I have reviewed a good number of properties, and the moment I unlocked the door to my room, I said to myself - How in the world am I going to review this property?
The property is a little hard to find - you can see it from the interstate, but it's down a side road, so my GPS put me on Zumstein Dr - but it didn't take me TO the property, I found it after assuming that it was further down the road.
Upon arriving, looking at the outside of the hotel I asked - What did I get myself in to?
The property is an old Residence Inn by Marriott - it was Marriott's first concept for an extended stay property. It almost feels like a timeshare resort when you pull up. The welcome I received from another guest was the first indicator that this would be an overall odd experience - "Can I have a cigarette, buddy?" - Uhhhh - yeah, I don't smoke.
Very tiny lobby some basic food and drink items available for purchase in the shop in the lobby.
Along with some personal care items locked with a chain in a glass case.
The young lady that checked me in was very busy - but she was very polite and checked me in very quickly, explained how to navigate the property - and I was on my way.
The hotel is built like an apartment complex - there are 1st and 2nd floor rooms, no elevators to 2nd floor rooms. So, if it rains or snows - you're walking from the parking area in the rain or snow.
All around the resort you can see why Marriott would have sold the property - it is in rough shape. The steps up to my room on the 2nd floor were crumbling - and the wood landings were less than well maintained (peeling paint, over-sprayed blue spray paint outside the door)
Some of the sidewalks were crumbling, and the building exteriors weren't very fresh in appearance.
I had reserved a Queen Bed Studio room - I was upgraded to a suite - 2 br - 2 ba - kitchen, fireplace, and living room. As soon as I walked in I was hit with cooking odors (fried onions) - not a pleasant smell!
The upstairs bedroom is loft-style, with a double bed (it looked like a double anyway) - and the master bedroom had a king bed. Since it was just me, I slept in the master bedroom, and the bed was very comfortable. The chair and sofa in the living room were very well used and broken down. The seat back of the chair was almost completely collapsed, and the arms were very stained and dirty looking. The sofa was VERY uncomfortable, very sagged in the center.
Overall - was the resort clean? Reasonably. I say reasonably because the surfaces, bathrooms, linens (except for a cigarette burn on the bed runner), carpets, draperies, and walls were all clean. Were they spotless? No, but they had been cleaned - and the carpets and window coverings are all fairly recent replacements.
Overall the units are dated and in need of maintenance - the secondary lock on my door was broken.
The area seems very prone to vehicle break-ins, and they make sure to collect your vehicle information at check in. The hotel is near the end of a dead end access rd.
At one time this property was amazing, you can tell that it was cutting edge in the extended stay business when it was built. It is still a nice property.
Would I suggest this property to someone else? It totally depends on what you are looking for. If you are OK with a great value priced hotel that is a little rough around the edges - then by all means, this property offers an excellent value!
If you are a very picky hotel guest and totally freak out when something isn't as clean as it would be in your own home... then this property would not be a good match for you.
If you are looking for a temporary long term corporate rental on a limited budget, this property provides a great price and plenty of space for the price paid.
The accommodations are clean, comfortable, and livable. However, don't expect the same type of accommodations that you would find at a Homewood Suites or a Candlewood Suites.
I only stayed for one night for an overnight through traveling through the area - but it met my needs, was very easy on the budget, and they did upgrade me to a huge suite! I can't lie, I wanted to go buy a couple fire logs and enjoy the fireplace - it was snowing during my stay.
The free wi-fi worked well, there is free breakfast but I didn't take the time to stop into the gatehouse for breakfast.
If you aren't incredibly picky when it comes to hotels, give this property a shot - as I rated, it is an average property - nothing stellar.
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