Alexandria, Minnesota -- Holiday Inn

Status perks and check-in

At check-in, I received a bag with a granola bar, mints, and bottled water. I also received a coupon for a couple of dollars off an entree or salad, and a $4 off beverage coupon for the bar. I liked that the beverage coupon had a value so I could use it to upgrade to a better beverage and pay the difference. Often, this type of coupon only covers bar wine or draft beer, which is not my preference. The front desk agent thanked me for being a loyal customer and used my name!

Guestroom

This is an older property with only two floors and no elevator. I like to use the stairs; however, not to carry my luggage up when I arrive. I was glad there were interior hallways and entrance doors. I received a king-bed room on the second floor in the middle of the hall. I had requested a high floor corner room online when I made reservation, and I noticed these comments were printed on the sheet I initialed at check-in. Although my room was not a corner room, it did appear to be in a quieter wing of the hotel. This property has an inside pool/play area with rooms around the perimeter overlooking the pool area. Since my stay was for work, I was glad that I did not have a pool room. 


Even though this is an older building, they did a pretty good job updating it. There was a flat screen TV in the guestroom, and the carpet, furniture, curtains, bathroom floor, and shower curtain looked new. The bathroom was so small, I was not able to get a picture showing the tile floor and new curved shower rod and curtain. The vanity extended the length of the wall, so there was plenty of counter space. There was barely room to enter the bathroom and shut the door. The door just about hits the toilet seat when opening and closing. 

The bedroom also contained a fridge, microwave, and suitcase bench. The wireless Internet speed was fantastic (in the evening and the next morning), although the desk chair was not very comfortable. The exterior windows did not open. The bed was  great - it was one of the most comfortable Holiday Inn beds I have slept in! 

Food & Beverage

I arrived after 8 p.m. on a Sunday, and the front desk agent told me that food would be served until 9 p.m. Since it was so late, I decided to just order a House Salad to take back to my room. I was impressed with the quality of the salad and dressing. The ingredients were fresh, and the menu said the dressings are homemade. The Blue Cheese dressing was excellent! Breakfast the next morning was also good. Jenna provided excellent service. I liked that she introduced herself and left my check when she served the food. The eggs were fresh and non-greasy.

Fitness center

I was happy with the fitness center for the most part. It is located in the pool area and was open from 6 a.m. - 11 p.m. There was a sign on the door stating that guests must be 16 or over, and I needed a special fitness center key to access the room. There were 4 cardio machines, a weight machine, and weights in the room. I did not have any trouble finding an available treadmill, and the flat screen TV worked great. The TV channel line up was printed on a paper that was taped to each machine, which I thought was a nice touch since I like to watch the local news when traveling. The temperature was a little too warm after 15 minutes, and there were no cups at the water cooler.

Business center

There is a small room with one computer and printer near the front desk. I printed a document in the morning, and all the equipment worked well.

Overall

When I first arrived at this property, I was afraid I would be disappointed when I saw that this is an older building with only two floors. As it turned out, I was quite happy with the sleep quality, the food quality, and the staff was great. The tiled floor areas of the hotel (front desk, bar, stairways, ice machine areas) looked great, although I was surprised they had not replaced the lobby and hallway carpet. The carpeting was old and dingy looking. I was worried about the carpet in my room when I first arrived, so I was glad when I got to my room and saw that the carpet was new. I would stay at this hotel again, when traveling in this area.

Salt Lake City, Utah / SLT airport hotel -- Holiday Inn & Suites West

Status perks

I was upgraded to the Presidential Suite! The sign on the door actually said, "King Executive," although the front desk agent called it the Presidential Suite. I also receive one bottled water and a breakfast coupon.

Room

view from the door

The large room included a fridge, microwave, couch, chair, flat screen TV, desk and chair, and fireplace. The large bathroom had a whirlpool tub, which looked out to the flat screen TV, a walk in tile shower, and separate tile toilet area. The suite was spacious and comfortable. All the photos in this blog are room photos, even though they are not all loaded under this heading. The wireless Internet connection in the evening was quite slow, and I did not see a cable outlet available. The wireless connection speed was satisfactory in the morning.

Food & Beverage

view toward living room and shower

I had food and beverages in the lounge, and I had breakfast in the restaurant the next morning. The food quality of both meals was excellent as was the breakfast service. I had flash fried calamari in the evening, and it was some of the best quality I have had. I was disappointed that it was only served with marinara sauce (which I do not like) and the menu said it would also be served with pesto mayonnaise and lemon (which I wanted).

Fitness center

whirlpool tub

There were four cardio machines and weights in the room, which worked great. Other than the fact that the room temperature was quite warm (it was next to the pool), I was happy with the fitness center. I did not see hours posted, and it was open when I visited at 5:30 am.

Business center

walk in shower across from tub

There were two computers in a small area next to the front desk. I was able to access a computer to print a couple documents at two different times without any trouble.

Overall

I had originally booked a room at the Hilton next door because I found a great AAA rate. In the past, when I have stayed at a Hilton with Gold status, I have either been upgraded to the executive floor, or at least given access to the lounge. I waited 45 minutes at the airport for the Hilton shuttle (it is supposed to arrive every 20 minutes), and then when I got to the hotel, I was given a room on the middle floor, and the agent said I could not have access to the Club room. Since I give up extra Hilton bonus points by choosing the upgrade option, I was not too happy when the agent would not let me have Club access. I sat down in the lobby and called the Holiday Inn & Suites. The employee who answered the telephone said she would match the Hilton rate, give me a suite (I thought regular suite), and breakfast, so I returned my keys to the Hilton front desk and walked next door. One of the best decisions I have made! I heard another guest in the bar that evening say that he'd been upgraded to the King Executive room before also, so it sounds like this hotel has a good track record with upgrades.

Evanston, Wyoming -- Holiday Inn Express

Status Perks

I received a goody bag with bottled water, an apple, and a granola bar. My status and current points balance was written on my key packet, and the agent thanked me for being a Platinum member at check-in. She said I had been upgraded to a suite; however, I had actually reserved a suite.

Room 

I received a room on the top floor, which I had requested on my reservation. The large suite contained a good sized fridge and microwave, comfortable couch, and chair and foot stool, as well as a desk and chair. The alarm on the clock did not work (I double checked the time and settings), so I was glad I had also set my phone alarm as a back up. The coffee maker also did not work. When I called the front desk at 4:00 am, the agent immediately brought a new coffee maker to my room, which worked great. The Internet connection speed was great--wireless and cable. The large window opened, which I prefer to A/C. I could hear traffic from the expressway with the window open; however, I prefer that noise to the noise of guests and doors opening and closing in the hall. The exterior walls are quite soundproof because I could not hear the traffic with the window shut.

Food & Beverage
Cookies were available at the front desk in the afternoon. Breakfast was the standard HIX fare, and cold items were available before the breakfast start time of 6 am.

Business center

I was able to use the business center to print documents without any trouble. I never had to wait, and did not have any trouble with the printer. I was glad to see a stapler in the room, although it didn't work to staple more than a few pages.

Fitness center

I was happy with the fitness center other than the fact that it did not open until 6 am. There were five cardio machines, weights, and a weight machine. The temperature was comfortable, cold water and sani wipes were available, and the TV worked well.

Overall
Staff was very helpful, and I was comfortable at this hotel. I would stay here again when visiting this area. I received a 10% discount at the Italian restaurant in front of the hotel for being a HIX customer.

Jackson, Wyoming - Homewood Suites

Status perks

I received a letter with my points balance and status at check-in. There was a bottle of water and package of cookies in my room.

Guestroom

I stayed in a king suite, which is the room type I reserved. My room was on the top floor at the end of the hall, which matches the requests in my profile. The room was the smallest extended stay suite I have ever stayed in, and the best online rate I could find was over $300. I think the room size and rate were typical for this resort town in July.  Even though the suite did not have as much room as most Homewood Suites I have stayed in, it was laid out well and met my needs. I think anyone staying at this hotel who does not have prior experience with extended stay properties would be very pleased with the size of the suite.

There was a fireplace in the living room area, and the kitchen contained a full size fridge, a range top, and a small dishwasher. The bathroom was a nice size with a large walk in tile shower. There was no tub. The sink area was outside the bathroom.

I did not arrive at the hotel until late in the evening, and needed to leave early the next morning, so I was not at the property very long. I contacted the manager before my stay, and was able to negotiate a rate for less than $300 that my employer was much happier with.

Food & Beverage

I stayed on a Sunday night, so there was not an evening reception. In the morning I left before hot breakfast was served; however, the front desk employees offered cold items.

Business Center

There was a small business center behind the front desk, which I did not use.

Fitness Center

Although the fitness center did not open until 7 am, employees were happy to let me in at 5 am. The room was small, and the tread mill was kind of noisy, which made it difficult to hear the morning news. The smallest weights available were 10 lb, and I usually like to use 5 lb weights. The room temperature was comfortable. Guests also have access to a more complete fitness center next door, which I did not use.

Overall

I try to stay at hotel chains where I have status and earn points, and of the hotel rewards programs I frequent most often (HHonors, IHG, and Marriott), I was surprised that the HS was the only hotel choice in this area.

Misc. and overall

I was extremely happy with the staff and bed comfort. The two bathrobes and safe in the bedroom closet were a pleasant surprise. One thing I never understand when I stay in an extended stay property, is the dishes in the dishwasher that need to be put away. At the end of my stays, I always load and start the dishwasher with any dishes I used before I check out. I would think housekeeping would then put them away for the next guest. The dishwasher in my room was full of clean dishes--plates, cups, glasses, silverware, etc. I don't think it should be up to me to put these items away. Especially when I only used one glass, one cup, and the coffee pot during my stay.

Key Largo, Fl -- Holiday Inn

Since I stated in my review of the Hilton that I was unhappy at the Holiday Inn, and I want to be fair, I am providing some facts about our stay in December 2008.

Status perks

As a Platinum member, I did not receive a room upgrade. I heard a guest before me who was complaining receive an upgraded room; however, the agent told me he could not give upgrades. This hotel did not offer complimentary coffee in the lobby, like most Holiday Inns, and I received two coupons for coffee. I do not recall for sure if we received coupons for breakfast the next morning, although I do not think it was complimentary. We checked in for two nights and departed after one, and I did not have any extra coupons when we checked out.

Room

We received a second (top) floor room with two double beds (there were three of us) facing the parking lot. There was no elevator or interior hall. This is an old building, and the rooms had not been remodeled at the time of our stay. The tiny bathroom included a tub/shower combination and toilet. There was barely enough room to step behind the door in order to shut it and use the toilet--and we are small people! The vanity/sink area was outside the bathroom along the wall. There was a small round table with two chairs next to the entrance door. The HVAC unit was the old noisy style on the outside wall under the window.

Pool

The pool area was the one thing we liked about this property. There were two pools in a tropical setting with a Tiki bar in between them. There were an ample amount of comfortable lounge chairs. We sat at the Tiki bar for Happy Hour that afternoon.

Overall

There are marina view rooms at this hotel, which are in a different building, with more floors. From the outside, the rooms looked nicer than the room we had. I had hoped to receive that type of room when we checked in, although I probably would have been happy with a pool view room. Our room overlooking the parking lot was dingy and old. We could have reserved a marina view room; however, since we could stay at the upscale Hilton resort for less, I don't understand why anyone would want to do that. I had made a huge mistake by not comparing the rates more closely before this stay.

Key Largo, Florida -- Hilton Resort

We stayed at this resort in December 2008 on our way north from Key West. 

Gold perks

I received two breakfast and two beverage coupons.

Guestroom

We received a room with two double beds on the bottom floor overlooking the beach. I don't usually like bottom floor rooms; however, the water view room was an upgrade from the least expensive room I had booked. And, we needed two beds because there were three of us. The beach photo was taken from our patio.

Food & Beverage

We had lunch at the beach bar, which is slightly visible in the beach photo beyond the picnic tables. We were happy with the service and food. Our son bought us dinner in the restaurant that evening, which was great. It's always better when someone else is paying! We dined on a covered patio, which was an extension of the restaurant overlooking the beach and water. Breakfast was also very good. We were able to use our coupons to order from the a la carte menu. There was a pool bar, where we did not eat; however, we redeemed our free beverage coupons there. I do not recall the beverage we received; it was some kind of tropical lime drink. 

Pool & Beach

There was a waterfall in the pool, and the area was surrounded with tropical flowers and palm trees. The mesh lounge chairs were comfortable and clean. Outdoor massages were available—for a charge—under the waterfall. There were many lounge chairs at the pools (we only visited the main pool in the photo), on the beach, and on a long dock near the beach bar. Guests were also fishing from the dock, and we saw manatees the day we were there. Free water toys and beach games were available, as well as many activities for purchase. This is a large resort with many things to do onsite, including walking trails. 

Overall

We loved this resort, and would definitely stay again. We were glad the food and beverage prices were reasonable, because there are not any restaurants within walking distance. There are many nearby, just not by foot. 

We had originally booked a two-night stay at the Holiday Inn just down the road from the Hilton resort. I was so unhappy with the HI room, service, and lack of perks (as a Platinum member), that as soon as we got to our room, I looked up nearby hotels online and found this Hilton for the same price as the Holiday Inn! My only regret was not booking two nights at the Hilton and leaving the Holiday Inn immediately instead of staying one night.

Auburn Hills, MI - Hilton Suites

Status perks
My status was Gold at the time of this stay, and I received two complete breakfast coupons at check-in. We also received automatic turndown service that evening, which was a nice surprise. Turndown service included a chocolate bar, and two standard size bottles of water.

Guestroom
We really liked the two-room suite. The living area included a couch, chair, footstool, coffee table, 42" flat screen TV, desk and chair, good sized fridge, microwave, and sink. 

There was a second 42" flat screen TV in the bedroom. The bedroom had two doors; one from the living room, and one from the bathroom. The bed was comfortable, and we did not hear any noise from other guests while in the bedroom. The neighbors across the hall were quite noisy during the day when we were seated in the living area; however, we did hear anything after we went to bed that evening. 


The large bathroom included a long vanity and tub/shower combination. The water was hot right out of the tap every time I turned it on. I never had to wait for it to warm up. 





Internet service was complimentary for all HHonors members, and the signal strength was excellent.

Food & Beverage

The service in the bar in the center of the atrium style lobby was excellent, although the beverage choices did not appeal to me. Brut champagne was not available, and the margarita was very sweet. 

Breakfast service the next morning was confusing. It was not clear where to enter the restaurant or whether we were supposed to seat ourselves. We stood by the podium a few minutes, before an employee told us to sit anywhere. We ordered from the menu and waited over 20 minutes for our food. The meal was served hot and was good quality; however, it was quite greasy. The potatoes had been cooked in a lot of butter, and the ham was fatty. Since we were not paying for our meal (other than the tip), and were not in a hurry, this did not present too much of a problem for us. If I'd had this experience on a morning when I was working, or I had been paying for the meal, I do not think I would have been too happy. There is a Burger King and McDonalds less than one mile from the hotel; however, I did not observe any other breakfast options.

Pool
The pool area looked clean and was well maintained except for the entrance door. My husband tried to use the hot tub in the morning, and the door would not open. The hours were not posted, so he returned to the guestroom thinking that it was not open yet. A short time later, I went down to use the fitness center, which is inside the pool area. The door was ajar, so I was able to enter with no trouble. The door had shut behind me, and when I finished, I was unable to open the door. After trying to exit several times, I called my husband on  my cell phone and asked him to call the front desk. I kept trying to open the door while I was talking with him, and it finally opened. There is a large outside balcony with a seating area next to the pool area.

Fitness center
The fitness center contained several cardio machines and weights. I did not see any posted hours for the fitness center.

Overall
I received an excellent AAA rate of $80 at this hotel. The sleep quality was good, and I was happy with the room and the staff. I would definitely stay at this hotel again. I observed a hotel shuttle out front, and the hotel information online says that the hotel provides shuttle service within a five mile radius.