Milwaukee airport (MKE) / Hilton Garden Inn

July 2012, Weekday, 1-night, 2-Queen beds guestroom #350

Status perks

I received two bottles of water and a breakfast coupon. I have bonus points, rather than free breakfast, set on my Hilton profile, so breakfast was an extra perk. I had reserved a room with 2 queen beds. I do not recall if I did this because there were no king rooms available, or if it was because the rate was less. I had hoped for a king upgrade; however, there were none available. In fact, this hotel was sold out the night of my stay.

Guestroom

Guestroom 350 is located on the top floor, near the end of the hall, on the north side of the building facing the airport. The room was quite soundproof. I could hear an occasional plane, although not very often. I did not hear any noise from the hall or other guestrooms. The guestroom door was extremely heavy, and apparently constructed to keep noise out. 

The bedroom area contained 2 adjustable queen beds, a night stand with lamp, soft chair and footstool, floor lamp, flatscreen TV on a dresser, and desk with adjustable chair. The bed was comfortable, and the bedding was high quality. I sat in the soft chair briefly, and did not think that chair was comfortable. It was quite hard.

The dry bar area contained a microwave, mini-fridge, coffee maker, and good quality coffee and liquid creamer. I was happy to see 3 regular coffee packets! The closet located across from the bathroom had glass doors, and there was an oversized folding suitcase rack in the closet. 

The guestroom was comfortable and clean. There was an ethernet cord on the desk, and wireless Internet was also available with good connectivity speed. There were plenty of electrical outlets in the guestroom.

The low quality hairdryer in the bathroom was somewhat disappointing, but other than that, I was very happy with this guestroom.

Food & Beverage

Complimentary coffee was available in the lobby, and complimentary Rice Krispie treats were available at the front desk in the afternoon. 

I went to the dining room for breakfast around 7:30 AM, and there were no seats available. Employees were accommodating guests as best they could. I sat down in the bar area, as did several guests who arrived after me. Hilton Garden Inn breakfast consists of self-serve continental items, and guests can also place an egg/hot food order with the cook. A server brings coffee, water, and the hot item when it's ready. This hotel had a fairly good system--guests filled out a paper at the counter with desired hot food items, picked up a number tent, wrote this number on the order, and then left the slip, and took the number to their table. 

When the restaurant is as busy as it was the day of my visit, I don't know how the cooks would know who set which paper on the counter first. I observed a couple different piles of slips, and could have easily placed mine on top of one of the piles. I was not sure where I was supposed to place it, so I just set it on the counter by itself, next to the other piles. I waited 20 minutes for my egg order, and then the dish was not very good. The eggs were slightly overcooked. I was not in a hurry that morning, so the wait was not a problem for me. 

While I waited at my table for my order, I observed servers looking for numbers many times. They even approached guests several times to state the name of the food item when they could not find the number tent. I suppose there are many reasons this could happen--the guest could have gotten tired of waiting and left, or maybe the guest wrote down the wrong tent number, or the guest was seated in another area because there had not been a table available. I could not determine what the problem was. I did observe the manager, and employees who did not appear to be servers, also helping out. I do not think my 20-minute wait was due to poor service; rather it happened because the restaurant was not able to accommodate the number of guests dining. 

Business center

The business center at this hotel is one of the best I have used in a hotel. There were several computers, and the computer closest to the printer allowed me the option of printing my document two-sided! Remote printing was also available. The business center contained everything I needed except a highlighter. In addition to the computers, there was a copy/fax/printer, stapler, paper clips, envelopes, whiteout, Post-it notes, and more. I took a picture of the business center because I was so impressed with it.

Fitness center

The fitness center was a good sized room with several cardio machines with cardio theater. There were also hand weights, a workout bench, and exercise balls available. The room contained towels, sani-wipes, and a flatscreen TV.

Misc. and overall

This hotel has shuttle service, although I did not use it. I arrived before check-in time, and my room was ready, and employees were happy to accommodate my early arrival. Overall, I was very satisfied with this stay, and will choose this hotel again when I am in the area. A colleague who met me at the hotel in the evening was so impressed with what she saw, that she booked a room for the next night and moved over from the nearby Marriott Courtyard.

Brown Deer (North Milwaukee), Wisconsin / Holiday Inn Express

July 2012, Weekday, 2-nights, King guestroom #313

Status perks

I was acknowledged as a Platinum member at check-in, and the agent (who I think was the manager) checked to see if he had an upgraded room to give me. He said he did not have anything for both nights, so I did not receive any extra perks this stay.

Guestroom

Guestroom 313 is on the top floor, located just past the center building entrance. It was a basic hotel room with a decent sized bathroom and guestroom area. It contained a suitcase bench, couch, desk and chair, coffee table, night stands, and flatscreen TV in an armoire. The window contained a screen, and it opened about six inches.

Other than the flatscreen TV, the furnishings were a bit outdated, but the guestroom was clean, and the bed was satisfactory. The wireless Internet connection was lousy my entire stay. I never lost my Internet connection, although the speed was extremely slow, and  FaceTime would not stay connected. I often experience FaceTime disconnecting when the Internet speed is slow at hotels. There was a data outlet at the desk; however, I had not packed an ethernet cord, and I did not see one in the guestroom. The guestroom was not very soundproof. I could hear guests in the hall and in the rooms next door. Fortunately, most guests quieted down about the time I went to bed for the evening.

The guestrooms at the other end of the hall on this floor are smoking rooms, and the smoke smell in the hallway the second evening was quite strong. At check-in, the employee had told me that some of the rooms on this floor used to be smoking rooms, so he assigned me a room at the other end of the hall, since I wanted a non-smoking room. The room signage indicates that the rooms at the other end of this floor are still smoking rooms. Fortunately, I could not smell smoke in the guestroom.

Food & Beverage

There was an evening social hour both evenings with appetizers, beer, wine, and basic/bar brand mixed beverages. My key packet said that guests were allowed two beverages. The "appetizers" consisted of a few cut vegetables, cheddar cheese cubes, and chips with dip. The choices were exactly the same both evenings, and not what I would consider appetizers. I would consider the food that was served "snacks." The wine was low quality--Crane Lake, and the beer I observed on the counter was Coors and Miller. I guess for free I can't complain. The cost of the hotel room was reasonable.

I expected a better than usual HIX breakfast because the information in my key packet said "Expanded Continental Breakfast." The breakfast was the same, or less, than I have seen at other Holiday Inn Express hotels: sausage gravy and biscuits, scrambled eggs (that did not look appetizing to me), sausage, pancake maker, toaster waffles, bagels, bread, yogurt, cinnamon rolls, cold cereal, and whole bananas. I was glad that the bananas were fresh. The food items were the same both mornings.

Business center

The business center consisted of one computer and a printer/fax/copy machine. I don't usually need much more than that, although this trip I could have used a stapler, tape, and a highlighter--none of which were available in the business center. I was able to print a document both days.

Fitness center

The fitness center contained three cardio machines, a working flatscreen TV with remote, drinking fountain, scale, towels, and sani-wipes. The treadmill I used was in good working condition. I did not try the other machine or the bicycle.

PHL airport / Hilton Philadelphia Airport

June 2012, Weekday, 1-night, Queen deluxe #940

Status perks

I received a coupon good for an appetizer or beverage in the lounge/restaurant. The agent was going to give me a free breakfast coupon until I said that I needed to leave before the restaurant opened at 6:00 AM. She then provided the evening coupon instead. This location does not have an executive floor. 

I observed several HHonors key packets already prepared when I arrived; however, my key packet was not ready. I thought that was poor customer service since the employee had requested my name when I called from the airport for the shuttle over 1/2 hour before I checked in. I had actually called twice, and my name was requested both times.

Guestroom

I made my reservation at this hotel the morning of my arrival, and there were no king rooms available other than suites. I reserved the deluxe queen room instead of just the queen room because it was only a couple dollars more. I am not sure what the difference is between the two room types. The description online is the same for both rooms, and this guestroom looked like a basic non-deluxe guestroom to me. The only extra item that I could see were two bottles of water with the ice bucket.

The guestroom contained a desk and chair, soft chair, one queen bed, flatscreen TV on an armoire, two night stands with lamps, and one floor lamp. An individual serving coffee maker was set up in the corner of the bedroom area. There were hardly any electrical outlets in the guestroom. Other than the plug at the desk, there was only one spot with the coffee maker under that counter, and another in the bathroom. The lamps were all plugged in behind the bed (including the floor lamp behind the chair), and I was not about to pull the bed out to see if there was a spare outlet there. I had not packed my long Apple laptop cord, so the only place I could work while also charging my laptop was at the desk, and that seat became uncomfortable after a while.

The bathroom was small, and the door had to be shut to enter the tub/shower. The tile floor was nice, although it was kind of yucky around the area where the tile met the carpet. I included a photo to show this; however, the grime does not show up well.

This guestroom is located close to the elevator, and I easily heard the elevator bell dinging while seated at the desk in the guestroom. Fortunately, I did not hear it after I went to bed that evening. My Hilton profile is for a room away from the elevator; I am not sure if the fact that I had made my reservation the day of my arrival had anything to do with that request not being honored. I did not think guestrooms were assigned before 6:00 AM, although I do not actually know how this works.

The sunset view was great from this guestroom.

view from room 940

Food & Beverage
The bartender let me redeem my free beverage coupon for ANY beverage of my choice; not just bar brands--nice! I had a wrap to eat, which unfortunately, I do not remember all the details about because I did not complete this entire review right away. I do recall that the portion size was generous, and that it was delicious. I think it was some kind of turkey avocado wrap. I know there were not many menu items of this type, so if this is something you are interested in, you would be able to easily find it on the menu. It came with a side of fries, and when I asked if I could get something no-fried, like cole slaw, the bartender was happy to oblige.

Business center
The business center is located next to the lounge, and across from the Starbucks cafe counter. I had no trouble finding an open computer and printing a couple documents. I was surprised that the paper my items printed on was high quality photo paper! Seems like an expensive item to be providing to guests, to me.

Shuttle service and misc.
This hotel is close to the airport, and the shuttle claims to run every 30 minutes. Every 30 minutes is pretty close, although if you are deciding which time to depart for the airport, I would suggest the earlier time. I waited 1/2 hour at the airport when I arrived (even though the employee had told me 10 - 15 minutes), and we departed for the airport five minutes late in the morning. The airport was chaos on the Thursday morning of my flight. After checking my bag, I had to search for the hidden priority lane, and then it took me 40 minutes to get through security. Passengers waited in the regular security line 1 1/2 - 2 hours, and many people missed their flights. I observed several people trying to get ahead of people in line, or trying to get the security officer to let them cut--no one had any success. I let three passengers go ahead of me, who had been able to finagle priority line entrance; however, their luck ended about five passengers ahead of me.

Even though my stay at this hotel was not excellent, I thought it was satisfactory for the price I paid. I had found an excellent AAA rate at the last minute, which was less than the Hampton Inn and the Holiday Inn Express. I do not think this hotel is as nice as most Hiltons I have stayed in, and I don't think a room is worth more than $150.  

Malvern, Pennsylvania / Homewood Suites

June 2012, Weekday, 2-nights, King 1-bedroom suite #402

Status perks

I did not receive any perks for having Gold status, although I was glad that the front desk agent acknowledged my status and stated my requests, which had been fulfilled. When I make a reservation online, I usually request a top floor corner room/suite in a quiet area with no connecting door. The agent thanked me for being a Gold member, and then stated all the guestroom details, which were exactly what I had requested.

Guestroom

Suite 402 is located on the top floor at the end of the hall. The guestroom door opened into the kitchen and living area, and the bedroom and bathroom were in a separate area. The kitchen contained a full size fridge, dishwasher, stovetop, microwave, coffee pot and dishes, and small table with two chairs. Coffee, microwave popcorn, and dish detergent were all provided. There was an ethernet cord on the table in the kitchen area. A couch, soft chair, flatscreen TV on a stand with drawers, coffee and end tables were in the living room.

Double doors led to the bedroom, which contained another flatscreen TV on a table with a desk chair, a king bed, and night stands. I was surprised to find a luggage rack in the closet, because this is often not provided at extended stay properties. The bathroom vanity was located outside the bathroom, and the floor was tile, just like the bathroom. There was a toilet and tub/shower combination in the bathroom area. A good quality hairdryer was provided in the vanity. I was happy to see that it had a diffuser and a cool setting.

The bedroom was located on the side of the suite next to another guestroom, and an employee utility closet was located on the other side of the guestroom in the hall. The walls are soundproofed well, because I did not hear any noise from the guestroom next door, and the hotel was full the second night of my stay.

The guestroom was clean and comfortable, although there were a couple minor issues. The refrigerator was extremely loud. It was so loud that I had to turn it off at night. I woke up every time it started running; even when I had the bedroom door on that side closed. The clock in the bedroom was not set to the correct time. I could not find a way to change it, so I called the front desk to ask how to do this. I was told that it needed to be changed by engineering with a special tool that opens the back. It was late at night, and I was staying two nights, so I asked if someone could fix it after 8:00 AM the next day. The employee told me she would take care of this.

The next morning when I departed, I started the dishwasher and left a tip for housekeeping. When I returned around 3 PM, I observed a housekeeper in the hallway, and the guestroom had not been cleaned. She was a few doors away from my suite, so I sat down to work for a bit. About an hour later, I figured she must be close to my guestroom, so I decided to take my laptop downstairs and work for a while. I observed the cart in the hallway near my room when I left. When I returned over an hour later, the housekeeper was in the suite across the hall. When I entered my room, I saw that it had not been cleaned, although the tip money and thank you note I had left were gone. I wondered if someone else had taken it. I checked the bedroom clock to see if it had been fixed, and it was still set to the wrong time. I decided to ask the housekeeper in the room across the hall, if she knew what had happened to the money, and when she would be cleaning my room. Unfortunately, she did not speak much English. From what I could figure out, it sounded like she had picked up the note and money, although I have no idea why she then left my room to clean the one across the hall. She apologized, and then entered my room to clean it. I went back downstairs again for a while. 

The guestroom was clean and smelled fresh when I returned. The housekeeper opened my door for me and apologized again when she saw me coming down the hall. I did not learn what had happened, and I suppose it doesn't really matter. No one ever came to change the clock in the guestroom, so the time was still incorrect when I checked out. The wireless and ethernet Internet connection speeds in the guestroom were both good. I thought this was impressive since the hotel was full.

Food & Beverage

The evening reception ran from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM. Food and beverage items Monday evening included: chicken cordon blue, tossed salad, mixed vegetables, rice, potato chips, brownies, coffee, tea, draft beer, and white and red wine. I arrived near the end of the serving time, and the chicken tasted like it had been out a while. Even though it was a bit dry, it was still acceptable. The red wine was extremely sweet. Beverages were the same the next evening, and food items included: pork barbecue with extra sauce and buns, macaroni and cheese, tossed salad, corn muffins, and dessert.

I thought breakfast the first morning was more impressive than the second morning. I am not sure if timing had anything to do with that. The first morning, I went to breakfast right when it opened at 6:00 AM, and the second morning I went over 1/2 hour later than that. Items included both mornings were: juices, milks, cereals, whole fruits, and bread and bagels. Whole grain bagels were out the first morning; however, there were not any the second day. Hot items the first day were egg whites, scrambled eggs with chives, maple sausage, and tator tots. There were also apple turnovers. Hot items the second morning were scrambled eggs--which did not look as fresh as the eggs the first day, bacon, and potato pancakes.

Business center

The business center was a small room by the lodge/dining area with two computers and a printer. Everything worked both times I visited, and there was a stapler in the room that was quality enough to staple my 18-page document! Many other office items were also available, such as pens, paperclips, note pads, sticky notes, and more.

Fitness center

When I arrived at the fitness center before 5:30 AM, I saw that it said it opened at 6:00. The TV was on, so I tried the door, and it was open. The room contained three cardio machines with cardio theater, although cardio theater did not work on one of the treadmills. The room also contained hand weights, a water cooler, towels, sani-wipes, a scale, and head sets. The temperature was set a bit too warm, I thought. It was not hot when I arrived; however, it quickly got hot.

Overall

This hotel was in a good location for my stay, and I was happy with the comfort and cleanliness. I thought the rate was kind of expensive, although it also seemed high at all of the nearby properties I had checked. I reserved a king bedroom suite for the AAA rate of $170. When I was in the lobby waiting for my room to be cleaned, I heard the front desk agent tell someone on the telephone that he had one room left for $220! And then, he could not even give the caller that room because someone reserved it online before he had a chance to go in and reserve it. I heard him provide the name and telephone numbers of nearby properties at the end of the call.

AVP airport--Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania / Holiday Inn Express

May 2012, Weekday, 1-night, King suite #405

Status perks

I received an upgrade to a suite, a bottle of water, and a small package of snack crackers.

Guestroom

This guestroom is on the 4th floor near the vending area and elevators. Despite it's location, and the fact that it is not on the top floor (this hotel has 5 floors), it was quiet in the bedroom. I was glad I had been upgraded to a suite because I did hear several doors opening and closing when I was in the living room, so it's possible a regular guestroom is not as well sound proofed.

This room was spacious, comfortable, and clean. I was happy with the room comfort and my entire stay. The only problem I experienced was the sluggish drain in the sink and shower. Fortunately, it was not so slow that I had to shower in standing water.

When entering the guestroom, a large walk through bath was on my left, and the living room was straight ahead. The living room contained a desk and chair, couch, coffee and end tables, and flatscreen TV on a cabinet with drawers. 

Double doors led to the bedroom, which contained a king bed, night stands, soft chair, and second flatscreen TV on a cabinet with drawers. The bedroom cabinet also contained a microwave and small fridge. There was room on the cabinet in the bedroom for the coffee maker, which was set up in the bathroom. I was surprised that the two TV cabinets were not reversed, and that the coffee setup was not located with the fridge and microwave. I would prefer to have my kitchen items in the living room over the bedroom--unless, of course, there was a kitchen! 

There was a large closet in the bedroom near the doorway to the bathroom. The closet doors were mirrored. The bathroom contained a deep whirlpool tub/shower combination. The hairdryer on the wall was a low quality dryer. It did not have a diffuser attachment or a cool setting.

The Internet speed in the guestroom was satisfactory. There were two HVAC wall units--one in the bedroom, and one in the living room. I found a guestroom key card and check-in packet for a Platinum member in the desk drawer, so it appeared that a Platinum guest before me had also been upgraded to this room.

Food & Beverage

I had an early flight, and do not have any input about the hotel breakfast, because I left before then. Popcorn--from a popcorn machine in the lobby, and cookies, were available in the afternoon. There was also a water cooler in the lobby, similar to what you would find in a fitness center. The front desk agent told me about the snacks when I checked in. She said that these items are out everyday. 

There is a sports bar/restaurant located next door to the hotel called Midtown Sports Bar & Grill. The service and food was acceptable, if you don't have transportation or want to drive. If you don't mind driving to eat, I would not recommend the restaurant. I had a glass of wine for a good price--$3, and the tuna steak dinner. Even though the tuna was cooked rare, I did not think it was very good quality. It was tough and lacked flavor.

There is not a gift shop in the hotel, so there was not another food and beverage option. I did not check the ice/vending room to see if there was a snack and beverage machine inside.

Business center
I had no trouble printing my boarding pass from a computer in the lobby.

Misc.
This hotel is located across from the airport, and it has shuttle service during airport operating hours. It is the only hotel in this area, and the only hotel I could find with complete airport shuttle service. Some of the hotels a few miles away also have shuttle service with limited operating hours. I was initially planning to stay at either the Marriott Courtyard or Hampton Inn, which are located a couple miles north of the airport near the Montage ski area. That area looked new, and there is a nice shopping center with a few restaurants nearby. Both of the hotels had an airport shuttle; however, neither of them were operating in the early morning at the time of my flight. At the HIX, I was able to return my car and walk back to the hotel. The distance is less than one mile, although there was not a sidewalk along the road the hotel is on. The road does not have much traffic (less than five cars passed me the entire way including the airport road), and there was plenty of room on the side of the road. It was a beautiful day, and I felt safe.

Scranton, Pennsylvania / Residence Inn

May 2012, Weekday, 1-night, King studio #227

Status perks

I have not received an upgrade at any Marriott property since I was granted Gold status a few months ago. At this hotel, I was not even recognized as a Gold member--the agent thanked me for being a Silver member! I told her that my status was Gold, and she said that it only said Silver on her computer, and that I had five more nights to go. When I checked my Marriott account online after arriving in my guestroom, I saw that my status was listed as Gold. The front desk agent did tell me later that her system was showing my status as Gold when I talked with her about another issue, which I will explain at the end of this review.

Guestroom

Suite 227 is located at the end of the hall on the second floor. This hotel has three floors; however, I arrived early, and the room on the 3rd floor that had initially been set aside for me was not ready yet. I asked if both of the rooms were the same, and I was told yes. Since I liked the location of this room at the end of the hall, I took it instead of waiting for a top floor room.

The suite setup was a basic Residence Inn king studio room. The kitchen area contained a full size refrigerator, stovetop, microwave, dishwasher, dishes, coffee pot, small table, and two chairs. A packet of microwave popcorn had been provided. A desk and chair were located at the end of the couch by the entrance door. The flat screen TV between the living and bedroom areas could be viewed from both places. There were two nice sized windows with screens. The bathroom vanity was located between the sleeping area and the tub/shower and toilet. There was a large closet across from the vanity with mirrored doors.

I liked the guestroom layout; however, I was not happy with the condition of the room. The room did not smell fresh, so I decided to open the windows. When I opened the curtains, I saw that the inside windowsills were wet and dirty. I observed a few dead bugs along with the dirt inside. The tract area between the window and screen was extremely dirty. Since they were power washing the hotel, I figured the inside debris must have come in at that time. I called the front desk to suggest that they have housekeeping check the guestroom windowsills after the power washing was complete, and I explained the situation in my room. The agent apologized, and said she could send housekeeping up to clean it, or give me a new room. I did not expect the cleanliness of the other rooms to be much different, and since this room was in a good location, I accepted her offer for housekeeping to clean the windowsills. 

bathroom fan

A short time later, an employee arrived with one small dry rag, which was barely enough to wipe the inside of the windowsill next to my bed. She did not check the windowsill in the living room area, which was in the same condition. Since I was not going to be sleeping by that window, and the one small rag she had brought was no longer good for cleaning, I did not mention the other window.

In addition to the windowsill dirt and the unfresh smell, there were a few other issues with this guestroom. The tub floor was badly stained--apparently from dirt clinging to residue from a stuck on decal, the bathroom vent was loose and noisy, the closet door glass was cracked, the carpet did not look like it been vacuumed in the corners in a very long time, and the condition of the carpet and furniture was poor.

glass crack, carpet stain

The wireless Internet speed in the guestroom was acceptable. The telephone on the desk did not work well, and the volume did not change when I tried to raise it. I had a difficult time hearing through that handset, so when I used the telephone after the first time, I used the one next to the bed.

carpet stains, dusty corners

I could hear quite a bit of noise from the guest in the room overhead, so I would suggest a top floor guestroom at this hotel. I don't think the guest was noisy--the floor just creaked and moved a lot, every time the guest moved about. Fortunately, the person above me did not stay up late. The bedding was clean, and the bed comfort was acceptable.

Food & Beverage

Tossed salad and hot chicken wings were served at the evening reception the night of my stay. Beverages included draft beer; however, there was no wine. I have sometimes stayed at a Residence Inn where the wine was kept in the back, and guests needed to request a glass, so I asked the employee attending to the refreshments (she was actually sitting on the couch with a plate of food watching TV) if she had red wine. She said that they only serve beer and not wine. She commented that other guests have asked for wine before too. I said that is probably because usually when a hotel serves beer like this, wine is also available. I told her that I had never attended a hotel reception with only beer. I have stayed in hotels where neither is served because of local laws; just not where only one or the other is served. The employee said she was not aware that other Residence Inns served wine, so she was going to ask her manager about this. She said that sometimes when there is wine on the property from a meeting or something, she gets to serve the leftover wine until it is gone, but that is the only time.

An average breakfast buffet was included in the morning.

Fitness center

The fitness center was a fairly small room with three cardio machines. The machines were equipped with cardio theater; however, I had forgotten my headset in the guestroom, and there were none in the room.

Business center

There was a computer and printer set up in the corner of the lodge room, where food and beverages are served. I did not observe any other office supplies, although I was able to use a pair of scissors at the front desk to cut out a coupon I printed.

Misc. and overall

After housekeeping came and cleaned the windowsill, I received a phone call from the front desk. The employee apologized for the condition of the windows, and she said she would be depositing 15,000 MR points into my account for the trouble. She also said that she wanted to let me know that my status had been updated to Gold. I did not understand why she had thought it was Silver when I arrived, and I did not ask. My status had been changed to Gold a few months before this stay, and I have stayed at several other Marriott properties that recognized my Gold status. I only made my reservation at this hotel the day before, so it was not because my status had changed after making the reservation.

After check-out, I received an email from the general manager thanking me for my stay. It looked like a generic email; however, I decided to reply anyway. I briefly described the window problem, the points the employee had said I would receive, and thanked him for the follow-up. I received another email telling me that the points would post separately (I had also stated that I did not receive them when my stay posted), and I have since received the points.

I appreciated the points, and the follow-up; however, I did not think this hotel was worth the cost. My stay at the Holiday Inn Express down the road (HIX Scranton review) was a MUCH nicer stay for $20 less per night. I don't usually let the experience of one stay in a hotel chain change my mind about whether to choose that type of hotel for future stays; however, my thinking about Residence Inn has now changed. This is the third property I have stayed in where I was not satisfied with the guestroom or property cleanliness. The others were at the Charleston (CHS) airport (RI Charleston airport review), and a property outside Atlantic City (Somers Point, NJ). I do not have a review for the second property, since that stay was before I started this blog. I do recall that the check-in area and guestroom were both musty smelling, and that I had to keep swatting flies that seemed to appear out of nowhere into the guestroom that evening. I don't think my experience was unique, since there was a fly swatter in the guestroom! 

After sharing my unsatisfactory experiences at Residence Inn, I want to say that I have stayed at a few nicer ones, although they have been few and far between. One of the nicer stays that comes to mind, was at the property in Milwaukee. We used points for a free night and received a room on the top floor overlooking the river. I do not have a review for that stay because it was also before I started this blog. The only other thing I remember about the hotel, is that employees made us feel welcome, and that the evening social hour included beer and wine.

Dickson City - Scranton, Pennsylvania / Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites

May 2012, Weekday, 2-nights, Extended king guestroom #316

Status perks

I reserved a basic king room, and received an upgrade to an extended king room. I also received a bottle of water, and a choice of one snack item.

Guestroom

Guestroom 316 is located near the elevator and not on the top floor, so I was initially worried about noise overhead and in the hall. The room is quite soundproof, and I did not hear any bothersome noise. I have stayed in hotels when I could see quite a bit of light around the guestroom door coming from the hall, when the door is not a tight fit, and light was barely visible around this guestroom door. The door fit snugly, and blocked the hallway noise well. I did not hear any noise overheard during my stay, although I do not know if there were guests above me.

This guestroom looked like a HIX suite to me, although that is not what it said on the paper I signed at check-in. It had a small fridge, microwave, sink, table with two chairs, couch, and coffee and end tables in the living area. The bedroom area contained a soft chair and footstool, flatscreen TV (which could be swiveled to view from both rooms), suitcase bench, nightstands, an armoire, and desk and chair. The furniture was all very comfortable. I especially liked the soft chair in the bedroom area. The closet in the living area had a nice mirrored door. There were plenty of outlets in all areas of the guestroom. There was an ethernet cord on the desk, and the wired and wireless Internet connection speeds were both good. The one bad thing about this room is that it overlooks the entrance roof, so there is no view.

The bathroom was a good size with built in shelves next to the vanity. It contained a tub/shower combination. The hairdryer was only a basic style, which served it's purpose and nothing more. Even though this hotel was a year old at the time of my stay, the guestroom still had that new smell--just like a new car. It was clean and comfortable. I am writing this review from my next hotel, and wish I was still back at the Holiday Inn Express.

Food & Beverage

I thought breakfast was disappointing both mornings of my stay. The first morning the hot items were scrambled eggs, sausage gravy, and biscuits. The bananas were brown, so I did not have one of those. Fortunately, the milk was fresh. The second morning the food items were similar except that there were also ham slices--which were good, and the bananas were fresh! Fresh cinnamon rolls were out both mornings, as well as a pancake maker, cold cereals and breads.

Tuesday evening was a pleasant surprise. When I checked in, I received a flyer in my packet that said there is a manager's reception at this hotel on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Tuesday, the beverages included: bottled water, soda, draft beer, and wine. The red wine was kind of sweet, but not too bad. Food items were: three cheeses, pepperoni slices, crackers, and tossed chicken salad and chicken wrap pieces from Ruby Tuesday.

Ruby Tuesday and Uno Chicago Grill are next door to the Holiday Inn Express. They both give guests a discount, and Ruby Tuesday delivered my order for no added delivery charge (I would have walked to get it myself, except it was raining out). Other restaurants I observed next door or across the street were Panera Bread, Subway, Starbucks, Texas Roadhouse and Olive Garden.

Public areas

The breakfast room furniture was comfortable, and the look is chic. I did not see anyone using the outside patio since it was raining during most of my stay, although the seating looked comfortable.

Business center

The business center contained two working computers and printers. I was able to print what I needed, although there were no other business supplies in the room.

Fitness center

The fitness center was impressive for a Holiday Inn Express, I thought. The flatscreen TV and remote worked, as did all the cardio machines, which were also equipped with cardio theater. There were two treadmills, and a stair stepper. I think there may have also been a bike, although I do not recall for sure. The room also contained hand weights, a workout bench, water cooler, scale, towels, headsets, and sani-wipes. The temperature was comfortable.

Overall

I was impressed with this hotel, and if I need to visit this area again, this hotel will be my first choice. I am currently staying at the Residence Inn just down the road (I moved to get one nights credit and take advantage of a Gold offer from Marriott), and the Holiday Inn Express is a much nicer hotel than the Marriott property.

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