July 2018, Weekday, 1-night, Two-queen guestroom 305
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| Sunrise from Hampton Inn guestroom 305 |
For this trip, I initially wanted to stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Kendallville. I was unable to make a reservation online after July 17, 2018, so I called IHG to find out if the hotel was closing or what was happening. The employee I spoke with did not know anything. She transferred my call to someone at the hotel, who made my reservation. I provided my IHG member number, so I expected the reservation to show under my profile the next day. When it did not show up, I called the hotel back to ask direct questions. I found out the hotel was being transferred/purchased by a new chain. The person I spoke with said she thought it would be Choice Hotels, but did not know for sure. It seems like IHG would have known this property was leaving their brand. I decided to cancel my reservation in Kendallville a few days before July 17th, as the hotel still showed under the IHG profile, and it was not listed under Choice Hotels. When I drove by the hotel in Kendallville on my way to Auburn, Indiana, I saw that the hotel in Kendallville is now a Best Western.
Hampton Inn gold perks and Auburn check-in
I received my choice of two snacks when I checked in at the hotel. The room I was initially assigned was not on the top floor. My profile and special requests are for top floor, so I asked if there was a top floor room available. The employee said she did not have a king guestroom on the top floor, although there was a queen room available, so I said I would take that.
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| Diagram from back of guestroom door |
Guestroom 305
This is a basic guestroom near the end of the hall on the top floor. It contained two beds, a work desk and chair, flatscreen TV, low chest that doubled as a suitcase bench, microwave, and small fridge. The lighting in the room was kind of dim.
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| Guestroom 305 |
The bed was comfortable and clean. The bathroom is a decent size. Bath amenities and good quality towels were provided. A single serve coffee maker was set up in the bathroom.
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| Bathroom in guestroom 305 |
This guestroom is in a fairly quiet area in regards to guest noise from the hall, although be aware that if traffic noise bothers you, the windows are not soundproof.
I had a problem with the guestroom door, which I did not realize until I left the guestroom for breakfast the next morning. I flipped the safety latch on the door after I entered the room, although the deadbolt lock would not turn (yes, I usually use both). I thought the deadbolt must have been broken, and did not think any more about it that evening, since the other one worked. When I left the guestroom the next morning, I pulled the door shut behind me, as I always do to make sure it latches shut, and it did not latch. I tried pulling hard/slamming the door, and it still did not latch. That is when I realized why the deadbolt lock had not worked the night before. I let the front desk agent know about the problem, and the door in this guestroom has been fixed since my stay. The agent expressed empathy when I made her aware of the situation, and she offered me a Starbucks gift card. I also received an email from the manager after my stay telling me that the door had been misaligned and is now fixed.
Food & Beverage
Breakfast is included with the room rate, and it included typical Hampton Inn fare: fold-over scrambled eggs, cereals, cut fruit, and old-fashioned oatmeal. I do not recall having any breakfast meat, so it must not have been something I prefer. I usually go for non-greasy breakfast meats, like Canadian bacon, ham, chicken sausage, or turkey bacon.
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| Shrimp dinner from Cebolla's Mexican Grill
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There are a couple of restaurants within walking distance of this hotel: Buffalo Wild Wings, Cracker Barrel, and Cebolla's Mexican Grill. I picked up a to-go order from the grill before I checked into the hotel. The service was quite slow. I stood in the host area for over three minutes when I arrived before I was greeted, and then I waited longer than expected for my food. The dinner was pretty good, although the chips were not. Surprising, from a Mexican Grill.
Misc.
The Hampton Inn is located on the west side of I-69. There are more restaurants and dining options on the east side of the interstate, as well. I chose the Hampton Inn because I am saving Hilton points right now, and I was going to be traveling west in the morning when I departed.
Let me know, if you have any questions!
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