Sarasota, Florida -- SRQ / Hilton Garden Inn

January 2013, Weekend (Sunday), King guestroom 335

Status perks

I received two bottles of water at check-in. I requested late checkout (noon), and the agent happily accommodated my request.

Guestroom 335

This guestroom is located on the top floor at the end of the hall, away from the elevator, as requested in my profile! :-)

It is a standard Hilton Garden Inn guestroom: king bed, desk and chair, flatscreen TV, soft chair and footstool, folding luggage rack, small fridge, microwave, and small coffee pot with supplies--except that there was no regular coffee. It was late when I arrived, so I called the front desk as soon as noticed that there was no coffee to see if I needed to go down and get it. The agent said she would have someone bring it up, and it was delivered about 10 minutes later.

The bed was comfortable, it was quiet in the guestroom, and the sleep quality was good. The light on the alarm clock did not work, which frustrated me because I like to see what time it is if I wake up when it is dark out. It is often still dark at 6:30 AM in winter months.  

The bathroom was an average size with a tub and shower combination, and a large vanity area. I was surprised that the hair dryer was a low quality wall mounted style. The tub needed some deep cleaning because there was mold around the edges of the tub and all of the faucets. Fortunately, there was no damp odor or other issues from the mold.

Fitness center 

The fitness center met my needs for one night, although this room also needed attention. The room temperature was very hot, and one of the treadmills was not working. My key packet said that the center opens at 5AM; however, the posted sign said that it opens at 6AM. I did not go down before 6:00, so I did not find which time is correct.

Misc.

I chose this hotel because it is very close to the airport. I had thought it was even closer than it is because I thought I would be able to exit the airport onto Tamiami Trail. The car rental road from Avis, however, is after the connecter road, so I had to exit onto University Parkway. It is still pretty close; however, if you are arriving late, as I was, the Marriott Courtyard and Hyatt Place are even closer. They are located directly across University Parkway from the airport exit. You do not even need to drive on University Parkway; you can go straight through the stoplight when exiting the airport. I would have chosen one of those hotels instead, if I had done better research beforehand!