Holiday Inn Express vs MainStay Suites
Averages across 3,611 Holiday Inn Express and 168 MainStay Suites hotels, and a head-to-head in the 111 cities where both brands have a hotel.
The short answer
On the numbers: Holiday Inn Express
Holiday Inn Express leads on 5 of 5 measures. Average guest rating differs by 0.59 points.
Every measured fact
Averages over each brand's hotels. A dot marks the better figure.
| Holiday Inn Express vs MainStay Suites: which hotel brand is better? | Holiday Inn Express | MainStay Suites |
|---|---|---|
| Guest ratings | ||
| Average guest rating | 8.68 +0.59 | 8.09 |
| Rated 8 or more | 88% +28% | 60% |
| Rated below 7 | 1% | 13% |
| Average Google rating | 4.24/5 +0.39 | 3.85/5 |
| Guest reviews behind the average | 354,299 | 3,028 |
| Same city, head to head (cities where both are rated: 67) | ||
| Cities where it is rated higher | 53 | 14 |
| The hotels | ||
| Hotels tracked | 3,611 | 168 |
| Countries | 54 | 4 |
| Usual check-in | 15:00 | 15:00 |
| Usual check-out | 11:00 | 11:00 |
| Hotels that list it | ||
| Free breakfast | 74% | 74% |
| Swimming pool | 79% | 60% |
| Gym | 73% | 77% |
| Free parking | 89% | 90% |
| Pets allowed | 1% | 5% |
| Shuttle | 17% | 22% |
| Laundry | 92% | 89% |
| Hot tub | 18% | 27% |
| Restaurant | 1% | 2% |
| Bar | 58% | 67% |
| Kitchen | 27% | 26% |
Both brands, same city
The best-rated hotel of each brand in cities where both have one. Open a match-up for the full hotel comparison.
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Dallas (TX) United States
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Dallas – Plano North by IHG 9.4 Brand average here: 8.7
MainStay Suites Dallas Northwest - Irving 7.4 Brand average here: 7.3
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Houston (TX) United States
Holiday Inn Express And Suites Stafford Nw - Sugar Land By IHG 8.9 Brand average here: 8.5
MainStay Suites Texas Medical Center/Reliant Park 9.0 Brand average here: 9.0
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Detroit (MI) United States
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Allen Park by IHG 9.0 Brand average here: 8.5
MainStay Suites Detroit Farmington Hills 8.4 Brand average here: 8.0
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Columbus (OH) United States
Holiday Inn Express Columbus - Dublin By IHG 9.0 Brand average here: 8.2
MainStay Suites Columbus North - Worthington 5.8 Brand average here: 5.8
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Orlando (FL) United States
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Orlando At Seaworld By IHG 9.1 Brand average here: 8.8
MainStay Suites Orlando Altamonte Springs 8.0 Brand average here: 8.0
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Chicago (IL) United States
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Bensenville - O'Hare By IHG 9.2 Brand average here: 8.7
MainStay Suites Chicago Schaumburg 8.0 Brand average here: 7.7
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Oklahoma City (OK) United States
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Oklahoma City Dwtn - Bricktown By IHG 9.0 Brand average here: 9.0
MainStay Suites Bricktown - near Medical Center 9.0 Brand average here: 9.0
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Indianapolis (IN) United States
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Indianapolis Dtn-Conv Ctr Area By IHG 8.4 Brand average here: 8.2
MainStay Suites Indianapolis Northwest - College Park 6.9 Brand average here: 6.9
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Denver (CO) United States
Holiday Inn Express And Suites Denver - Aurora Medical Campus By IHG 9.3 Brand average here: 8.3
MainStay Suites Denver International Airport 8.4 Brand average here: 7.9
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Tampa (FL) United States
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa East - Ybor City By IHG 9.1 Brand average here: 8.3
MainStay Suites Tampa Moffitt-USF 9.8 Brand average here: 9.8
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Omaha (NE) United States
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Cherry Hills By IHG 9.1 Brand average here: 8.3
MainStay Suites Omaha Old Mill 7.7 Brand average here: 7.7
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Las Vegas (NV) United States
Holiday Inn Express And Suites Henderson South - Boulder City By IHG 9.3 Brand average here: 8.5
MainStay Suites Las Vegas Convention Center 7.4 Brand average here: 7.1
Holiday Inn Express or MainStay Suites: common questions
Is Holiday Inn Express or MainStay Suites better?
On average, Holiday Inn Express hotels score 8.68/10 from guests and MainStay Suites hotels 8.09/10. Holiday Inn Express leads on 5 of the 5 measures we compare. Average guest rating differs by 0.59 points.
When both are in the same city, which is rated higher?
In the 67 cities where both have rated hotels, Holiday Inn Express has the higher average in 53 and MainStay Suites in 14.
Do Holiday Inn Express and MainStay Suites hotels include free breakfast?
74% of Holiday Inn Express hotels and 74% of MainStay Suites hotels list free breakfast, counting hotels with a complete amenity list. Check the page of the hotel you book.
Which brand has more hotels?
StayVersus tracks 3,611 Holiday Inn Express hotels in 54 countries and 168 MainStay Suites hotels in 4 countries.
Do Holiday Inn Express and MainStay Suites belong to the same company?
No. Holiday Inn Express belongs to IHG Hotels & Resorts, MainStay Suites to Choice Hotels.
More brand match-ups
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- Holiday Inn Express vs Super 8
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- Comfort Inn vs Holiday Inn Express
- Holiday Inn Express vs Motel 6
- Hampton Inn vs MainStay Suites
- MainStay Suites vs Quality Inn
- Comfort Inn vs MainStay Suites
Updated 6 Oct 2026. Averages over the hotels StayVersus tracks: guest ratings from Agoda (hotels with 5+ reviews), Google ratings from public Google Maps listings (hotels with 20+ reviews). A hotel counts for a brand only when its name confirms it. How we score