Sterling Heights, Michigan: Staybridge Suites

December 2023, weekend, one night, king studio 303

Adjoining room next to breakfast room in Staybridge Suites Sterling Heights

Reservations, arrival, platinum perks

I made an online reservation for a king studio guestroom at this hotel with points. The hotel parking lot and lobby seemed very busy when we arrive shortly after check-in time. We waited briefly behind another guest, and then the agent quickly checked us in. I received an amenity bag with a small Kind granola bar, small pack of Cheez-it crackers, and two small bottles of water. The agent sincerely thanked me for my loyalty, and 500 bonus points posted to my account after we got to the guestroom.

Guestroom 303 in Staybridge Suites Sterling Heights, Michigan

King studio guestroom 303

This hotel has four floors, and we were happy with this 3rd floor guestroom. The room is located almost at the end of the hall, and it was quite soundproof. Even though the windows faced the parking lot and M-53, we did not hear any outside noise.

Guestroom 303 in Staybridge Suites Sterling Heights, Michigan

Bloomington, Indiana: Homewood Suites

November 2023, weekdays, two nights, king one bedroom guestroom #423

Arrival and diamond perks

When I checked the app after receiving my check-in notification a couple of days before arrival, there were only two guestroom choices available: a king studio on the bottom floor, and one on floor 3. I decided to cancel the check-in process, and then checked the app again the morning of my arrival. That morning, I had been upgraded to a king bedroom on the top floor. I completed check-in, and then arrived at the hotel around check-in time. I received a bag with two bottles of water and snacks.

One bedroom king #423 in Homewood Suites Bloomington, Indiana

Guestroom 423

This is a standard one bedroom guestroom for Homewood Suites. It is on the side of the building facing I-69.  The windows were fairly well sound-proofed, so the traffic noise did not bother us much. 

One bedroom king #423 in Homewood Suites Bloomington, Indiana

The kitchen and living area contained a full size fridge, stovetop, microwave, single cup coffeemaker with supplies, dishwasher, small dining table with two chairs, a sofa, soft chair, end and coffee tables, large flatscreen TV on an armoire, and a work desk and chair. The work desk area was comfortable for working, and the internet connection was good. We stayed two nights, and the internet in this hotel disconnected me 24 hours after we had arrived, while I was inputting data! Grrr! I hate it when that happens.

One bedroom king #423 in Homewood Suites Bloomington, Indiana

San Antonio, Texas: Hampton Inn & Suites Riverwalk, Dining, Attractions

October 2023, weekdays, two nights, king suite 727

Reservations, arrival, diamond perks

I had two reservations for this stay, because one night was a paid stay, and the other night was a points redemption. The same guestroom type was not available both nights, so I had to reserve two different room types. I wanted to reserve a [king] balcony room; however, since a balcony room was not available, I reserved a Jr. suite with a king bed, and a Queen double. I called the hotel a few days ahead of time to make sure the stays were linked together, and to check the availability of a balcony guestroom. Although there were no balcony guestrooms available, the agent told me she could assign us the same Jr. suite for both nights, so we would not need to change rooms. She said this would probably be on floor 3. 

Hampton Inn San Antonio Riverwalk guestroom diagram;
star is location of guestroom 727

When I checked in on the app the next day, the only available guestroom choices were as the agent had stated; guestrooms 320 and 321. On floor 3, guestroom 320 overlooks the roof of the building next door, and 321 sets back in the building corner. I chose guestroom 320 to complete the check-in process. We had to go to the front desk when we arrived to complete check-in, because we needed an elevator key. The agent did not say anything about my guestroom location or type, although she did say something about it being the room I had chosen when I checked in on the app. Imagine my delight when she handed me a key for guestroom 727! We had been upgraded to a one-bedroom suite in a much better location. I also received bottled water and snacks.

Hampton Inn and Home2Suites San Antonio Riverwalk
Above, view from Hampton Inn guestroom 727 

I had a difficult time choosing a hotel and guestroom, so I am sharing a couple photos of the hotel and guestroom diagrams with labeled details. The Hampton Inn is located in the same building as Home2Suites. I originally chose Home2Suites, because we like the roominess and full kitchen that brand offers; however, I changed to the Hampton Inn, because it did not look like the Home2Suites guestrooms had balconies. Both hotels do have balcony rooms, although there are more balcony guestrooms in the Hampton Inn, and these rooms are also closer to the river.

King one-bedroom suite #727 in Hampton Inn San Antonio Riverwalk

Cuero, Texas: Holiday Inn Express and Suites

October 2023, weeknight, king studio guestroom 211

Reservations, arrival, platinum perks

The rates at this hotel were reasonable, and the check-in process went smoothly. Platinum bonus points posted to my account right away.

Holiday Inn Express guestroom 211 in Cuero, Texas 

Guestroom 211

This guestroom is located on the second floor of this three-story hotel. It is on the front side of the building overlooking the parking lot and pool.

Holiday Inn Express guestroom 211 in Cuero, Texas 

Harrison, Michigan: Wilson State Park

October 2023, weekday, one night, campsite #3

View from inside camper on campsite 3 in Wilson State Park

Arrival and check-in

This was a brief last minute one night stay for us, and we did not make an advance reservation. We arrived a bit before the 3PM check-in time. Staff happily let us pick our site, as well as checked us in. 

Campsite 3 in Wilson State Park

Campsite #3

This campsite is a very large grassy site, and the view overlooks the lake somewhat. Since we were just staying one night, and leaving in the morning, we did not want to spend time with camp set up. This site is large enough, and level enough, that we were able to park without unhooking our truck from the trailer. The power box is quite a ways away (on the edge of sites 3 and 4), and we had to use two cords.

Campsite 3 in Wilson State Park
Below: fire rings on sites 2 and 3; small tree in between is on lot line

Kalamazoo, Michigan: Markin Glen County Park

September 2023, 3 nights, weeknights, campsite 27

Overlooking playground and beach area in Markin Glen Campground

Reservations and arrival

It is easy to make a reservation at this campground via phone, and the cost to camp for a full hook-up site is fair. Our arrival experience was a bit unpleasant, as we arrived shortly before the 3:00 PM check-in time, and were told we had to wait in the parking lot, or return after 3:00. Since we arrived on a Tuesday, and the campsites had all been vacated and cleared, this seemed ridiculous. Another camper arrived at 2:55 PM, and also pulled into the parking area to wait 5 minutes. 😳 At least the staff member had processed our paperwork when we arrived, so we did not have to go back out and enter the check-in line at 3:00 PM. Apparently, a lot of people thought Tuesday was a good day to arrive, as we observed a couple of campers in line, when we drove from the picnic area parking lot to our campsite. 

Campsite 27 in Markin Glen Campground

Campsite 27

Campsite 27 is the very last site on the outer loop. It is a grassy, private, and beautiful site. We got some rain during our stay, and this site floods a bit on the cement pad. 

Campsite 27 in Markin Glen Campground

Irish Hills/Tipton, Michigan: JaDo Park Campground

September 2023, Sunday and Monday night, campsite #5

Reservations and arrival

The park website is not great for making reservations or choosing campsites. I contacted the campground via email to ask a couple of questions, and then I called to make our reservation. Apparently, the only non-primitive campsites that are not seasonal, are sites 1 through 5. These sites have water and 50 amp hookup. Site 5 looked like the most spacious and secluded from what I could see on the map drawing and google maps, so I asked if we could have that site. That is the site we were assigned when we arrived.

View from campsites 5 in JaDo Park Campground

Campsite #5

We thought site 5 was the best campsite of sites 1 through 5. The campground was mostly empty the first night of our stay. There was a camper on site 4 when we arrived, and a tenter arrived on site 3 the second night of our stay. We noticed few seasonal campers arrive/return the second night of our stay.

Campsites (#5 above) from entrance drive in JaDo Park Campground

Caseville, Michigan: Caseville County Park

 September 2023, three nights, weekday-weekend, campsite #72

Sunset over Saginaw Bay in Caseville County Park

This was our first stay in this campground, and our first visit to the thumb area. We chose the county park instead of one of the state parks, because it is close to town (we wanted to visit Thumb Brewery), and I had read good things about the beach area.

Reservations, arrival, and check-in

It was pretty easy to make our reservation on the Huron County website. The off season rate for water and 50 amp power was $38 a night. There was no reservation fee. We arrived in the afternoon shortly before 3:00 PM, and were able to easily check in. Since we needed to empty our holding tanks, we had to do a little loop and then reenter the campground after we checked in. The sanitation station is next to the park exit. 

View from campsite 72 in Caseville County Park

Campsite 72

We chose this site because it is an end lot, and our front camper window would be facing the water. We had a great view when we arrived, and a partial view after the motorhome parked on the site across the street from us.

Campsite 72 in Caseville County Park

Campsite 72 is long and quite narrow. Our truck in the photo above is parked on the edge of the site. The fire pit is located behind the camper, closer to campsite 47. Even though the site is long, there is a large tree near the back, which prevents campers from backing in all the way. The park wifi came in at this site. My understanding is that this is located at the pavilion/picnic area, and does not come in throughout the park. When I checked in, the staff member told me that the person on campsite 47 chooses that site so she can use the internet.

Warren, Ohio: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Youngstown North (Warren/Niles)

Weekday, one night, king guestroom #331

Fountain in outside courtyard in Holiday Inn Express & Suites Youngstown N (Warren/Niles)

Arrival and platinum perks

We received a great welcome and platinum perks at this hotel: upgraded room, bottled water, and snacks. 

King guestroom 331

Unfortunately, I did not take any photos of the guestroom. It was the usual Holiday Inn Express type room, except that it was by far, one of the cleanest, quietest, and most comfortable rooms I have ever had.

Whirlpool tub in Holiday Inn Express & Suites Youngstown N (Warren/Niles)

Honor, Michigan: Platte River Campground in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park

September 2023, Sunday - Tuesday, two nights, campsite 221

This was a last minute stay for us, at the end of Labor Day weekend, so our campsite choices were limited. We were glad to have been a part of the trial group for the new notification system being tested, so we received an email when there was a cancelation. Campsite 221 is not a campsite we would choose again, if we had had more options to choose from. It is not an awful campsite; there are just many better sites in the campground.

Campsite 221 in Platte River National Park Campground

The area around the camper is somewhat private on this site; however, the main area where the table and fire pit are located is not the greatest. 

Florence, Kentucky: Staybridge Suites Cincinatti South

August 2023, weeknight, one night, king studio suite #302

King studio #302 in Staybridge Suites Cincinnati South

Arrival and platinum perks

We received no welcome or status recognition at this hotel. In fact, our room had not even been preassigned when we arrived after check-in time. The 500 platinum points automatically posted to my account after check-in.

King studio #302 in Staybridge Suites Cincinnati South

Maryland Heights, Missouri: Staybridge Suites St Louis-Westport

 August 2023, weeknight, one night, king 1-bedroom suite #322

King suite 322 in Staybridge Suites Westport--St. Louis

Arrival and platinum perks

We received a great welcome at this hotel, along with an upgrade from a queen studio guestroom to a one-bedroom king suite.

King suite 322 in Staybridge Suites Westport--St. Louis

Guestroom 322

This guestroom was the cleanest and most comfortable guestroom we stayed in this trip. The hotel was actually a few miles out of our way; however, when I was looking for hotels just south of St. Louis, this looked like one of the best options. We were happy with our decision to choose this hotel!

London, Kentucky: Fairfield Inn & Suites

August 2023, one night, king guestrom 226

Sharing photos and a bit of information from our stay in London, Kentucky a few weeks ago!

Guestroom 226 in Fairfield Inn & Suites, London Kentucky

Guestroom 226

The guestroom was comfortable, spacious, and clean. I do not know how old this hotel is; it appeared to be fairly new.

Guestroom 226 in Fairfield Inn & Suites, London Kentucky

I like that the guestroom was at the end of the hall where it is usually quieter. I almost always request this in my reservation comments. Staff at this hotel had read my requests before we arrived.

Breakfast at Fairfield Inn & Suites, London Kentucky