Holiday Inn Express St. Robert / Waynesville

The hotel offers approximately 70 guest rooms across multiple floors, with a mix of standard queen-bed, king-bed, and double-queen configurations. King suites with separate sitting areas are available for slightly higher rates and are worth the upgrade for travelers staying more than one night. All rooms include the standard Holiday Inn Express amenities: pillow-top mattresses, blackout curtains, work desks, ergonomic chairs, in-room safes (in suites only), mini-refrigerators, coffee makers with both regular and decaf K-cups, hair dryers, irons and boards, and complete sets of toiletries.

Bathrooms are renovated as of 2023 with updated tile, new fixtures, granite or quartz countertops, and modern lighting. Water pressure is consistently good — a meaningful improvement over many independent Route 66 motels in the area. Bedding is replaced regularly and is generally well-maintained. The renovation also updated room carpeting, paint, artwork, and TV equipment.

Property amenities include a small indoor heated pool (open 5am-11pm), a basic but functional fitness center with treadmills and free weights, a small business center with a printer and computer, free guest laundry on each floor, and ample parking including spaces designed for RVs, trailers, and larger vehicles. The lobby is comfortable with multiple seating areas and a small marketplace selling snacks and drinks 24 hours.

The complimentary hot breakfast is a meaningful part of the value proposition and is significantly better than the typical Holiday Inn Express baseline. Hot items include scrambled eggs (or egg patties), bacon, sausage links or patties, biscuits and gravy (a regional touch), oatmeal, and a make-your-own-waffle station with batter and a heavy-duty Belgian waffle iron. Cold items include yogurt, fresh fruit (apples, bananas, oranges plus seasonal options), boxed cereals, hard-boiled eggs, cheese, and pastries. Coffee, juice, milk, and tea are self-serve.

Breakfast runs 6am-10am Monday through Friday and 7am-10:30am Saturday and Sunday, with the dining area generally pleasant and well-maintained. Most morning travelers are mix of Fort Leonard Wood-related visitors, business travelers, and Route 66 tourists, creating a slightly more diverse breakfast room than typical highway hotels. Seating capacity is adequate even during busy mornings.

Front desk service is consistently friendly and efficient — Holiday Inn Express trains its staff well, and the St. Robert location has a relatively stable team that has been there for years. The 24-hour front desk handles late check-ins without issue, can recommend local restaurants and attractions, and is generally responsive to maintenance requests or other concerns. Housekeeping standards are good with daily service for multi-night stays unless guests opt out.

The hotel sits just off I-44 Exit 161 in St. Robert, the small city adjacent to Waynesville that grew up around the Fort Leonard Wood main gate in the 1940s. From the hotel, downtown Waynesville is a 3-mile drive west, the Devils Elbow Bridge is about 15 miles west via Historic 66, and the Fort Leonard Wood main gate is less than two miles south. The location is also convenient for east-bound travel toward Rolla, St. James, and the larger Cuba and Sullivan Route 66 destinations.

Nearby dining options include several chain restaurants on the I-44 frontage (Cracker Barrel, McDonald's, Applebee's, etc.) plus the genuinely worth-it independent options like Cookin' From Scratch (3 miles west on Historic 66) and Elbow Inn Bar & BBQ in Devils Elbow. The hotel's location makes it easy to visit a Route 66 restaurant for dinner and return to the comfortable chain hotel for the night.

For multi-night Route 66 stays, the Holiday Inn Express is a strong base for exploring the entire Pulaski County area — Frog Rock, Roubidoux Spring Park, the Old Stagecoach Stop, the courthouse museum, Devils Elbow Bridge and the Elbow Inn, Allmans Market, and the various Historic 66 alignments through the area. Two to three nights here easily fills with attractions. For the 2026 Centennial, advance booking is recommended for summer weekends when both Route 66 traffic and Fort Leonard Wood graduation weekends combine to fill local hotels.