Oneonta, New York -- Holiday Inn

Status perks

I received two beverage coupons at check-in. These were both on one coupon, and initially I was told that I needed to have both beverages the same night. After I inquired further, an employee who was working both nights said that I could have one beverage each night and then turn in my coupon the second night. The first bill I received the second night had my beverage on it, even though that is the day I gave her my coupon. The server removed it after I reminded her about the coupon.

Guestroom

I received a basic room on the ground floor. This hotel does not have an executive floor, and when I inquired about a higher floor room, I was told that the rooms on the second floor are usually rented to groups and that the rooms on the bottom floor are saved for PCR guests because they are nicer, and this hotel does not have an elevator.

I did not care for my room at this hotel, and I checked out a day earlier than I had planned because I was not able to sleep well. I received a room in the main hall with a connecting room door. Since the agent had convinced me I was receiving a "better than average" room, I did not request a different room after I saw the room location and the connecting door. Later, I wished I had gone back to see if a corner room at the end of the hall had been available because it was quite noisy in my guestroom. I could hear families in the rooms on both sides of my room, and I was disrupted by guests running up and down the hall. The Internet connection speed was incredibly slow. I was not able to complete much of my online work because of the slow Internet connection. 

Food & Beverage

I ate in the dining room both nights, and the food was fair to average. I don't usually order steak at hotel restaurants; however, when my server told me that a female guest the night before had raved about it, I decided to try the steak. I would not recommend it. It was low quality. I did not think the spinach salad I had the next night was any better because the ingredients were not fresh. Buffet breakfast is included with the room at this hotel. Prepared toast and plain bagels were available from a server, and scrambled eggs were available on the buffet along with cereals and fruit juices. I chose to have breakfast off site the second morning of my stay.

Fitness center

The fitness center was a small room with a couple cardio machines and weights. The AC did not work properly, and one time when I used the room, the outside door was propped open as though someone had been trying to get air into the room.

Business center

There was not a separate business center in this hotel, although there was a printer in the lobby across from the front desk where I was able to print a couple documents.

Overall

I was seriously disappointed with the amenities and my room at this hotel. I did not think my room was hardly worth $100 a night, let alone the $180 AAA rate I paid. I suppose this area is frequently visited in the summer during vacation time, which is why the rate was so high, and why there were so many families in the hotel. I had thought this property would be a better choice than the nearby Hampton Inn; however, if I am traveling to this area again, I will choose a different hotel.