If you find yourself in Southern Oregon, be it for a sporting or musical event, you’ll want to stop at Holiday Inn Express and Suites Central Point for a clean, comfortable, fun stay. My husband and I were attending the Oregon Cheese Festival and this Medford, Oregon hotel was the event partner. I call this IHG property a Medford-based hotel, but geographically speaking, Medford is 4 miles away. This particular Holiday Inn Express is located in Central Point, Oregon. 

My husband and I are IHG reward members, so we tend to opt for Holiday Inn Express hotels when using our points. I’m not selling anything here, but if you find yourself on the road often, you might want to look into this hotel rewards-based program. It’s free, guarantees you a room upgrade (if rooms are available) and IHG represents more than Holiday Inn Express hotels. 

Located off I-5, this particular Holiday Inn Express in Jackson County, Oregon, is fairly new, having been built in 2006. We were not the only guests who selected this hotel for an overnight stay. I’m glad we booked our room well in advance of the annual Cheese Festival because we learned that the hotel was completely booked on the night of our Saturday stay. The hotel is a natural stop if you are traveling from California to Oregon, as it is an easy on/off exit from the freeway and it’s next to a gas station. If you are a light sleeper, you might want to wear earplugs, as there is a little highway noise. 

Holiday Inn Express room types

There are standard rooms, with king or 2 queen beds, and suites at this 84-room property. We were fortunate to be upgraded to a king suite because, as I mentioned, we are IHG reward members. If you don’t mind the hassle of joining complimentary hotel loyalty programs, the rewards are worth giving away your email address. 

All hotel rooms include a mini refrigerator, microwave oven, and coffee maker. Our room also included a small wet bar, great for preparing a quick in-room meal. There was a walk-in shower with shampoo and conditioner soap dispensers – bonus points for no mini plastic shampoo bottles. 

I liked that the windows actually opened to let in fresh air. There were black out curtains in our hotel room for the light sleepers. 

Express breakfast included with your stay

I categorized this 2-star hotel as “budget-lodging” because it ticks all the boxes when it comes to affordability. No charge for parking, complimentary high speed internet, free local calls and complimentary breakfast and coffee. After recently staying in Las Vegas, where they charge for everything from coffee to parking, I like free stuff to be included with my stay. 

Got kids?

Enjoy the indoor pool or soak in the hot tub after a day of travel or sporting event. Your kids will thank you. If you like working out when you travel, check out the 24/7 Fitness Room. It was clean, and void of people, on our visit. 

There is no restaurant on site, but the hotel does have a snack room with fast-food type offerings available. If you are traveling for a sporting event for your kids, there are frozen pizzas and grab and go ramen noddle cups in the snack area.

As mentioned, we were in Central Point to attend the yearly Oregon Cheese Festival. If you like cheese, be sure to visit the Rogue Creamery in Central Point. Order the grilled cheese sandwich! 

The hotel also sells small containers of powder laundry detergent for the self-service laundry room on property. 

Hotel rates at the website range from $109-$260, with our king suite ranging from $130-$200, depending on time of year.  You can also book through Expedia or Booking.com if you find a better deal there. This hotel does not allow pets unless a service animal. Some Holiday Inn Express hotels do allow pets, so check the website. There is no charge for parking and there are truck driver rates! Long term parking is available, 2 weeks maximum, if you purchase a Park and Fly package. 

Hotel review by Oregon-based travel writer Nancy D. Brown. Photos © Nancy D. Brown. All opinions are my own.