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

Rolla, Missouri: Holiday Inn Express

August 2023, Sunday night, king guestroom 322

View of Gateway Arch in St Louis from our car

We stayed at this hotel for just one night on our way south several weeks ago. I do not remember much about the stay, so it must have been okay, with no delightful or negative experiences. I have a few photos, so I am sharing those, along with the few things I do recall for sure. 

Guestroom 322 in Holiday Inn Express Rolla, Missouri

The hotel is next to I-44, with easy access to and from the expressway. It is about 1½ hours south of St Louis and Six Flags. I had also considered the Holiday Inn near Six Flags for our stop, but decided against that hotel because I thought it might have more families. I have nothing against families or children, although I do think traveling business guests tend to be quieter neighbors. The next morning, I was glad we had not chosen the Holiday Inn, because there was a fire at that hotel overnight. I do not think anyone got hurt; however, I imagine being displaced in the middle of the night must have been an ordeal for those guests.

Joplin, Missouri: Home2Suites by Hilton

August 2023, two nights, weeknights, guestroom 328

Sunset from guestroom 328 in Home2Suites Joplin, Missouri

Arrival experience and diamond perks

I was not impressed with my arrival experience at this hotel. I was told that all of the guestrooms are suites, so there are no upgrades for diamond members. I realize all rooms are suites; however, there are also nicer rooms than the basic suites, and I have received upgrades at this type of hotel in other locations (Kalamazoo, Michigan, for one). The agent also implied that because this was my first stay at this property, I am not a real diamond member. Although she did not actually say that, she made me feel that way by telling me that regular diamond members all check in beforehand, and choose their rooms. As if they know what to do, and I don't! 😳 Well, I had looked at the app several times after check-in became available, and it never showed any rooms on the top floor in good locations, nor any upgrades. You can tell by looking at the diagram at the end of this post, that there are a few larger rooms in this hotel. I was able to get one of the few diamond parking spots every time I returned to the hotel, so it did not appear as though there were that many diamond members in the hotel. This is also the first time an employee at a Hilton hotel has told me that as a diamond member, I could not have any complimentary bottled water.

Guestroom 328 in Home2Suites Joplin, Missouri

Guestroom 328

This hotel has four floors, and I received a room on floor three, near the end of the hall. My room was assigned when I checked in at the front desk. The guestroom was comfortable, clean, and quiet. I did not mind that I had not received an upgrade; I just did not like the way the front desk agent spoke to me. For those of you who do not know me--I am usually pretty easy going! I treat people with respect, and I speak in a polite manner.