I Edited a Hotel Location on Google Maps – It’s Been Viewed 3,000,000 Times

I got an email from Google the other day that I thought was somewhat interesting and thought that I’d share. It started from a trip I took all the way back in 2018. I was doing a county trip from my house in Cincinnati through Kentucky and staying the night in southwestern Virginia, at the Holiday Inn Express in Lebanon Virginia.

Arriving at the Holiday Inn Express Lebanon Virginia

I’ll reprint some of the commentary I made in the original post, which was titled “Spoiler alert: the Holiday Inn Express is NOT inside Walmart”

Due to a 2 hour Google-maps-induced delay which is probably worth its completely OWN blog post, we didn’t get into Lebanon until nearly 8pm.  The address of the hotel is 228 Regional Park Road, Lebanon, Virginia 24266. If you put that address into Google Maps, you come out just fine, but if you just put in “Holiday Inn Express & Suites Lebanon Virginia” (like me), you’re greeted with this

It says it’s inside the Walmart. (Spoiler alert: It’s not)

Well at least my 2 rules of traveling for when things go wrong come into play….

No, the Holiday Inn Express is NOT inside Walmart

In hindsight, I obviously should have checked my directions. But my first clue that something was amiss was when I pulled into the Walmart parking lot and started looking for the Holiday Inn Express. There was a blue sign off of the exit from US19 saying that it was at this exit, but when I pulled into the parking lot I got this

Actually, it was worse than this because it was the evening of Christmas Day and Walmart was closed. So it was completely dark and completely empty – there was NOTHING. There was a road to my right so I thought I’d try that.  As soon as I get 200 feet Google starts “recalculating” so I turn around.

Okay, maybe it’s BEHIND Walmart. I stayed at a Residence Inn in Peoria that was hidden behind a shopping mall. Nope, that’s just the truck loading zone.

Hmm, I’ve never seen a hotel inside a shopping center but… maybe? (No)

As I drive through the deserted Walmart parking lot, I see a lady blowing leaves (I think?). I stop and ask her if she knows where the Holiday Inn Express was.  She responds with “WALMART IS CLOSED”. Oooooh boy I could already tell it was going to be a fruitful conversation, but eventually she tells me she thinks she’s seen it down the road a mile or two – “Don’t go more than 2 exits”.  TWO EXITS?!?!? WHERE AM I?!!?

I start driving down the road off to the right again, past where I had turned around previously, and make another right which leads me to a dead end. At this point I decide to call the hotel, even though my phone is literally at 2% battery. The gentleman on the phone starts giving me directions, and after 2 more wrong turns (including starting to go down a gravel road – or was it someone’s driveway?), I make it to the hotel

Postscript to the story – Updating Google Maps

The postscript to the story is that I suggested an update to Google Maps, pinpointing the hotel in its correct location. And sure enough, if you search for Holiday Inn Express Lebanon Virginia today, you will find it in its correct location, down the road and up the hill from the Walmart

So if you’re ever traveling there and trying to find that hotel, you’re welcome.

The Bottom Line

And the other day, I got an email from Google, telling me that my edit of this hotel has now been viewed 3,000,000 times.

I know that’s not particularly exciting or meaningful, and I didn’t do it for the “views”, but I thought it was a fun reminder of a hilarious story.

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