* strategy, but it's mine! And you know what? Sometimes the coin lands heads, and it all works out. Sometimes it lands tails, and you have to live with it. You learn from it, and you move on. The thing is, most decisions aren’t even *that* important. Think of this. One time, I spent an entire afternoon agonizing over whether to eat the last cookie. The existential dread! In the end, I ate it. It was delicious. No regrets. That's my philosophy. Eat the cookie. Take the leap. Don't overthink it. Unless it’s about a cookie. Then overthink the hell out of it.
What about love? And relationships? Why is it all so… difficult?
Oh, love… The beautiful, messy, heartbreaking, glorious, confusing, and often frustrating thing. And relationships? Ugh. They take work! Like, *constant* work. And sometimes, no matter how hard you work, they fall apart anyway. I once had a relationship that lasted for, like, an hour during which I was convinced and *certain*Hotel Finder Reviews
