While both Candlewood Suites and Holiday Inn Express are business and family-friendly, Candlewood Suites offer more amenities. The rooms in this hotel also come with an attached kitchen but there are no in-house restaurants or bars. Holiday Inn Express has a higher rating and a cheaper room price when compared to Candlewood Suites.
To know all the important details to properly differentiate Candlewood Suites vs Holiday Inn Express, read the article till the end.
Candlewood Suites Vs. Holiday Inn Express: Short Comparison
Before heading into the in-depth comparison, let’s first look at the primary differences between Holiday Inn Express and Candlewood Suites:
| Differentiating Factors | Candlewood Suites | Holiday Inn Express |
| Location | 372 | 2316 |
| Accommodations | Studio, one bed, two bed | Standard, superior, and express suite |
| Amenities | Free WiFi, free laundry, gym, housekeeping, meeting room, spa, swimming pools | Free WiFi, fitness center, spa, business center, swimming pools |
| Hotel Type | Business and Family-friendly | Business and Family- Friendly |
| Parking | Yes | Yes |
| Pet Friendliness | Yes | Yes |
| Dining Options | Full kitchen, Gazebo grill | Complimentary breakfast |
| Restaurants and Bars | No | No |
| Booking and Cancellation Policies | Full refund | Full refund |
| Guest Reviews | 4 stars | 4 stars |
| Price | Around 180$ per night | Around 160$ per night |
Keep reading for extra information and helpful insights regarding the hotels and solidify your decision!
Candlewood Suites Vs. Holiday Inn Express: Elaborated Comparison
Regarding premium hotel lineups, Candlewood Suites and Holiday Inn Express are 2 of them. Similar to Quality Inn and La Quinta, these two hotels stand out and have similar differences.
Location
The Holiday Inn Express has significantly more hotels throughout the country than Candlewood Suites.
Holiday Inn Express has a total of 2316 hotel outlets in all of the USA and offers more hotel count than Candlewood Suites. On the contrary, Candlewood Suites only offers a total of 372 hotels in the United States.
Even outside the United States, Holiday Inn Express has a wider range of hotels to offer in the UK, Malaysia, Maldives, etc.
Accommodation
Candlewood Suites offers studio rooms, one-bed, and two-bedrooms. You can add extra beds to all of these rooms.
These rooms also have a kitchen and fridges which makes it convenient to make food in the comfort of staying inside the hotel.
If you want to cook elsewhere, the Candlewood Suites also offer a Gazebo grill next to the pool. You can cook out with your friends and family at the grill!
On the other hand, the Holiday Inn Express offers standard, superior, and express suites. Similar to Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites, you can add beds in the room if you want.
However, there’s no attached kitchen in the Holiday Inn Express rooms. Although they offer a complimentary breakfast, unfortunately, you won’t be able to prepare meals at the hotel.
Amenities
Candlewood Suites offers more amenities like free laundry and breakfast when compared to Holiday Inn Express.
Both Holiday Inn Express and Candlewood Suites offer free WiFi, housekeeping, etc. Candlewood Suites has a gym and a spa for relaxation and training, and the Holiday Inn Express has spas and fitness centers.
Furthermore, both hotels also offer swimming pools and you can use the meeting rooms and business centers to carry out important meetings and ventures as well. However, Candlewood Suites offers free laundry, which Holiday Inn Express doesn’t.
Hotel Type
Candlewood Suites and Holiday Inn Express are both family-friendly and business-friendly.
As mentioned before, both these hotels have business centers and meeting rooms. Moreover, they offer family activities so you can bond better with your family and have a great time.
Parking
Both hotels offer self parking and Holiday Inn Express offers valet parking.
The self-parking at Holiday Inn Express costs 32$ per night whereas Candlewood Suites charges around 18$. You may also book the parking beforehand.
Holiday Inn Express offers valet parking on high-volume nights. Additionally, off-site parking spots are available for both hotels.
Pet Friendliness
Candlewood Suites is more pet-friendly than Holiday Inn Express.
In Candlewood Suites, all pets weighing lower than 80 lbs are welcome and you can stay at the hotel with your pet.
On the other hand, Holiday Inn Express does allow pets, but the pet has to be a service animal. If the pet’s not a service animal, the hotel will charge 250 dollars.
Restaurants and Bars
Neither Holiday Inn Express nor Candlewood Suites have in-house restaurants.
Still, there are many different restaurants available around both these hotels. Along with the variety of restaurants, you can also enjoy and choose from multiple cuisines! So you’ll have the option of dining out while having multiple cuisines to choose from.
Booking and Cancellation Policies
For Candlewood Suites and Holiday Inn Express, you have to book rooms in advance.
You can book the rooms by calling their hotline number. Booking through their official website is also an option. The booking methods of these 2 hotels are similar to the booking methods of Days Inn and Quality Inn hotels.
The Candlewood Suites and Holiday Inn Express also offer cancellation with a full refund. However, if the booking is non-refundable and non-cancellable, then you won’t be getting a refund.
On the other hand, the Holiday Inn Express also fully refunds the cancellations. But this is only applicable to flexible room rates and if you cancel 24 hours before the stay.
Guest Reviews
The average rating of Holiday Inn Express is the same as Candlewood Suites.
The guests at the Candlewood Suites rated this hotel at 4 stars, taking service and overall experience into account. On the contrary, Holiday Inn Express was rated 4 stars by the guests, which shows the services are better at this hotel.
Price
In comparison, the average prices of rooms are higher in Candlewood Suites.
The rooms at Candlewood Suites start from 199 dollars per night. The included kitchen does affect the room rate.
On the other hand, at Holiday Inn Express, you can rent rooms starting from 159 dollars per night, which is cheaper. However, for both hotels, the prices will vary on the room accommodation and the location of the hotel.
Candlewood Suites Vs. Holiday Inn Express: Final Verdict
Focusing on the strong and plus sides of these two hotels can make choosing between them easier.
If you’re planning on prepping your own meals at your hotel, choose Candlewood Suites as it has attached kitchens with each room. But, you’ll be missing out on complimentary breakfasts and it’s much more expensive than the Holiday Inn Express.
On the contrary, if you want a higher-rated hotel with cheaper prices, pick Holiday Inn Express. However, you’ll need to dine out whenever you’re hungry, as there’s no kitchen or in-house restaurants.
The Final Words
That’s everything on Candlewood Suites vs Holiday Inn Express. Hopefully, all the information in this article helped ease your decision-making. Have a great stay!
