Stay Report: Seattle Airport Marriott (Seattle, WA - September 2020)

 Stay Report: Seattle Airport Marriott
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I was flying from New Orleans to Bozeman via Seattle (see report here) and was only supposed to be transiting in Seattle, but unfortunately my flight from Seattle to Bozeman was cancelled.  I was flying with Alaska Air and I went their customer service desk where I got rebooked on the next flight, given meal vouchers, and given a hotel voucher for Seattle Airport Marriott.  The hotel provides a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel so we made our way to the shuttle area to catch the shuttle.  According to the hotel, the shuttle departs every 20 minutes from the hotel to the airport and makes rounds, so your wait depends on the number of passengers getting off and various stopping points in the airport.  While the free shuttle is nice, given the hotel's size and the number of passengers, the shuttle filled up really quickly with the passengers + luggage so the hotel should think about utilizing a bigger shuttle during certain times of the day.

The shuttle took about 10 minutes to get from the airport to the hotel.  We entered the hotel lobby which had three c

heck-in desks on the right-hand side, a sitting area in the middle, and the restaurant and bathrooms off to the middle and left hand side.  As there were a lot of guests checking in, and only two check-in desks open, there were lines at each of the stations and guests were supposed to socially distance while standing in line (although this was not monitored nor enforced by staff).  Once I got to the front, my check-in process was very quick as I was only going to be there for less than 12hrs.  Once I received my key, I was given instructions on how to get to the room and they seemed more complicated than necessary; apparently the hotel has two distinct and separate towers that are only connected through a second floor entryway.  The directions were somewhat clear from check-in to the room, but from the room back down to the lobby the directions were NOT clear and there were many guests roaming around trying to locate the lobby.  There were two elevators, and no other guests next to us, so it was easy to socially distance in the elevators.

It was a long walk down a hallway to get to our room and once we got there, space was a premium because it was a very tiny room.  You entered into a hallway which led into the bedroom area, and in the hallway on the left-side was a sliding door to the bathroom.  The sliding door was a nice touch but it did not slide all the way, nor stay in that position so the bathroom was never completely shut.  Inside the bathroom consisted of a sink, a toilet, and a shower as well as bathroom toiletries such as lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and towels.  The bathroom was width wise narrow but had more space lengthwise.  The hallway also contained a large entryway which could be used for those with disability assistance; we used it as storage for our luggage since the main room was compact.  Further down the hallway, on right-hand side, was an open closet with a rack and hangers, an iron and ironing board, and a luggage rack.  Continuing along with right-side of the wall, into the bedroom area, was a desk that was both a working space, a storage space, and also contained a coffee-maker on top.  That was connected to the entertainment section which contained a TV on top and a chest below with drawers and a fridge; the TV was a smart TV and there was a port panel on the side to connect various items to the TV.  

Across from all of this, along the left-side wall were the beds.  We had requested a room with two beds so there were two Queen beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were comfortable enough to sleep and were large enough to comfortably sleep two people.  In between the two beds was a nightstand and in between the beds and the window was a long chaise which was nice in providing extra space, but was a bit cramped in terms of space for the room.  Space was generally at a premium and on top of that there was a lot of furniture, too much in my opinion, given the size of the room.  A plus point of the room was that there were plenty of outlets and USB ports throughout the room - next to the bed, on the desk, on the nightstand, and next to the TV so you could charge as many devices as needed.

As I said, we were only there for less than 12hours so I was not able to enjoy all the facilities of the hotel.  The hotel does have complimentary wifi, there was a restaurant/bar, ice machine, a fitness center, and a business center.  The airline had provided meal vouchers so I had picked up food from the airport, but the hotel's restaurant did have late hours to accommodate late arriving passengers.  

Overall, it was an interesting stay at the Seattle Airport Marriott.  The positives were the nice clean room, the many outlets throughout the room, the comfortable beds, and the spacious grounds.  The negatives were the tiny room, too much furniture so the room felt cramped, and the lack of signage around the spacious hotel.  While it would not be my first choice, it was a nice and decent layover hotel.

Stay Report: The Adventure Inn Yellowstone (West Yellowstone, MT - September 2020)

 Stay Report: The Adventure Inn Yellowstone
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I was traveling to Yellowstone National Park and had flown into Bozeman on Alaskan Airlines (flight review here).  Since I got in late, I drove the next day to West Yellowstone which is the town right outside the Western entrance to the Park.  My plan was to spend the night in this city and then go the park in the morning as, according to my research, it was easier to get through the park's entrance in the morning.  When looking for a place to stay in West Yellowstone, the only chain hotel was a Holiday Inn and through the reviews and pictures, it did not look that good.  While searching through reviews and pictures, The Adventure Inn Yellowstone kept coming up as highly rated and reviewed so I decided to book it.  I booked the hotel through a travel website (Expedia) as I earn points with Expedia and through the app it was quite easy to book.  

The morning of my arrival date, I received a text message from the hotel which detailed all the 

information including how to access the building, the wifi details, check-in/check-out time, and other needed details.  It was the type of information that you would normally get from the check-in desk so I was a bit confused as to why I was getting this information now, but I kept it handy and proceeded to the hotel.  In the text message, it had said that the hotel is 'connected to the Westgate Auto Body at the back end of the building'; I had assumed it was a separate building so when I went to the address that is what I was looking for but instead the Westgate Auto Body and The Adventure Inn are all in the same building - the front part of the building is the Auto Body while the back of the same building is the Adventure Inn.  Its a little jarring at first impressions if you are expecting one thing and receive another, but I proceeded on.  It was then that the directions in the text message made sense as there was no check-in desk - the hotel operates more like an Airbnb in which you have your own access code to the front door and to your specific room; but there is no check-in desk and no attendant on site.

As you enter into the building, there are stairs immediately in front of you which lead upstairs to the rooms.  The ground floor contains a garage which has ice, the trash, as well as a sanitizer station by the door; note that there is no elevator to get up to the second floor and no rooms on the first floor so it may not be suitable for those with mobility issues.  We proceeded up the stairs and the doors to each room were either in front or on the left and right of us.  Our room was on the left so we turned left, enter the code, and proceeded into the room.  First impressions of the room were that it was nicely decorates, spacious, and was pleasant in terms of amenities.  You entered into the a hallway which lead into the bedroom area.  In the hallway, on the right-side, was the bathroom which contained a sink on top a long vanity table and in the adjoining room was a toilet and shower/tub.  It was spacious and was comfortable enough for the space and there were many toiletries available in the bathroom including towels, toilet paper, packs of tissue, sunscreen, lotion, shampoo, body wash, and conditioner; the additional toiletries were a nice touch.

Further down the hallway was the main bedroom.  The two double beds with a nightstand in the middle

were against one wall.  Along the other wall was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top, a fridge and a microwave, a safe, a coffee maker, an ice bucket, and a luggage rack.  The bedroom area was spacious and provided tons of space for each of the items and space to move around.  The beds were comfortable, big enough for two people, and provided a good nights sleep.  The chest had good storage space the the addition of the fridge and the microwave were a nice and welcome addition.  Because the room was so spacious, there was plenty of room for the luggage storage space as well. 

Hotel amenities included complimentary parking, complimentary wifi, complimentary ice, abundant toiletries in the room, a booklet of information in the room, and convenient location that was walking-distance to many attractions and sights.  Overall, it was a really pleasant stay at The Adventure Inn.  The spacious rooms, the nice amenities, the convenient location all made it a great stay.

Stay Report: Doubletree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Houston by the Galleria (Houston, Texas - July 2020)

Stay Report: Doubletree Hotel & Suites Houston Galleria
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

Travel around the world has been seriously diminished due to COVID-19.  Even when traveling, hotels and airlines are putting in special measures to ensure a safe and healthy travel experience.  I have been limiting my travels due to the pandemic, but recently I had to travel to Houston.  I have been to Houston many times and stayed at various hotels throughout the city, mostly in the Galleria area.  When I was looking this time, I found a good deal at the Doubletree in the Galleria area.  I have stayed here twice (see reviews here) and the experience was mixed - the rooms were nice but the service bad - but I decided to give it another try.

The hotel has gone through some renovations on the inside (and this was evident in my previous stay in 2017) and since then the only additions have been due to COVID, which included partitions around the check-in desk, markers on the floor for social distancing, wipes next to the elevator, and signs stating masks were required.  Other than that, everything was the same including how small the hotel entrance is; the layout of the hotel is such that you have the hotel building, the parking garage, and a small connector between the two.   As you enter the connector, the parking garage is to your right, the connector in the middle, and the hotel on the left; the entrance is small generally and gets more crowded once there is a rush. Both valet and self-parking are available.

The lobby itself is wide and spacious. The waiting area is right in front, while the check-in desks are to the

left and the elevators and meeting rooms are to the right.  As both the meeting rooms and elevators are in the same direction, it can become a bit crowded when there events taking place.  I have stayed at other hotels during the pandemic (see review here) and their restrictions were far more strict than what was done here.  There was no restriction on limiting the hotel to only guests so anyone could enter and exit as they please.  Also, even though the state had mandated a mask-wearing policy and the hotel had signs requesting masks be worn, there was no enforcement or verbal reminders regarding mask wearing.  In terms of social distancing, the only stickers on the floor were the ones in front of the check-in counters and they were not adhered to by most guests (nor enforced by the hotel staff).  Check-in was okay but there was no customer service aspect - no greeting, no welcoming a Hilton Honors member, and not checking the reservation before asking questions, in fact it was the bare minimum of service expected and required; even the cookies, which are normally handed out at the beginning had to be requested.  I received the key and proceeded to my room.  

The waiting area for the elevators can become crowded very quickly as there are 4 elevators all converging onto the same waiting area.  They did have wipes for guests to use to wipe down the surface, but this was at your personal preference.  Also, other hotels had enforced either a minimum number of guests in the elevators or only same-household groups in the elevators; none of that was mentioned nor enforced here and it was basically to each their own how they wanted to proceed.  Previously, given my status, I have been upgraded to a junior suite and those rooms, while outdated, are quite spacious; this time I was not upgraded so I was given a standard Doubletree room.  

As you enter the room, on the left was the bathroom which contained a toilet, a shower/tub, a sink with lots of counter space.  The bathroom was standard with standard amenities and toiletries needed to be requested from the front desk.  Further inside the room, on the left were two double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were generally comfortable, decent in size and overall good in sleep comfort.  Across from the beds, against the wall, was a console that had a TV on top, an open shelf with the coffee/tea as well as ice bucket, drawers on the bottom, a fridge on the bottom, and a small table next to it.  There was a large window across one wall and in between the window and the bed was a chaise lounge chair.  There was a lot of furniture in the room and given the amount of things in the room, the standard size of the room, and then add people to that, the room felt small and cramped and some of the furniture needed to be removed to make the room feel more open.

The hotel is full-service so there are many amenities for the guests to enjoy including a pool, a gym, meeting rooms, business center, restaurant, parking garage, and wifi.  As I said earlier, parking was a nightmare both times I stayed here; you have to pay for parking so considering it requires payment, you think they would come up with a better solution.  The gym also needs to be remodeled as its small and is located on the 3rd floor, right next to other rooms (it looks like they converted two rooms into a gym).  The business center was 3 computers in the open lobby on the other side of the check-in desks.  There was complimentary printing, but there was also a lot of noise; the wifi was complimentary and provided decent speeds.  

Overall, its an average hotel in the Galleria area.   Plus points are the location, the hotel's signature cookies, and the spacious rooms and full-size fridge in the suites.  Negatives include inconsistent and poor customer service and horrible (paid) parking situation, and particularly to covid no enforcement or adherence to public health-related guidelines.  Given the horrible parking situation, the lack of adherence to public health guidelines and overall the general lack of service provided this was my last time staying at this hotel. 

Stay Report: Doubletree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Houston by the Galleria (Houston, Texas - September 2014, 2017)

Stay Report: Doubletree Hotel & Suites Houston Galleria

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Photo courtesy of Hilton.com

As I travel often to Houston, I am always looking for a good hotel in the Galleria area. I have a special affinity to Doubletree thanks to the complimentary warm chocolate chip cookies they provide. There is a Doubletree hotel in the Galleria area and I have stayed here twice, each with different results. Overall, the rooms are mini-suites so they are large and spacious but the parking is always a nightmare.

photo courtesy of Hilton.com

The hotel is set aback from the main street but as the hotel is large, you can see it from the main street; one side of the hotel faces the main street but the entrance of the hotel is on a side street. Given how big the hotel is, the entrance to the hotel is very small. The layout of the hotel is such that you have the hotel building, the parking garage, and a small connector between the two. As you enter the connector, the parking garage is to your right, the connector in the middle, and the hotel on the left; the entrance is small generally and gets more crowded once there is a rush. Both valet and self-parking are available.

The lobby itself is wide and spacious. The waiting area is right in front, while the check-in desks are to the left and the elevators and meeting rooms are to the right. As both the meeting rooms and elevators are in the same direction, it can become a bit crowded when there events taking place. As I said, I have been here multiple times and each time the check-in was different. When I first arrived in 2014, it was extreme chaos when we checked in as the hotel could not handle a crowd. The lines were long and the check-in process was very cumbersome. When we finally got to the front, there was no greeting, no apologies for the wait, nothing - and no smile on any of their faces (there were 3 people working in the lobby checking in guests, and none of them were smiling). The check-in was taking a really long time, and no explanation was given, so I asked 'is everything ok'. The attendant replied 'I am looking for a room' and went back to staring at the screen. No customer service at this hotel. When we finally finished, no cookies were given; I had to ask for the cookies even though they are supposed to be given upon check-in. In 2017, it was a different story as the check-in process went smoother, they were more customer-friendly, and overall it was a more pleasant experience (in fact, the mood of the hotel felt lighter as well - they had recently gone through an upgrade and it improved the feel of the hotel).

Photo courtesy of Hilton.com

I received my key and took the elevators to the room. Even though there are 4 elevators, they can get busy really quickly and become very slow (I don't think the hotel was designed for the large rush of crowds they now receive). All the rooms at this DoubleTree are Suites so the room was very spacious and clean, and the beds were very comfortable. As you enter, on the left hand side is a galley kitchen, which is a bit outdated but provides a very large fridge.  The kitchen also contains a sink, lots of counter space, dishes, a microwave, and a stove.  There is also a round dining table with 4 chairs in the sitting room just right outside the kitchen.  The sitting room also contains a sofa-bed/couch with a coffee table, and in front of the sofa is an chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top.  The sitting room is very spacious, has lots of features for guests to enjoy, and can become private by closing the door between the sitting room and the bedroom.

The bedroom itself is also quite large.  You enter into a long corridor, which will

Photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

eventually lead to the bathroom.  As you head down the corridor, the beds are on the left side In between the two beds was a night stand and in front of the beds was another chest with drawers on the bottom and TV on top.  The beds were spacious and comfortable, and provided a good night's sleep.  The bedroom area was quite spacious and easily allowed access to each item.  Continuing down the corridor leads to the open closet and the bathroom.  The closet is on the right and contains a place to hang items and a shelf to store items.  Next to the open closet is the bathroom which contains a shower, a toilet, and a double sink.  Considering how big the rooms area, the bathroom area is relatively smaller but overall its a comfortable room.

The hotel is full-service so there are many amenities for the guests to enjoy including a pool, a gym, meeting rooms, business center, restaurant, parking garage, and wifi.  As I said earlier, parking was a nightmare both times I stayed here; you have to pay for parking so considering it requires payment, you think they would come up with a better solution.  The gym also needs to be remodeled as its small and is located on the 3rd floor, right next to other rooms (it looks like they converted two rooms into a gym).  The business center was 3 computers in the open lobby on the other side of the check-in desks.  There was complimentary printing, but there was also a lot of noise.  The wifi was complimentary and provided decent speeds. 

Overall, its an average hotel in the Galleria area.   Plus points are the location, the spacious rooms, and the full-size fridge and kitchen available in the suites (as well as the cookies).  Negatives include inconsistent customer service and horrible (paid) parking situation.

Stay Report: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory (Decatur, GA - May 2020)

Stay Report: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory 

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Due to the COVID-19 situation, travel had been restricted and I was not planning any trips; however, due to family situation I needed to travel to Decatur, Georgia.  There are only a couple of hotels in the Decatur area and the Courtyard was the closest to where I needed to go.  It was easy to book the room through the Marriott website, but I would say that the prices were generally higher in the Decatur area versus other areas in Atlanta (Downtown or Perimeter).  During the booking process, there were constant notices regarding traveling during the pandemic and links towards each individual states response and guidelines for traveling during the pandemic.  

When I pulled up to the hotel, they had the doors restricted to either card access or you

had to be granted access into the hotel (similar to what hotels generally do at night but this was now the policy during the day).  In front of the check-in counters were tables where the keys were presented and where guests were asked to remain (which was approximately 6ft behind the check-in desks).  On the tables were printouts detailing the current situation and what services were and were not going to be available during the stay.  Since I was only staying for one night these did not apply to me but had I been staying more nights, if I wanted to my sheets changed I would be given a bag with sheets, towels, toiletries, and other housekeeping items and I would change my own sheets and towels, place the dirty linens in the bag and place the bag outside the room to be collected.  Considering there were not a lot of people in the hotel nor waiting to be checked in, the process was very quick and the service was good.

From the outside, the hotel did not look updated or renovated - it was decent but not brand new - however inside the hotel looked like it had been renovated and updated and had a really nice open lobby.  As you entered into the hotel, on the right hand side was the check-in counters, a mini service area with drinks, food, and other items for purchase, while on the left were some couches.  Straight ahead was a massive lobby with lots of chairs and tables to sit and relax on.  You had to cross through the big lobby to get to the elevators, and along with right-side was a conference room, the business center, as well as other meeting rooms; along the left side was the hotels restaurant (which was closed).  

My room was on the 4th floor and there were two elevators on either side which could

take me up to my floor.  The hotel was laid out like a U with rooms on either side and a the lobby in the middle; the window in the rooms would either face the outside or the lobby - my room faced the outside.  As you opened on the door, in the entryway on the right was the bathroom while on the left was a open and big closet.  The closet contained room for storage, a luggage rack, as well as an iron and ironing board.  The big bathroom contained a large sink, a toilet, and a bathtub; bathroom toiletries were limited but the shower had refillable shampoo, conditioner, and body wash (which smelled really nice).  Further into the room, on the right side was a little nook which contained the coffee maker and on the left side was a mirror.  Along the left wall were mini-open shelves which contained the fridge at the bottom and the ice chest and glasses on top.  This was connected to a shelf that had the TV on top of it and that led into the desk which a chair.  There were plugs along the wall and lights above the desk - mini lights and a lamp but more lights were needed (especially at night) and while there were plenty of plugs, there were no USB ports.  Along the right side were the two double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The nightstand contained plugs and outlets and on the headboard were mini lamps as well as plugs - there were plenty of outlets scattered throughout the room.  The beds were big and comfortable, the bedframe seemed old as it kept making noise everytime someone moved - the beds provided a good nights sleep for one night but I am not sure I could handle the noise for multiple nights.  The room also contained a sitting chair next to the wall and a massive window which let in lots of natural light.

Amenities in the hotel included a fitness center, an indoor pool, a business center, meeting rooms, a restaurant, a mini-service area, complimentary wifi, and a parking garage (not complimentary).  Since I was only there for one night, I did not inquire which facilities were open given the current situation. I did use the wifi which was complimentary and did not require a code; the wifi was decent but sometimes spotty especially when you moved around the room.  Overall, it was a nice stay at the Courtyard.  The rooms were big, the beds were decent, there were plenty of outlets in the room, and the lobby was huge with lots of sitting area.    

Stay Report: Sheraton Overland Park Hotel at the Convention Center (Overland Park, KS - November 2015)

Stay Report: Sheraton Overland Park Hotel 

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photo courtesy of Marriott.com

A family friend was getting married at the Convention Center, so we decided to stay at the Sheraton as it connects to the Convention Center so it would be easier access.  From the outside the hotel does not look like a Sheraton, more like an upscale Hampton Inn.  As you walk inside the lobby, the check-in desks are to left and the elevators are behind the check-in desks.  To the right is the walkway to the convention center while straight ahead is a small sitting area and behind the partition is the hotel's restaurant.  Check-in was done quickly and we received the key and proceeded to the room.

The room was a standard hotel room with standard amenities.  As you entered the room,

on the right was the bathroom while on the left was the closet.  The closet was standard with hangers to hang your clothes beneath a shelf, a safe, an iron, and ironing board.  The bathroom was also standard with a tub, a toilet, a sink, and bathroom toiletries.  The room itself was also standard and it was a bit dark.  On the right side, against the wall, were two double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  Across from the beds was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top.  Additional furniture included a desk next to the chest, as well as a chair and lamp next to the window (the window looked out onto the parking lot).  While the room did not contain a fridge, there were plenty of outlets to plug in the devices so that was a nice touch.  The beds were extremely comfortable but both the room and bathroom looked liked a renovated older hotel (and you could clearly hear the bathroom through the wall).

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

The hotel is a full-service hotel so there are amenities for the guests to enjoy including a fitness center, a pool, meeting rooms, parking, hotel restaurant, and wifi.  The parking was complimentary and there were plenty of spaces available; and the wifi was also complimentary and the speeds were decent.  As we were there for a wedding I was not able to try the fitness center or the pool, but the easy access walkway to the convention center (where the wedding took place) was convenient.

photo courtesy of Booking.com

Overall, the hotel provide a comfortable bed and a decent room; however, it did not feel like a Sheraton.  The overall feel and look of the room felt more like a Hampton Inn or a mid-priced budget hotel rather than a full-service Sheraton.  The hotel is a decent place to stay and it's a convenient location to the Convention Center,  but when you book a Sheraton you expect a Sheraton experience; we booked a Sheraton and received a Hampton Inn experience.

Stay Report: Hilton Houston Westchase (Houston, Texas - October 2018)

Stay Report: Hilton Houston Westchase

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photo courtesy of TripAdvisor

I was planning a trip to Houston and wanted to stay near the Galleria area but could not find a good deal so I expanded my search.  I had previously stayed at the Hilton Houston Westchase for a family friends wedding, and the hotel was nice and located about 15-20 minutes away from the Galleria and I found a good deal so decided to restay at the hotel.  From the outside, hotel looks like a tall office building with an attached restaurant and parking surrounding the building.  The parking is free and ample but some of the parking is a little shady so I would be careful about leaving valuables in the car; the parking does fill up quickly, especially well-lit areas and those closest to the entrances.  The hotel is located next to a supermarket and easy access to many amenities and highways. 

Check-in was a breeze, the attendant gave us the key and explained everything that the

photo courtesy of Hilton.com

hotel offered. We went to our room, which was located on the 5th floor and two doors away from the elevator (we were a little skeptical about the proximity to the elevator, but no noise from the elevator or gathering around it was heard).  Both the rooms and the bathrooms had been updated with the new Hilton offerings, but the doors and other structures indicated the building itself was old.  As you entered the room, the bathroom was on the right while the closet was on the left.  The bathroom was a bit small but decent and contained a sink, a tub, a toilet, and bathroom toiletries.  The closet was also standard and contained a shelf, hangers to hang items, an iron and an ironing board.  Further into the room on right hand side were the two double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The bed quality was very nice and the pillows were very nice, but the beds in the Hilton seemed smaller than the ones we got at the Doubletree (check out that review here); the bed could easily fit two people, but there is just enough room to fit 2. Across from the bed was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV as well as coffee stand on top. The bottom of the chest also contained a mini fridge a well as a safe.  The room also contained a desk and a chair next to the chest, and between the bed and the window was was a table and lamp (the window faced out onto the parking lot).  The room we had was on a corner so while it was shaped a little differently, there was still plenty of space to more around and be comfortable.

photo courtesy of Hilton.com

The hotel is a full service hotel so there are many amenities for the guests to enjoy including a restaurant, parking, wifi, a fitness center. meeting rooms, a business center, and a pool.  The parking was self-parking, there was no charge, and there were plenty of spaces available; however, as I said before some parking spots were not as well lit as others so I would be careful about leaving valuables in the car.  The wifi was complimentary and there was no limit on the number of devices that could be connected, and the speed was decent enough to check email and watch videos.  The fitness center was located on the first floor, en route from the elevator to the big conference room/meeting room, and seemed to be installed as an afterthought.  The fitness center was located next to other rooms so there is a lot of traffic passing by the fitness center and it was somewhat small as well, as only three, maybe four, people could work out at the same time; 4 people or more and the place would feel very congested and cramped. Again it seems as if the hotel took out an existing room and replaced it with the fitness center. The amenities inside the fitness center included decent equipment as well as fruit (not the best looking, but not the worst looking either), water, and cold towels.

In the end, the hotel provided a nice and comfortable room with free parking, free wifi, good customer service, and decent location with many restaurants and services within a short distance away.  While it is a bit further away from the Galleria (about a 15-minute drive) the added benefits of the hotel make the drive worth it.