Spokane, Washington: SpringHill Suites by Marriott Spokane Airport

 September 2021, weekday, 1-night, king guestroom 314

Arrival and gold perks

I arrived at this hotel by car from outside the airport. It was difficult to find the hotel, as the address on their website did not take me where the hotel is located. This hotel is fairly new, and there were no hotel signs in the airport, like the other hotels and rental car companies. I could see the hotel, but I could not figure out how to get there after my GPS took me down the road behind it. I called the hotel, and the person I spoke with did not provide much clearer directions than my GPS. The hotel is located directly across from the arrival and rental car counters in the airport. So, follow the sign for arrivals, and when you get to the very end of the airport building, you will see a SpringHill Suites sign on your left. I had not seen the hotel when I arrived because the rental car exit is beyond the hotel. 

View of airport from guestroom 314 at SpringHill Suites Spokane, WA

Even though I had spoken with someone at the front desk just a few minutes before my arrival, there was no one at the desk when I entered. A sign on the counter said to please wait while another guest was being assisted. I did not observe any other guests being assisted, and I could hear employees talking in the work area behind the counter. I waited patiently, and no one came out. After waiting almost 10 minutes, I finally said, "Hello." No one answered; however, the employee working in the restaurant area heard me and walked over. She then walked to the back room to get someone to assist me. The person who assisted me did not apologize for the wait, recognize my status, nor provide any info about what type of room she was assigning me. I asked her if I needed my parking ticket stamped to leave and return my rental car after I took my luggage to my room. She said there is a half hour grace period. I checked the time on my ticket, since I knew I had waited several minutes. She then added that if I needed more time, I could stop at the front desk and get it stamped.

SpringHill Suites guestroom 314 in Spokane airport

Guestroom 314

This guestroom is near the middle of the hallway facing the airport. There are four floors at this hotel. The walls and windows are all well soundproofed. 

SpringHill Suites guestroom 314 in Spokane airport

Grand Rapids, Michigan: SpringHill Suites GRR Airport Southeast

April 2019, Weekend-Holiday, 1-night, Queen guestroom 312 and 309

Platinum perks and check-in

During check-in, the agent asked if I wanted bonus points or a snack from the gift shop, which was the extent of my member recognition. She initially assigned us guestroom 312; however, when we discovered the fridge in that guestroom was not cooling, she switched us to guestroom 309.

Typical provided amenities at SpringHill Suites GRR. This is queen guestroom 312.
The microwave time is incorrect; we checked in after 4 PM

Queen guestroom 312 and 309

As I mentioned in the previous section, the fridge was not cooling in guestroom 312. Neither my husband nor I could find a control knob, so I called the front desk. The agent said she would come up and look at it. When she had not arrived over five minutes later, I decided to walk down to the front desk. As soon as I exited the guestroom, I heard female voices in the corridor. After I walked all of the way to the elevator (room 312 is about midway down the hall), I found the front desk agent chatting with another employee in front of the elevator. She concluded her conversation when she saw me, and then followed me back to the guestroom. After looking at the fridge, she said that it sounded like it was on, and that must be how cold it gets. We had Easter dinner leftovers with us, and the outside temperature was in the 70s, so I asked her if we could get a different room. I returned to the front desk with her, and she reassigned us to guestroom 309 across the hall.

Sitting area in queen guestroom 312 at SpringHill Suites GRR

Both guestrooms were set up exactly the same way: with a sitting area, and a bedroom area with two queen beds. There were two closets in the bedroom area.

A microwave, sink, small fridge, and sink were located in the area next  to the sitting room. A couple of plates and silverware were provided inside the microwave.

Bedroom area of guestroom 309

After we settled into guestroom 309, I noticed that several amenities were missing. I went to the front desk to get coffee cups (there were none in the guestroom), regular coffee (only decaf was provided), and an ice bag. Only one coffee packet was available at the front desk, and the agent brought another one to the guestroom for me later that evening. After I got ready for bed, I noticed there was also no shampoo or bath soap in the guestroom (there was a bar of facial soap). I had packed shower gel; however, I had not packed any shampoo. Very frustrating!

Sagging sofa in guestroom 312

The work area in guestroom 309 was comfortable; however, both guestrooms showed visual signs of age. The sofa in the first guestroom had a huge sag, and the sofa in the second guestroom had a large stain on it.

Peoria, Illinois / SpringHill Suites Peoria Westlake

April 2014, Weekday, 1-night, King studio #326

Before my stay, I knew I had stayed at this SpringHill Suites before. I did not recall the hotel, although I did recall walking to the shopping center next door to eat. I could not find a previous review; I think that I stayed in this hotel before I started this blog in 2010.

Status perks and check-in

I received a personal email from Guest Services a couple of weeks before my stay, and I was able to set up airport shuttle service at that time.

The agent asked me at check-in which floor I preferred, and she assigned me a top floor guestroom. She thanked me for being a loyal member. It seems like I also received a bottle of water at check-in,  although I cannot say for sure, since I forgot to write this down while I was there.

Guestroom
This guestroom is located near the end of hall. It had been recently renovated, and it was clean and well-appointed.

The spacious living and working area contained the following: sofa with throw pillows, lamps, under sofa table, desk and chair, sink, fridge, microwave, coffeepot with supplies, two coffee mugs, ice bucket, and two glass glasses. A couple of disposable plates and a package of silverware were located in the microwave.

There were plenty of outlets available by the sofa and at the desk. A cute towel animal was on the desktop.

The couch and desk were both comfortable for working, although the guestroom door was not very soundproof. I did not feel like the area was very private when I was having a conversation at the desk.



A flatscreen TV on a cabinet between the living and bedroom area was visible from both areas.

There was plenty of room in the bedroom and bathroom area. A closet to the left of the vanity contained hangers, a hairdryer, folding luggage rack, iron, and ironing board. The closet doors were mirrored.

A decent size vanity was located outside of the bathing area along the wall between the closet and washroom. This was across from the bed. Bath amenities were provided on the sink and in the shower. A shower curtain was hung on a curved rod in the tub/shower combination.




Nightstands with lamps were located on each side of the bed along with a clock and a telephone. The bed was fairly comfortable, although the mattress was a bit stiffer than what I prefer. The area was spacious, and there was plenty of room on both sides of the bed.

The view from the window overlooked the front parking lot.

Food & Beverage
I had oatmeal for breakfast, so the hot foods offered must have been imitation scrambled eggs, and/or sausage biscuits with gravy because I bypass those food items. I remember that fresh grapes and strawberries were available, along with breads, milks, juices, and cold cereal.

Several restaurants and a grocery store are located in the shopping center next door: Panera Bread, Five Guys Burgers, Biaggio's, Sushigawa, and more. I had not had lunch, and I was looking forward to some sushi when I arrived in the late afternoon. Unfortunately, Sushigiwa was closed until 5:00 p.m. I almost did not wait for the restaurant to open. Later, I was glad that I did. The food flavor and quality was very good.

Business center
Two computers and a printer were located on the counter between the elevator and the front desk.

Fitness center
The fitness center next to the elevator contained cardio machines, hand weights, a water cooler, and towels.

Shuttle service and misc. 
I was glad that this hotel had an airport shuttle. I am pretty sure that when I stayed here before, the shuttle service was limited, and I had to call and pay for a cab back to the airport in the morning. After years of experience traveling, I now check with hotels beforehand, if I plan to depend upon the airport shuttle. The service to and from the airport was prompt.

There was a bowl at the front desk for business cards. If guests dropped a card in the bowl, the staff would make it into a luggage tag. I thought this was a very cool idea, and I wished I had left a couple of my cards in the bowl to be made into tags.

Other than the female front desk agent when I checked out, all of the employees at this location were fabulous! They were attentive and friendly. The male employee at the front desk brought my luggage tag to me in the breakfast room when it was ready (it had not been made yet when I checked for it before going to breakfast). The female employee working after him was not rude, although she was indifferent and aloof compared to the fabulous attitude of all of the other employees.

I liked the location of this hotel, and the working area comfort was excellent. I would definitely choose this hotel again the next time I am in the area.

Grand Forks, North Dakota / SpringHill Suites

April 2013, Weekday, 2-nights, King guestroom #424

Platinum perks and check-in

I received the standard Platinum perks; the agent asked if I wanted points or something from the gift shop. She then asked how many keys I wanted, and I was on my way.

sunset from guestroom

Guestroom 424

This is a newer SpringHill Suites, and I liked the chic style. There was a large sectional couch in the living area with a tall 2-piece coffee table, lamps, and a desk and chair. The lighting was good, and the furniture in this area was the most comfortable hotel furniture I have experienced. It was very easy and comfortable to sit and work on the couch with the different pillows and the 2-piece table, which could be slid under the couch to use for a desktop.

Wheeling, West Virginia / SpringHill Suites

November 2012, Weekday, 1-night, King guestroom #501

Platinum perks

I received a goody bag with a small bottle of water and two snacks--cheese crackers and peanuts.

Guestroom #501

This guestroom is located on the top floor at the end of the hall. I had called the morning of my arrival to request a room in a quiet location without a connecting room door. The agent who answerd the telephone assigned my room during the call.

The guestroom layout and furnishings are exactly the same as the SpringHill Suites at my home airport--GRR. Every SpringHill Suites I have stayed in has always had a separate sitting area with a sofa, chair, and desk with chair, as well as a sink, small fridge, and microwave. A flatscreen TV on the armoire between the two areas could be rotated so it was visible from the bed or living room.

Newnan, Georgia / SpringHill Suites

Status perks

I did not receive any Gold member perks. This has been the experience I usually have at Marriott properties, unless I am staying at a full service Marriott, or unless I ask for something.

Guestroom

The guestroom was identical to almost all of the rooms I have had at SpringHill Suites. There was a kitchen and living area at the entrance. The kitchen area contained a small coffee maker with supplies, a microwave, and a mini-fridge. A table/desk and chair were located across from the sink area facing the living room. The living area contained a couch, soft chair, coffee table, end tables, and lamps.

The bed and bathroom were located beyond a partial wall. One flatscreen TV was positioned in the center of the guestroom with a swivel mount, so that it could be viewed from the living area or the bedroom.

Misc.

The hotel is located in a busy area near shopping and restaurants.

Grand Rapids, Michigan / GRR airport -- SpringHill Suites by Marriott

Status perks

I did not receive any extra perks as a Gold member. In fact, the agent did not even mention my status or thank me for being a loyal member at check-in. 

Room

The room was a basic SpringHill Suites room with a sitting area and comfortable bed. It was a bit smaller than some SpringHill Suites I have stayed in. There was a couch, chair, and table with desk chair in the sitting area. There was a small fridge, microwave, and sink in the corner. A partial wall provided minimal separation between the sitting area and bedroom. A large flat screen TV on the dresser was visible from the living area and the bed. There was plenty of room in the bathroom and vanity area, although the toilet was positioned very close to the shower.

Food & Beverage

Breakfast is included with the room rate. This hotel also has a small lobby bar, which is an unusual extra for a SpringHill Suites. We did not visit the bar, although we had breakfast in the morning. There were breads, pastries, cereals, fresh fruit (apples, oranges, bananas), yogurt, scrambled egg squares, sausage patties, milk, and juices. All of the items were fresh and hot.

Pool

This hotel has an indoor pool and hot tub. There were several comfortable lounge chairs and a few small tables around the pool. The hot tub was hot, and the area was clean.

Fitness center

There were two or three cardio machines in the fitness center. The door was propped open with the trash can when we arrived, and the next day as well. A sign on the door offered an apology for the fitness center being closed; however, it did not appear to be closed. I observed guests using the equipment every time we walked by.   

Shuttle

We signed up for the 8:30 AM shuttle the evening we checked in. Fortunately, we had opted for the early choice rather than 9:00 AM, because the 8:30 shuttle was over 10 minutes late, and then it made a stop on the way to the airport. I usually expect to arrive at the airport 10 - 15 minutes later than the shuttle time we schedule. We arrived at the airport at 8:53 AM. The driver did not acknowledge or apologize for the delay. When we called for pick-up from the airport after returning, the agent told us to take a cab and the hotel would pay for it. This was great--we arrived back at our vehicle in their lot in record time!

March 2012, Weekday, 1-night, King suite #326

I have stayed at this hotel a few times, and every room and experience has been pretty much the same except this guestroom, so I am providing some information about this room--I would avoid it!

Room 326 is located on the top floor next to the elevator. I could hear the elevator, although that noise was minimal. In fact, if that had been the only issue with the room, I would have considered the room acceptable, even though I usually prefer rooms farther down the hall.

This room had a strong smoke smell--after we got settled, and not constant. The elevators are located near the hotel entrance door from the back parking lot. The only thing I could figure this might have been from, is that guests were smoking outside the back door. Fortunately, the smell was only in the sitting area and not the sleeping area of the guestroom.

The second problem with this room is that the window looks out over the lower floor pool and fitness center roof. Not only did this obstruct the view, it also caused a lot of noise when it rained the evening of our stay. I like rain and storms; however, the way the rain ran down the drains around the roof was so loud it kept me up that evening.