Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on February 22, 2023.
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The Holiday Inn Pittsburgh North Shore shocked us, there is no other way to put it.
This budget friendly hotel in Pittsburgh's North Side offers a perfect location to the city, PNC Park, and, the one thing we did not know about before our visit, an incredible view of the Pittsburgh skyline!
A Surprising Find in the North Side
Upon first entering the room, we were immediately greeted with a stellar view of the Pittsburgh skyline as well as a narrow glimpse of PNC Park. We were not expecting this when we arrived, and were pleased with this revelation that the Holiday Inn Express Pittsburgh is home to one of the best views of the city out of any hotel we've stayed at.
For those who value this feature, we would recommend a higher floor room (probably six or seven and above) and room numbers ending in 5 through 11. The end unit, 905, was our room and also looked directly down Federal Street and across the Roberto Clemente Bridge- making it the perfect location for those who visit during one of the many Pirates fireworks nights in the summer as they take place right on the bridge.
The room itself was what you would consider a small to moderately sized hotel room, and the end unit of ours had a little extra space for unwinding- something we always appreciate. The bed was firm but comfortable (and for a picky sleeper like me it still fell in my enjoyable range despite being firm), and the windows came with decent blackout curtains to reduce the light from the city. Although I'd say the remaining decor and features of the room would be IKEA-esque, they all work in this budget friendly offering.
Other Amenities of the Hotel
Outside of the room, the Holiday Inn Express Pittsburgh offers complimentary wifi, a moderately small fitness center and wading pool (four foot depth), as well as complimentary breakfast which includes cereal, some fruit, toast and muffins, and a few hot items- which during our visit included a much coveted cinnamon roll that we snatched right up.
The hotel offers a complimentary shuttle to anywhere within a roughly three-mile radius, which would include most all of downtown, part of the Strip District, and some of South Side by our estimates. The shuttle runs late, but does have cut-off hours at around 10 or 11 pm which is fairly standard practice in the city.
Another great option is the Pittsburgh subway known as the T, located just a few blocks down on the opposing side of PNC Park. This subway heads throughout downtown and the South Hills, and is free within downtown and the North Side where the property is located. Although in our experience it is just as easy to walk anywhere you'd like downtown, the TÂ is a great option during bad weather (in fact, I rode the T for the first time while staying at the hotel purely because of the weather).
Thanks to this hotel's great location you have numerous options to explore and can leave your car in the parking lot for a lot of your stay (the lot fee charges a nightly rate with in and out privileges).
The only downsides worth noting to this particular hotel are that while the walls are generally fairly thick and we had a quiet stay, we heard another customer complain about children running through the hallways in the middle of the night making too much noise for them. (It is a family-friendly hotel, after all.) He was promptly taken care of to his satisfaction, but this does bring up a notable concern that the rooms facing away from the view mentioned above are quite close to the highway and have the potential to be louder as well.
We did not have the opportunity to verify this ourselves, but it would be a concern to us based on our experience with rooms near the highways in the city.
Overall, the Holiday Inn Pittsburgh North Shore truly surprised us as a decent budget Pittsburgh hotel located within steps of PNC Park. The rooms are about what you'd expect from a well kept Holiday Inn, and the view from many of the rooms is unparalleled in the city. That we cannot complain about in the slightest!
We'd like to thank our friends at the Holiday Inn Pittsburgh North Shore for inviting us to stay overnight for this review. As always, all opinions are our own. To book your stay at the Holiday Inn Pittsburgh North Shore, click here. To read more reviews of the Holiday Inn North Shore, click here.
