The honest review

The Coeur d'Alene Resort gets all the attention, and it deserves it — but at $300-$500+/night for a room with lake views and resort fees, it's not the right call for every family budget or every trip purpose. The Holiday Inn Express is the honest-value counterpoint.

The case for it is simple: if your CDA trip is mainly about Silverwood Theme Park (a full day, 30 minutes north), lake recreation from public access points, and exploring the downtown Sherman Avenue strip, you're paying for amenities you'll barely use at the flagship resort. The Holiday Inn Express gives you a clean, functional room, a hot breakfast included (that actually matters when you're loading up before a Silverwood day), an indoor pool that works for evening swims after a long theme-park day, and free parking. You'll save $150-$200/night compared to the CDA Resort.

Location: it varies by which Holiday Inn Express in CDA you book — there are a few in the area. The downtown-adjacent properties are within walking distance of Sherman Avenue and a short drive from the public lake beaches. Lake Coeur d'Alene public beach access is free; the lakefront resort experience is the paid version. For families who will spend most of Day 1 at the lake beach and Day 2 at Silverwood, the public beach covers the lake access need.

Still interested? Check live prices →

Silverwood logistics from CDA: 30 minutes north on US-95 to Athol. Allow 8am-8pm for a full day. Boulder Beach waterpark (on-site at Silverwood) adds significant value in peak summer — bring a change of clothes and plan to stay. Silverwood sells multi-day passes and season passes worth considering for Pacific Northwest families who could revisit.

What you don't get: the floating golf green, the lake-view room, the marina rental boats, the resort restaurants, the spa. If any of those matter to your family's trip identity, upgrade to The CDA Resort. The Holiday Inn Express is the right call when the trip is activity-based (Silverwood + lake recreation + hiking) rather than resort-experience-based.

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Who this works for

Derived from FamilyFactor data

  • Toddlers

    ages 0–3

  • Elementary

    ages 4–8

  • Tweens

    ages 9–12

  • Teens

    ages 13+

  • Multi-gen

    with grandparents

All amenities (8)↓
  • 30 minutes from Silverwood Theme Park (Athol, ID)
  • Close to Lake Coeur d'Alene public beach access
  • Complimentary Express Start breakfast (hot items, waffles, eggs)
  • Free parking
  • IHG One Rewards loyalty points
  • Indoor heated pool
  • Near Sherman Avenue — CDA's main downtown strip
  • No resort fee