We stayed at Holiday Inn Kearney primarily for the indoor water park. I'll be honest--I paid more than I wanted (over $250 per night + signed up for breakfast only to find out it's free), but we were set on a water park option. There's a more expensive one in town and a lower-tier option, so this felt like the middle ground. I've stayed here several times for work conferences and have always had a good experience overall, but this was my first time as a family with two young kids (8 and 2). The location is super convenient--right off the interstate and close to gas stations and other essentials. That said, there are a few drawbacks. The traffic noise can be pretty loud depending on your room location (our room faced the main road), and some rooms have windows facing interior hallways (ours didn't, thankfully, but I wouldn't love that setup). The layout of the hotel is also a bit of a maze--better signage would go a long way. The pool/water park is the main draw, but it's a mixed experience. They require wristbands and say they limit it to five per room, which can be frustrating for larger families (though it didn't seem strictly enforced). On the flip side, rules in general didn't seem enforced--there were older kids in the toddler area, which made it harder for little ones to safely enjoy it. My two-year-old also got pretty cold, even though the space is technically heated. My eight-year-old LOVED it and bounced between the two slides and the little kid area (he was helping his brother). There's an on-site restaurant, but it's pricey. A helpful tip: you can get a coupon at the front desk where kids 12 and under eat free with an adult entrée, plus 10% off adult meals. We ended up ordering from Margaritas nearby instead, which was a great choice. One pleasant surprise was the free breakfast buffet for hotel guests. I don't think this used to be included, and it wasn't clear when booking, but it was a solid spread--biscuits and gravy, eggs, sausage, fruit, yogurt, pastries, and more. Other perks: complimentary Wi-Fi, plenty of free parking, and a 24/7 market in the lobby. Our room itself was clean and comfortable, and having a microwave and fridge made traveling with kids much easier. Overall, it's a decent option for Kearney--especially if the water park is your priority--but there are definitely some trade-offs to be aware of. read more

I stayed here for a conference and was pleased with my stay. It seems like the rooms have been recently updated. They were clean and the beds were comfortable. There is a little water park with slides that I did not utilize but would be great if you had kids. I also appreciated that there was a little shop, a restaurant, and a gelato shop there. The continental breakfast was one of the best I've had at a hotel. The only thing I will say is that the hotel seems to have been expanded on so many times, making finding your room like finding your way out of a maze. I'd hate to try and find my way back after a few drinks! read more

This place was horrendous! I asked for extra pillows for my group of 6. Did not get any pillows but instead received a lecture from the front desk on how I shouldn't be greedy. Also breakfast was terrible. Pancakes were cold. Sausage wasn't baked. Had an omelette and later go salmonella. Worst stay of my life. Water slides were great tho read more

Only getting a 3 star from me. Room looks nice but it's the detail. Many people suffer from allergies and such after traveling and its details like this in room cleaning that would be wonderful. Those dust bunnies are ready to hop out and start bouncing across my room. read more

Holiday Inn Kearney - Hotels Near Me - Kearney, Nebraska

Parents please read- pool, restaurant, the room, breakfast: The pool: The first thing we were told by the young girls managing the pool: no food or drinks. No thermoses or bottles of water or anything. No big whoop, so we leave and come back condiment free. Only to find the children managing the pool to be in the corner with each other, enjoying some food and completely ignoring the over-capacity pool goers. Ironically, the drink police have zero oversight of the slides, the pool, and the young kids pool. The large, Grown, Man can come down the slide immediately after the 20 pound kid and bury him in a tidal wave, safety be dammed. Where are the red-shirt teens when it's not drinks, but safety thats questioned? Why they are no where to be found! I asked the last standing red-shirt pre-teen kid standing there, looking bored, if he was going to orchestrate the slide line to ensure everyone's safety. He said no, confidently, and went back to being bored and sneaking his friends wristbands. What were the drink managers doing, you may be asking? We'll they were chilling, eating and chatting. In the corner of the pool that offers zero visibility to any part of the establishment that includes water. I will not be coming back, this was the most ridiculous hotel pool experience I've ever had. Parents do not need more stress when traveling with kids and this pool is stressfuL for parents. Do not do! Now the restaurant: Staff: 10/10 Food: 1/10 That's really it. The room: it was fun to listen too the over-excited conference room hook up party right outside my door at 11pm. It was reminiscent of an SNL skit and really nailed the hammer in the coffin of this horrible establishment. Breakfast: They are still doing brown bag breakfast. Don't expect the buffet. You will get your options of bread and dairy in a tightly sealed/stapled brown bag and be sent on your way. They do this so they can ethically say they "serve" breakfast, but what they're really serving is a "get-out-fast" card with a side of childless adolescent underpaid attitude. Proceed with caution. read more

Beautiful, clean rooms. The smell of the cleaner is a bit overwhelming though. Idk if it's a Covid thing, I've smelled it at other hotels too- but not all-or even most- I've been at in the last 2 years, certainly. Front desk staff told me my purchase would be tax exempt over the phone, when I showed up and offered payment, they told me it's not. They also told me "there's no way to know until they see the card". Lol ok. They then asked for me to prove that I should have the rate in a number of ways, (employer pay card and employee ID) when Google says these rooms are $16 cheaper than the "rate" I'm paying for work anyway. Lastly, breakfast is still only offered grab and go. I saw no staff with masks. I saw no extra concern for social distancing posted anywhere. So, why?? Bottom line, this place is good enough. But I wouldn't choose it again. I'm sure there are more accommodating establishments that offer good breakfast at this same apparently *very elite* price point. read more

Worst service I've ever had when staying in a hotel. At first when you check in they say they need a card on file for accidentals but they won't charge the card. Well that's a lie because they charged my card 25$ when they say they wouldn't. Then we went downstairs to the pool to swim and these highschoolers were giving us attitude and didn't know what was going on even though they were lifeguards on duty. Then we wanted the free breakfast thinking oh they have a place to sit and relax to enjoy our stay. But again that wasn't how it went we tried to find it for awhile and Then we went to service and the lady at service rolled her eyes and gave us bags and told us here. Worst service I've ever had don't recommend and will never come back for how much we paid read more

5/5 stars for the young woman who helped me check in, find my room and carried my bags up the stairs because there was no elevator access to that side of the building. 1/5 stars for layout, design, accessibility, etc. read more

Not a lot to say here. I was here for the day for a convention. The facilities are decent and seem pretty well kept up. They do have the restaurant inside, nothing to brag about but gets the job done. Convenient location right off the interstate. read more

Front desk attendant Leah was AMAZING! She went above and beyond! She was able to get us upgraded to a suite when we had special needs, made moving easy, helped us get new keys when we lost ours, replaced our lost pool bands, sent a pool attendant when the water park slides were not working which made our toddlers whole day, and recommended a great place to eat when the hotel restaurant was closed. She provided utensils when the DoorDash person forgot. Answered all our questions without expressing annoyance or frustration. She was compassionate and sweet the whole time even though we were problem children. She put the serve in service 1000%. 10/10 would recommend! read more

This hotel was great! We booked last minute on a roadtrip because we were to tied to keep driving. The location was perfect! Close to the interstate and great restaurants (we highly recommend the Coppermill Steakhouse). The area felt safe and was clean. Our room (despite being right off the interstate) was very quiet and had everything we needed. It was clean and smelled great! Just wish they were doing hot breakfasts. We will definitely be back! read more

Stayed overnight at this hotel due to a conference being held here in Kearney NE. The front desk staff were quick, polite, and efficient towards getting me a quiet room in a central location. The conference rooms were large, convenient, and easy to access. I didn't go to the water park since it would have been full of young kids and the weather was icy cold and miserable. Overall, the value and accommodation was good for what I needed for a night stay. read more

Holiday Inn Kearney - Hotels Near Me - Kearney, Nebraska

See all

Driving through from Colorado to Illinois we came upon this gem. Nice clean lobby area offering a relaxing place to sit and relax while lounging with the family. Connected is this amazing little restaurant , Joy's Table with a menu with something for everyone with an elegant approach. Get a bottle of wine with your roasted tomato risotto with Scallops or steak and Brussels sprouts and bacon. Their menu may change with the seasons but you can count on the creativity from the chef. Don't forget kids eat free when you stay! Speaking of the kids, the indoor waterpark did not disappoint. An area for the littles and twisty slides for the strong swimmers. Adults can then relax in the hot tub while the kids are sliding. Rooms we're comfortable and provided all the amenities: mini fridge, coffee maker, soaps, hairdryer. Breakfast was also available to go from the lobby in the morning. My family would love to stay again on our next drive through! read more

Hard not to love a place like this, conveniently located off of I-80, right next to a Shell and down the side road, a few higher end restaurants, in case you don't want to eat at the higher end restaurant in the hotel, a pool area, mostly water slides, granted, but pretty nifty water slides, particularly the ones for the kiddos and an excellent Jacuzzi/hot tub area, quite a number of soda and ice machines scattered about and a feel of the higher end of things. In the room, nice space, some decent, but not great climate control, solid channel line-up on the cable end and overall pretty solid amenities. The hotel and the rooms is also generally cleaned and the pool areas is even attended. Now, would I pay the typically higher sums that Holiday Inn tends to want to stay at this place? That all depends on how long I was staying. The answer would typically be no for a single overnight stay, but if I wanted to hang out for whatever the big bird festival thingie there is (don't look for me - I will never be at this), then this would be a good spot. As it was, the Super 8 I've stayed at in years past has remodeled itself right into unreliability and for the last night of our vacation, I went with special and my kid likes pools, so why not. This probably won't be a habit for future night stays, though... read more

We went online looking for Holiday Inn Express, the site kept kicking us out so we called the number given. When they answered the phone we said we were looking for Holiday inn Express. The person did not tell us it was not the express even after we told them we stayed at another H.I Express the night before AND we expressly asked if it was the Express. Anyway the GPS took us across town several miles out of the way. When we got to the hotel the desk person said " oh yeah GPS takes you to the wrong place. she also acknowledged there is no H I Exp. It would have been great if she told this up front, I thought that's what customer service meant, telling the truth! Anyway, the room is nice and we had a nice dinner at the onsite restaurant. The pool is great for kids but it's too small for swimming. Besides it's a zoo with all the kids there. The onsite exercise room was fair. read more

Fantastic place for a traveler just passing through. Nice room but the internet was weird. Gmail was blocked! I also couldn't access ABC TV's website, but other sites were available. Not a major issue. I was happy that I was able to talk the desk clerk down from the $109/night standard for a double queen down to $75/night. Then, the next morning I noticed a condom (in an unopened wrapper) on the floor by the bed. It seemed like very sloppy housekeeping that the staff had neglected to pick up a condom (used or not) from a previous guest. I brought that to the attention of the front desk staff, and they were nice enough to knock another $25 off my room, resulting in a $50/night room for my trip across country. read more

One word for you: "Waterslide". 'nuff said. Ok, just a few more words. My little brother and I stayed here on a x-country trip and instead of leaving early the next morning, left hours later due to the waterslides and a nearby Taco John's. You can't ask for much more in a little town like Kearney. http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hotel/EARNK?&cm_mmc=Yahoo-PS-HolidayInn-_-bn_hi_kearney-_-standard-_-hotel+kearney%7C-%7C343296406126251984 read more

I am visiting NE on business and I could not find a Starwood preferred hotel to stay in this time. I opted for this. So I booked a king non smoking room through my travel agent and at check in time, I got a double smoking room. No other rooms available even though I made my reservation 3 weeks in advance. Five years ago, I completely quit smoking, the smell alone in the room drove me to have my first cigarette in over 5 years. I am really disappointed in myself. The next morning, I left a note on the bed for house keeping to change my sheets. Even though I was in the room when housekeeping came in, she disregarded my note and quickly made the bed with the same sheets. Later, I was working on my computer and ordered room service before my afternoon meeting. 45 minutes later, the food had not arrived, so I called the restaurant again and they said that because the person who took my order did not write down my room number, they decided not to prepare my meal. I think it is a safe bet, that if I ever have to come here again, I will not be staying here another night. It is now a day after I wrote the above review. Just when I thought the laundry list of things that went wrong with my stay here, there is yet another. Initially my reservation was from Tuesday through Friday. Why did I find my folio slipped under my door on Thursday morning? I made a call to the front desk, Joshua apologize for the mistake and offered his apologies. He later had someone deliver a new set of keys an included in the envelope a coupon for the local restaurant, a free movie pass, a coupon for the gift shop and a coupon for a McDonald's Coffee. I thought this was a nice gesture until I got to McDonald's and learned that the coupon had expired. My meetings in NE ended Thursday morning at 8 am. After having to wake up at 4 am and drive an hour north to Ravenna and back, I decided to sleep in from 9 to 1pm. At 1pm I removed the do not disturb sign from the door and went to lunch. House keeping never showed this time around. Just my luck! read more

Choosing a hotel online is a crap-shoot for the most part, but we definitely got lucky with this Holiday Inn. It's a full-service hotel, so you can expect a certain level of service and amenities, but we ordered room service and I have to say it was incredible! My three boys were actually raving about how good there food was, and no they were not eating chicken nuggets or pizza. We had the cheese stuffed chicken breast with pasta, the Sozo macaroni and cheese and the spinach salad with grilled chicken, plus the kids menu grilled chicken with fries. All of it was delicious and the service to the room was quick and friendly. The actual restaurant (Sozo) is gorgeous, too. We ate breakfast in the restaurant the next morning and the food was just as good and the service fantastic. There is one area that must be mentioned when considering this hotel: the indoor waterpark. It's not "Great Wolf Lodge" level, but they have two big slides (one is faster than the other and they boys were flying down!) and a small children's play area with it's own slide and playhouse, plus a whirlpool. A real plus when traveling with kids and it's included with your room rate. Very clean with an attendant on duty to keep an eye on safety issues and chemicals to assure that the pools are clean and nobody gets hurt. A great area to visit and we now have plans to go back at a later date and explore all of it. And we will definitely be staying at the Holiday Inn Hotel Kearney. read more

4 stars for trying, 5 stars for cleanliness, 2 stars for the 1970's throwback vibe including room stylings, far flung layout, (kind of reminds me of the catacombs of Penn Station but much, much cleaner). For a place that covers about 3 acres it has a tiny exercise room. But this is not an exercising' clientele. I had the room to myself. (I think it was a 600 yard round trip to get there. The restaurant is surprisingly decent To their credit, there are lots of updates. But you can only dress up a pig so much. There are a half dozen brand new hotels around this interchange that provide up-to-date amenities. But considering the cheesy design/build practices these days, this place will probably outlast them all. read more

Stayed here for two nights to give the kids a chance to play in the pool. They loved it... However the floor int the kids area is super slippery. It really really needs some grippy on it. The kids fell multiple times, even walking very slow. It could be very dangerous. Water shoes helped. Room was clean. Staff was very friendly. read more

I stayed at this Holiday Inn a couple of summers ago on a road trip from Salt Lake City to Atlanta. We were supposed to stay at the Holiday Inn Express, but they had a water pipe burst, so they switched us to a room at the Holiday Inn down the road at the same price. The room was clean and comfortable, and the bed and more pillows than any normal couple could possibly need, so that was nice. What's really weird about this place was the there was a window from the room into the hallway. If you know why that exists, let me know. Not the best motel in the world, not the worst, and kind of expensive for what it is. On the other hand, if you just need a comfy place to sleep while trying to survive the boredom that is driving through Nebraska on I-80, it'll do. read more

Front desk staff was incredibly helpful and friendly. Remodeled rooms and lobby areas were very nice. My room was spotless.

NOT COVID SAFE!!!! AVOID THIS HOTEL!!!! They do NOT enforce mask mandates! They have signs all over saying that all guests must wear masks in hallways and lobby but hardly anyone had them on and they don't enforce it at all. I complained because my son has Cystic Fibrosis and the person behind the counter said that his priority was checking people in. They're employees don't even wear masks. Disgraceful. read more

I stayed two days in this motel for my job conference. It was pretty nice and comfortable! Very clean! The only thing I didn't like was that the room windows face the inside hall. I could see where it would get noisy at times in the hall which would wake you up, but fortunately I didn't have that problem this trip. Seems weird to put a window where you can't look outside! This Holiday Inn is close to restaurants and gas stations like Casey's which I found to be convenient. It is located right off of interstate 80 so it's pretty easy to find. However they do have a bar that serves appetizers and food. I didn't have a chance to stop by there. The food was excellent for our conference! This is a great place for conferences! Plenty of room, plenty of DECENT FOOD ITEMS to eat! Yes the chef cooks up a really good meal for every buffet to eat for lunch and dinner. I've stayed here before, and it's nice to see they have Updated the facility a lot! It's so much better now! Bedding and carpet excellent! Very clean room! Safe parking lot. Friendly staff at this facility for check-in/out. No problems. Safe place to stay! read more

See all

The best place for everyone of all ages! The pool with the slides were a huge hit with my kids! I loved the bar & restaurant - excellent service and delicious food! The rooms were very clean and oh my goodness, the beds are so comfy! Five thumbs up with me and my famy! read more

Those of us who hail from small towns have observed what I like to refer to as Ryan the Angry Midget's first law of small town lodging, which states that the quality of hotels/motels in a given city is inversely proportional to the population of said city. I had a lodging experience in Kearney that can only be described as something out of a George Romero horror film, so I have been pleased with the Holiday Inn to say the least. We have a state convention here once a year, and the staff is very supportive of our celebratory manner, which is to say that they ignore noise complaints from other hotel patrons and help us to hide dead hookers if such a situation arises. read more

We payed a lot to have fun and enjoy a trip during rough times. We mainly came because of the pool. When we got there there were two teenage life guards who were rood and came up to use (we reserved to stay till 11) and told us that it's dumb to stay till 11 and to leave at nine so there job is easier. As I was watching two young kids the guards decided to keep messing with only the young African American girl and yelled at her for just using the slide and kept being rude and making snarky comments. So we decided to leave. When we came back they just glared at us and were messing around on the kitty pool side. Then yelled at one of my girls for anything the could and laughed about it. She was sad and left. And when wee asked for their names they said they don't have to give it to us and laughed. So overall a waste of money and rude ignorant service. But the cleaning staff was extremely kind read more

Good hotel. Clean rooms. Friendly staff. One of the better hotels in Nebraska. Really nice little gift stir inside as well that has great handmade gifts (purses, leather items, etc). read more

Clean room, comfortable beds, free drink coupon, they put me near the side door so I could sneak my cat in and out - very convenient! I was here for the first annual Nebraska Governor's Conference on Rural Development and it was perfect for the several hunded participants. Eat Local! Go Wind Power! read more

Special shoutout to Ann for being so helpful! We didn't have a reservation and We needed two nights but they Only had one room available for one night. However, she was so welcoming and accommodating we chose to stay anyway. And she was great at explaining the charges without being snooty. I had a great experience! read more

Stayed at this hotel last weekend with my parents, kids and grandkids. The rooms were clean and spacious. The water park was clean and the little ones had a blast! Was a great little vacation. Will definitely be back. read more

We stayed here while house hunting so the kids could enjoy their indoor pool area. First of all.. our room window was facing a cinder block wall. No light coming in whatsoever and very claustrophobic feeling. Second, our bathroom ceiling was a very low drop ceiling and our shower head was stuck up in and pushing up the ceiling tiles. Debris (dusty particles) would fall on us while we showered. Thirdly, when we talked to the front desk about the room we received, they replied "Oh so sorry. Have a nice day". I would never stay there again. Our experience was pretty bad all the way around. read more

This was a good hotel. The rooms are well-furnished and nice-looking. The bed was comfortable. Free wi-fi. Overall, a rather nice hotel. I took off one star because I was not pleased with the restaurant in the hotel. I went there for dinner and there was not much variety on the menu at all. The food was rather bland and boring. The customer service at the restaurant was poor. I had to wait a long time to be seated at a table and the service was slow. If you are looking for an interesting place to eat, I would recommend skipping the restaurant and going out to look for a place to eat. read more

Nice place. Good size rooms. Huge TVs. Great breakfast.

Rooms are large. Lobby & restrooms near the front desk have been remodeled. Guest rooms are clean however, many guest rooms need repairs & the swimming area seems a little worn out. We've stayed here 3 times now & each time, we notice one more smallish thing. This time, we were surprised to find the restaurant closed due to a holiday weekend. The hotel did provide free pastries & coffee but nothing for children to drink. Seemed odd for a hotel that caters to families with young children. Our guest room bathroom door did not close at all & the tub drain has discoloration. The staff was unable to tell me which restaurant in the area offered wifi. We have decided our money would be better spent at a hotel a notch up with a regular hotel pool. This place is ok but not worth the money. read more

Hotel was nice but the restaurant was really overpriced for ok food. 2 eggs small serving of hash browns 2 pieces of toast and crappy coffee was $12 never again. A bowl of oatmeal was 5 bucks. Worst deals ever. read more

Stayed here for 2 nights because of the pool. The kids had a great time on the octopus and the water slides. The rooms were nice and clean. Ate at the sozo restaurant and thought it was bad but we had the breakfast and it was pretty good. Make sure to ask for the coupon they have that they don't tell you about when checking in... It's for kids 12 and under to eat free and buy one get one free for adults. Not sure why you wouldn't pump this up as an incentive to stay here but I'm glad we found out about it. Front desk people could use some charm school but overall we enjoyed our stay :) read more

Wow! This place is s gem! After days of traveling, we decided to stop for the night here. Great service! Skye at the front desk explained my options and helped me make the best choice for my family. Our clean room (with refrigerator, microwave, and Keurig) was spacious, with very comfortable beds. And then there's the pool - this indoor pool has 2 large water slides, plus a smaller slide and splash pad for younger guests children. Our kids ages 6-11 loved it! We will stay here again the next time we pass through Nebraska. read more

I was here for a couple days last week & the hotel restaurant & bar had just re-opened. The staff was great & the food was fantastic! They have a burger called the 50/50. That's 50% ground beef, 50% ground BACON! One of the best burgers I've had. Bartenders know what they're doing as well. Hotel rooms were remodeled & clean & the staff was top notch. read more