I am writing this review with profound disappointment and moral outrage at the actions taken by Holiday Inn Express under the IHG brand—actions that represent not only a failure of hospitality, but a serious failure of leadership, ethics, and basic human decency.This incident does not involve a guest. It involves one of your own employees—a man who was attempting to attend the funeral of his four-year-old child.Rather than showing compassion, support, or even minimal human understanding, Holiday Inn Express chose to deny flexibility and, even more disturbingly, suspended this employee during one of the most traumatic moments a parent can endure.This decision is indefensible.No organization that claims to value people, teamwork, or “True Hospitality” can justify punishing an employee for prioritizing the burial of their child. A funeral is not an absence of convenience; it is a final, irreversible moment. Suspending a grieving parent for this reason reflects a corporate culture so rigid and detached that it has lost sight of the very humanity it depends on.What is most alarming is not just the enforcement of policy, but the absence of judgment, empathy, and moral responsibility by management. Policies are written to guide decisions—not to excuse cruelty. Any leadership team with integrity would recognize that this was a moment requiring compassion, not discipline.IHG frequently promotes itself as an employer that values care, respect, and inclusion. This incident stands in direct contradiction to those claims. If an employee cannot rely on their employer for understanding in the face of a child’s death, then those values are nothing more than marketing language.The emotional damage caused by this decision cannot be undone. A suspension can be lifted. A paycheck can be restored. But the added trauma inflicted on a grieving parent—by their own employer—will last a lifetime.This review is written not out of anger alone, but out of concern that such treatment of employees is allowed to occur without accountability. Senior leadership at IHG should investigate this matter thoroughly and reflect on what this incident says about the company’s internal culture.A workplace that punishes grief is not a workplace deserving of loyalty, trust, or respect.I strongly caution both potential employees and guests to consider whether this is an organization that truly stands by its stated values when those values matter most.
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