Stay Report: Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Houston Intercontinental Airport (Texas - September 2019)

Stay Report: Fairfield Inn Houston IAH Airport

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I fly out of Houston Intercontinental a lot, especially for long-haul travel, so usually when I travel I like to arrive the day before my flight to get a proper rest and ensure that I am ready for my flight.  There are many hotels in and around IAH airport and I have tried many of them trying to find a good one that I can consistently use.  I am looking for a nice and clean hotel that has good rooms, decent service, usually allows a later checkout (since the flights are later in the afternoon/evening) and free parking; complimentary breakfast is a bonus.  While this list is basic, it has been a struggle finding a decent hotel that fits this criteria (you can see reviews of my previous stays on this blog).  I was traveling internationally in September out of Houston so needed a hotel, and all the places that I have normally stayed were either sold out or ridiculously expensive.  The only decent hotel that was affordable was the Fairfield Inn Houston IAH Airport.  I have stayed at Fairfield Inn's before and they are a mixed bag - some of them are nice but some of them look like upgraded motels and that is what I am looking for - so based on this I was hesitant to stay but it was only one night so I went ahead and booked it.

Booking and managing the hotel was very easy through the Marriott website and the Marriott app.  The morning of my arrival I was offered the chance to check into my room through the app, but I decided to wait until I got to the hotel.  The hotel is located off the same road as the airport, but on the other side and is set a bit back from the street so it is a bit secluded (and surrounded by trees, so does not look all that safe especially at night).  The hotel shares a parking lot and compound with a TownePlace Suites (also by Marriott) and it was a bit confusing as to which way the Fairfield Inn was and where the main entrance to the hotel was.  As soon as you entered the hotel, you can tell that the hotel had been updated and modernized as everything look updated and new.  As you entered into the lobby, on your right was the sitting area for lounging as well as the sitting area for the breakfast in the morning.  Further ahead on the left was the check-in counter, and then continuing down was the business center on the right and the elevators to the left.  Like I said, the lobby looked updated and modern and fresh so it gave a nice first impression to the hotel.  Check-in was quick, I received my key and took the elevator up to my room.

The hallway to my room was very long so it seemed like the hotel is very large and expansive.  After I finally got to my room and opened the door, there was a bathroom on right hand side and a closet on the left.  The bathroom was standard with a sink, a toilet and a tub but the size was large and it was spacious.  The bathroom also had towels and bathroom toiletries from Paul Mitchell.  The closet was spacious and had options to hang or shelves to store the items, and there was an iron and ironing board in the closet as well.  Further into the room, there were two double beds on side of the room with a nightstand in the middle.   Across from the beds was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top, as well as safe on the bottom.  There was a desk next to the chest and then next to the desk was a stand with the fridge at the bottom and microwave and coffee maker on top.  The room provided a lot of amenities for the guests to enjoy, it was spacious, the beds were large and comfortable to sleep in, and overall it was a nice and comfortable room. 

Fairfield Inn has some standard amenities for the guests to enjoy at all its hotels including complimentary parking, complimentary wifi, complimentary breakfast, and a fitness center.  This hotel had all that plus a business center, with complimentary printing, as well as meeting rooms.  The fitness center was in an odd location, right next to guest rooms, but was spacious and had tons of equipment and room to work out.  The parking was vast (although you may not want to park right next to the forest); the wifi was complimentary and fast enough to stream videos and check email; and the breakfast was a standard complimentary hotel breakfast which means it was not fantastic but had decent options for an average breakfast.  As my expectations were low, the quantity and quality of amenities that the hotel had far exceeded my expectations and I was pleasantly surprised.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by my stay at the Fairfield Inn IAH Airport.  Based on my previous experiences with the brand, I was not sure what to expect so I kept my expectations low; however, my expectations were far exceeded by the hotel.  The spacious rooms, the updated decor, the comfortable beds, the decent breakfast, and the location right next to the airport were all pleasant aspects; and I cannot think of a negative aspect of the hotel.  I will definitely stay here again and hopefully I have the same great experience as I did this time.