Holiday Inn Goiania By Ihg

“NEW HOTEL IN GOIANIA WHICH WILL COMPETE STRONGLY”

I was invited to get to know this newly built Holiday Inn during soft opening. Right off the bat, it's at a really excellent location for those who want to be close to downtown, to some very good restaurants and shopping streets and two of the most famous local fairs - the Saturday "moon" fair and … more

I was invited to get to know this newly built Holiday Inn during soft opening. Right off the bat, it's at a really excellent location for those who want to be close to downtown, to some very good restaurants and shopping streets and two of the most famous local fairs - the Saturday "moon" fair and the Sunday "sun" fair. The building immediately leaves an awesome 1st impression - Holiday Inn green lighting makes the 19-story structure stand out even more and the lobby is very striking, with a mix of classic and very inviting modern, rustic furniture. It was evident that the team was going through the challenges of a soft opening, but everyone was working really hard & learning on the fly to make guest experiences the best possible. And the front office manager was so intense that she started talking in English, thinking another Brazilian guest was a foreigner, and it all ended with a good laugh for everyone around. There's flavored, ice-cold water near the front-desk, which is an excellent option for this generally very hot town. I did notice there weren't so many plugs available in the lobby for laptops or cell phones in need of charge, but I soon discovered there were plenty in the bar and several in the restaurant and in the mezzanine. The room is evidently up to date and the furnishings and decorations are very appealing. My wife was really excited to see an iron in the closet! Very rare in Brazil. The rooms are acoustically very well sealed - barely heard any noise from the street (and nearby there's a hot dog kiosk that stays open until the sun rises). Another rarity in Brazil: nice hot water in sink! Excellent for shaving! I didn't ask if there are rooms with bathtubs, but the showers function well - though not a really exceptional model. My wife also thought the niche in the shower stall, for leaving shampoos and soaps, is very useful. It's easy to control A/C (it's in Celsius, so those used to Fahrenheit will have to adapt). Not sure it's most silent I've ever experienced, but it's really discrete. There are convenient night lights by the bed and a nice light on the work table, though I thought the light over the bathroom mirror a bit weak. But there`s more than adequate light intensity by the full-size mirror right in the hallway outside the bathroom, which is the one my wife used for putting on make-up. Not sure if they will offer laundry services, since there wasn't any yet - I forgot to ask. We had dinner at the restaurant the 1st evening - I consider that service was a bit slow because of soft opening - everything we ordered came correctly and well-served. Thought the house specialty drinks (Hot and Fresh Holiday) were good, though not great. The pizza was a bit dry and the chicken curry sandwich didn't have the expected intense taste I learned to love when eating with Indian friends. On the other hand, the meat of the hamburger was delicious! We chose to get our dessert via room service. Promise was 10 minutes and it arrived more quickly (and the papaya cream was delicious!) Breakfast is served early during the week - starting at 6 am, and at 6:30 am on weekends. I wake up quite early and on Sunday morning I was there before 6. When the breakfast chef (Bruno I think is his name) saw me well before opening time he said "Come have some coffee. I already made everything ready for you!" The breakfast has plenty of options - not most varied I've experienced in Brazil, but several positive highlights. Though not freshly squeezed, the orange juice is particularly good. Coffee is served at table when requested - it's a little more work for the staff, but it's a way for them to get to know the guests and the coffee comes nice and warm. There will be an omelet/tapioca station and I particularly recommend the omelet, which they already made if ordered. Smart move not to have forks & knives on tables - less cleaning needed Since there's an image of waffles on the menu, I asked if they were going to be served in the future. The chef on duty answered that they already have the waffle iron, but still haven't gotten around to using it. So, that'll be one of many reasons to return! Unavoidable, but the street level restaurant looks out to 2 or 3 cars parked by large windows, which otherwise offer a nice view. We really didn't come prepared to enjoy the pool and gym on the 19th floor - I hesitated anyway, because I'm very queazy about heights, but we visited briefly and the gym seems well equipped, while the pool is basically just a place to cool down, with deck seats to catch some sun rays. We certainly hope to return more often.

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