Calgary's BEST Conference Hotel? Holiday Inn South's Secret Revealed!
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because we're diving headfirst into the glorious, sometimes messy, often surprising world of Calgary conference hotels, and the Holiday Inn South? Well, let's just say it's got secrets. And I, your intrepid hotel-reviewing glutton for comfortable punishment, am here to spill.
SEO-tastic Title (and the actual title): Calgary's BEST Conference Hotel? Holiday Inn South's Secret Revealed! (Get Ready to Be Impressed… and Maybe a Little Overwhelmed!)
Alright, so "best" is a big word. Especially when we're talking about hotels. But honestly? After spending a week practically living at the Holiday Inn South (research, people! It's a tough job but someone's gotta do it!), I'm leaning towards… yeah, it's pretty damn good. Especially for a conference. Let's break it down, shall we? Because there's A LOT.
Accessibility: Nailed It (Mostly)
Okay, first impressions: access. This place scores high. Real high. Wheelchair accessible throughout? Check. Elevators? Check. Facilities for disabled guests? Check, check, check! They’ve thought of things. The ramps are smooth, the doors are wide. This is HUGE for conference attendees, trust me. Nothing kills a session faster than the struggle to get in the building. Now, I didn’t personally test everything (I’m, thankfully, mobile) but the layout feels genuinely accessible. So thumbs up there. This is crucial; accessibility is not an afterthought here.
On-site accessible restaurants / lounges: This is a major advantage. After a long day of brain-melting presentations, you don't want to schlep across Calgary. Everything you need is just a few steps away.
Internet: The Lifeblood of Conference-Goers
Alright, let's be honest, in this day and age, Wi-Fi is basically oxygen. And the Holiday Inn South understands this. "Free Wi-Fi in all rooms!" - Yes, please! I mean, seriously, that's just expected, right? And it worked. Consistently. No dropped connections during my important, extremely vital research like, um, checking my Instagram. (Hey, a girl's gotta socialize!)
Internet [LAN]: They also have the wired option (for those hardcore nerds), which, let’s be real, is increasingly rare. But hey, options!
Internet Services: No complaints here. Speed was good. Reliable. My Netflix didn’t stutter while I was… researching… ahem.
Internet (Wi-Fi in public areas): Yep, also good. Didn't test extensively, but seemed solid.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: A Varied Feast (and Maybe a Few Misses)
Okay, this is where things get interesting. The Holiday Inn South offers a buffet, multiple restaurants, a snack bar, room service (24-hour, which is GOLD after a long day), a poolside bar, and a coffee shop (essential caffeine delivery).
- Restaurants: There's an on-site restaurant with international cuisine and Western cuisine options and they even offered Asian cuisine. The buffet was okay. The food was… well, conference food. You know the drill. Sometimes good, sometimes… not so much. The coffee shop, though? Solid contender. They make a decent latte and the pastries were surprisingly delightful.
- Bar: The bar was a definite plus. A great place to unwind after a day of networking. They even had a happy hour! And… is that a poolside bar? Sigh. Definitely a perk.
- Room Service: Hallelujah. After a late-night session, or if you're just REALLY not feeling social, the 24-hour room service is a lifesaver.
- Snack Bar: Perfect for a quick pick-me-up between sessions.
The big BUT…: The buffet. While convenient, it was a bit… bland. There's room for improvement there, Holiday Inn. But the other options (especially the bar) more than made up for it.
Things to Do, Ways to Relax: Beyond the Boardroom
Now THIS is where the Holiday Inn South really shines. They've got a fitness center, a gym/fitness, a swimming pool AND a pool with a view! A spa with a sauna, steam room, and massage services.
- Spa: I succumbed. I confess. After days of intense "research" (again, vital!), I booked a massage. And… glorious. Pure, unadulterated glorious. The masseuse (bless her soul) worked out knots I didn’t even know I had. The spa area itself was a little… functional. Not the most luxurious ambiance but the treatment was stellar.
- Pool: The outdoor pool looked beautiful (though this was deep winter when I visited). The pool with a view? That’s just… show offy. But I’m here for it!
- Fitness center: Standard gym equipment. Nothing fancy, but definitely functional. Important for those who can't bear to spend a day without their workout.
Cleanliness and Safety: Feeling Safe (and Squeaky Clean)
This. Is. Crucial. Especially now. The Holiday Inn South takes this seriously.
- Anti-viral cleaning products: Check.
- Daily disinfection in common areas: Check.
- Hand sanitizer EVERYWHERE: Check.
- Room sanitization opt-out available: Check.
- Rooms sanitized between stays: Check.
- Sanitized kitchen and tableware items: Check.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: Check.
They even have doctor/nurse on call.
This really put my mind at ease. They're going above and beyond.
Services and Conveniences: The Little Things That Matter
Here's where you see the Holiday Inn's attention to detail.
- Cash withdrawal: Check.
- Concierge: Check. helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable.
- Contactless check-in/out: Check.
- Convenience store: Check (for those forgotten essentials).
- Daily housekeeping: Check.
- Dry cleaning/laundry service: Check.
- Elevator: Check.
- Facilities for disabled guests: Check.
- Gift/souvenir shop: Check.
- Ironing service: Check.
- Luggage storage: Check.
- Safety deposit boxes: Check.
- Taxi service: Check.
I especially appreciated the contactless check-in/out. Fast, efficient, and minimized contact.
For the Kids: Family Friendly
While I didn't have any kids in tow (thank goodness, my energy levels wouldn't have managed), the Holiday Inn South seems to cater to families. They mentioned babysitting service, and family/child friendly options.
Rooms: Comfort and Function
And the rooms? Cozy enough, functional enough.
- Air conditioning: Check.
- Blackout curtains: Check. (Essential for conference recovery!)
- Coffee/tea maker: Check. (Because caffeine is EVERYTHING).
- Free bottled water: Check.
- Hair dryer: Check.
- In-room safe box: Check.
- Internet access (obviously!): Check.
- Ironing facilities: Check.
- Mini bar: Check.
- Refrigerator: Check.
- Seating area: Check.
- Soundproofing: Check.
- Wake-up service: Check.
- Wi-Fi [free]: Check.
- Window that opens: Check. (Fresh air is good, people!)
I had a room with a bathtub. After long days of conferences and intense writing, that was pure luxury. They thought of everything with their room services.
Getting Around: Convenience is Key
- Airport transfer: They offer an airport transfer, which is a definite plus.
- Car park [free of charge]: Check. Always a bonus in Calgary.
- Taxi service: Check.
The Quirks, the Imperfections, the Honest Bits
Okay, let's get real for a minute. No hotel is perfect.
- The decor: It's… functional. Clean, yes. Stylish? Not really. But hey, it's a conference hotel. Functionality trumps flair.
- The noise: While the rooms are soundproofed, you can still hear things. But it’s a hotel! You can't expect absolute silence. Pack earplugs, just in case.
Overall: The Verdict! (Drumroll, Please…)
The Holiday Inn South is a solid choice for a Calgary conference hotel. It's accessible, convenient, safe, and has all the essentials (and more). The spa and pool are definite highlights. The food is decent, the staff is friendly, and the Wi-Fi works. It
Luxury Vietnam Haven: 3-BR Ho Chi Minh City Apartment!
Alright, buckle up buttercups, because this isn't your average, sanitized travel itinerary. We're going deep into the…well, into the Holiday Inn & Suites Calgary South, Conference Ctr By IHG, where things are bound to get a little delightfully wonky. Prepare for emotional rollercoasters, questionable decisions, and the occasional existential crisis fueled by lukewarm coffee. Here we go!
The Calgary Calamity: A Totally Honest (and Probably Slightly Disastrous) Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival & Awkward Adjustments
- 1:00 PM: Arrive at the Calgary International Airport (YYC). My flight was delayed, of course. Why wouldn't it be? Spent three hours contemplating the meaning of life while staring at a flickering departure board. (Spoiler alert: still don't know.) Finally, the plane lands, and I stumble off, praying my luggage isn't in Uzbekistan.
- 2:30 PM: Grab a cab. "Conference Centre, Holiday Inn South, please," I blurt. The driver gives me the stink eye, probably because I resembled a crumpled paper bag after the flight. Traffic is…Calgarian. We crawl along, and I peer out the window at the prairie landscape, thinking, "Wow, Canada. It's… wide."
- 3:30 PM: Check-in. Oh joy, the front desk. Is it a sunny cheery day? No. Is the staff a bit rushed with 3 people in the lobby? YES. The woman with the name tag, "Debra," (it read) is probably the most polite and efficient person I’ve ever encountered. She’s seemingly juggling a hundred things, including answering a phone, helping someone else, and still managing a smile which is amazing. My room key, after 3 tries, it works and all is (relatively) good.
- 4:00 PM: Room Reconnaissance. My first impression? Standard. Clean, but smelling faintly of…hotel-ness. That vaguely artificial, air-freshener smell that always makes me feel like I should be making more noise. I plop down on the bed, which immediately starts to feel like a giant, fluffy, and slightly depressing cloud.
- 4:30 PM: Urgent Coffee Acquisition. The in-room coffee situation is… pathetic. Weak, watery, and deeply disappointing. I venture downstairs to the "on-site restaurant" at the hotel to find… Well, actually, I'm not sure what I found. The ambiance is something I'd describe as "early-morning-conference-boredom." The coffee, however, is an improvement. (Small victories, people.)
- 5:00 PM: Conference Orientation/Panic. (Depending on your personality). I'm "attending" a conference - a very loosely defined use of the word "attending" - I mostly want to have dinner and avoid any networking. The conference hall smells of carpet cleaner and forced enthusiasm. I'm already strategizing my escape route.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner at the Hotel Restaurant - Actually, this isn't terrible. I order a burger, and it's… edible. The fries are surprisingly good. This place, the hotel's restaurant, is definitely a microcosm of humanity. I observe a family loudly discussing their trip to the zoo. A businessman stares intently at his phone. A couple is in the throes of a quiet and intense argument. It's fascinating, in a "people-watching-is-slightly-creepy" kind of way.
- 8:30 PM: Back to the Room. Bedtime. Read a couple of pages of a book. Finally, sleep.
Day 2: The Conference (and the Pursuit of Coffee)
- 7:00 AM: Wake up. Instant regret. The hotel alarm clock is a digital bully, blasting me awake with a ferocity that should be illegal.
- 7:30 AM: Coffee Mission: IMPOSSIBLE. The hotel coffee is still a crime against caffeine. I venture out, determined to find something stronger and less…brown. My search leads me to a (thank GOD) Tim Hortons in the shopping complex next door. This will be the highlight of my day.
- 8:00 AM: Conference Session 1. Settle in. Take notes. Doze off. Wake up startled at my own snore. The speaker drones on about… something. Honestly, I'm not paying attention. Lost in thought. The conference is like a very expensive and slightly uncomfortable version of life.
- 10:00 AM: Break. Coffee, coffee, coffee! I'm a new person. The Tim Horton's coffee has saved my life. The conference continues.
- 12:00 PM: The lunch "experience" is almost worse than the morning session. Buffet food is… well, it's buffet food. Avoid eye contact with anyone.
- 1:00 PM: Afternoon Sessions. (See morning session, but with added exhaustion.)
- 4:00 PM: Freedom! (Or, at least, freedom from the conference until tomorrow.) I decide to walk around the hotel. It's the most exciting thing I can think of doing right now.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner (somewhere other than the hotel restaurant). I take a cab to "The Keg Steakhouse + Bar," and actually enjoy the food and company. This is a refreshing change of pace.
- 9:00 PM: Back to the hotel. Bed. More reading. Trying to ignore the sound of the hotel's air conditioning, which is now my favorite sound.
Day 3: Departure & Existential Reflections
- 7:00 AM: Wake up. This time, the alarm wasn't as jarring. Minor improvements, I think. Hotel coffee.
- 8:00 AM: Conference. My tolerance for this is truly tested.
- 12:00 PM: Last Conference Lunch. I try to make a small effort, but mostly I just want to leave.
- 1:00 PM: The Closing Remarks. The worst part, for sure.
- 2:00 PM: Check-Out. Quick and painless. The relief of leaving this hotel is surprisingly intense.
- 2:30 PM: Taxi to Airport. The driver is chatty this time. I'm too tired to care.
- 4:00 PM: Airport Debrief. The flight is delayed (again). I find myself staring out the window, watching the planes take off. A mix of boredom, sadness, and grudging acceptance.
- 5:00 PM: Flight. Goodbye, Calgary. Goodbye, conference. Goodbye, hotel. I fly home.
- (Somewhere along the way): Maybe I learned something at the conference? Or maybe I just learned that I really, really need a more exciting hobby. Time will tell.
Postscript:
The Calgary trip was a mixed bag of minor triumphs and small failures. The food was… okay. The coffee was a tragedy. The conference was, well, a conference. But the experience itself? It was something. It was definitely something. And in a weird way, I wouldn't have traded it for the world. (Maybe with a slightly better coffee machine in the room.)
Escape to Paradise: 5-Star Luxury Awaits at West Covina's Hidden Gem!
Seriously, "BEST"? What's the hype?
Okay, okay, "BEST" is subjective. But hear me out! This place has a weird, almost magnetic pull for conferences. And look, the *Holiday Inn South* is not exactly the Ritz. We're not talking chandeliers and diamond-encrusted towels. We're talking… reliable. Predictable. And after a week wrestling with spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations, "reliable" is basically foreplay to a good night's sleep. Plus, the price is usually… palatable, at least for conference rates. Let's just say I've seen MUCH worse (looking at you, "Budget Inn" in... well, never mind).
What's the food situation like? Because, let's be honest, conference food is usually… a crime against humanity.
Ah, the sustenance question! Here’s where we delve deep into the emotional rollercoaster. The buffet? It's… *there*. Think warm, slightly overcooked scrambled eggs fighting for survival next to rubbery bacon. The pastries are generally okay, if you can snag them before the early birds descend. The coffee… *shudders*. Let's just say it fuels a lot of nervous conversations and the occasional existential crisis before 9 AM. HOWEVER! And this is a big "however" - the *lunch*. It is often decent, I’m talking ACTUAL salads that aren’t just wilted iceberg lettuce and a stray crouton. Sometimes they even have *actual* fruit. So, keep an eye peeled – you might just stumble upon a culinary miracle. Don't expect Michelin stars, but you won't starve.
Okay, so it's not a gourmet paradise. What about the rooms? Are they… functional?
Functional? Oh, absolutely. They’re… rooms. Carpet that's seen things, bless its little fibers. Beds that are, well, beds. You’re not going to write home about the decor – it's that generic, beige-on-beige vibe that screams "corporate retreat." The bathrooms are… clean enough, I guess. The water pressure in the shower? Let's just say it's a gentle caress, not a high-powered blast. But hey, after a day of talking about supply chains and digital transformations, a gentle caress is sometimes all you need, right? (Don't think too hard about the implications of that…)
Is there anything *good* about the rooms? Anything to look forward to?
Okay, I'll give it to 'em. The blackout curtains. They're a gift from the gods. Seriously, after a day of fluorescent lights and endless networking, the ability to plunge your room into utter darkness is a true luxury. You can finally *sleep* without the sun trying to pry its way into your tired brain. That, and the free Wi-Fi. Because, let's be real, we’re all hopelessly addicted to our screens, even when we're "networking."
What about the conference spaces? Are they… practical?
Practical? Yes. Glamorous? Oh, honey, no. The ballrooms are… spacious. Lots of beige. The lighting is… well, it’s lighting. You see a lot of podiums, a lot of chairs, and a whole lotta people looking slightly glazed over. The AV equipment is… usually there, though I've witnessed a few projector meltdowns that were truly epic failures. My biggest tip? Get a seat near the back wall so you can escape discretely during the tedious bits. Trust me on that one.
What are the staff like? Are they helpful?
Okay, this is where the *Holiday Inn South* actually shines. The staff? Generally lovely. Seriously. They're the unsung heroes of the conference world. They're dealing with hundreds of stressed-out attendees, constant requests for extra coffee, and the inevitable IT meltdowns. They're unfailingly polite, helpful, and possess a level of patience I can only dream of. I once saw a front desk clerk calmly deal with a screaming delegate who misplaced his presentation, then *still* smiled brightly at the next guest. Bless them.
Okay, spill the tea! What's the *real* secret? What's the one thing people should KNOW about this place?
Alright, the real secret of the *Holiday Inn South*? It’s the *proximity* to the… the *off-site pub*. (I won't name names, but it's *right there*). After a long day of conference-ing, that pub is a life-saver. The place is packed with conference-goers, the drinks flow freely, and the conversations are *much* more interesting than the ones you were having in the conference hall. It's a place to commiserate, to unwind, and to, let's be honest, gossip about whatever weirdness happened during the keynote speech. That pub is the *real* reason I'm still going to these conferences. The Holiday Inn South is an experience, from dull meetings, to the pub, with the people I meet there. I have made some of the best friends and contacts there. You have to embrace the chaos, the beige, and the slightly underwhelming buffet. But the pub? That's where the magic happens. That's where the real conference *begins*. So go! But don’t blame me if you oversleep for your 8 AM presentation.
Any quirky observations or anecdotes? My people are always looking for something extra.
Oh honey, do I ever! Okay, once, and this is *true*, I saw a guy try to smuggle an entire salmon out of the buffet in his briefcase. An *entire* salmon. The security guard was… bewildered, to say the least. Then there was the time the fire alarm went off at 3 AM because someone thought it was a good idea to smoke a… *certain substance*… in their room. That was a fun wake-up call. And, I cannot forget the elevator incident of '22! There was a presentation that it seemed to be running at, and somehow, that elevator jammed, with a presenter, a VP, and a guy who looked suspiciously like he was at the conference to sell timeshares. One of the weirdest waits of my life. So, yeah, *Holiday Inn South* is less about the hotel, more about the… *stories*. You'll leave with a few of your own, I guarantee it.
