Stay Report: SpringHill Suites by Marriott Baton Rouge South (Baton Rouge - November 2020)

 Stay Report: SpringHill Suites Baton Rouge South
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Hurricanes are common place in New Orleans and sometimes they are destructive and other times not.  This past hurricane, Hurricane Zeta, was unusually powerful with high winds that caused extensive damage to the electricity poles.  For that reason, we were without power for at least 3 days before we decided to go to Baton Rouge to spend the night, charge some electronics, and just relax.  I have previously stayed at a SpringHill Suites and enjoyed the spacious rooms and complimentary amenities, so based on this I decided to book the SpringHill Suites Baton Rouge South.  

From the exterior, the hotel looks like a standard Springhill Suites.  Inside, the lobby included the check-in desks, a small pantry to purchase forgotten items, a nice relaxing lounge/sitting area, as well as the restaurant where the breakfast is served in the morning.  The hotel was only three floors so the first floor contained other hotel features such as business center, the pool, complimentary coffee/tea in the lobby, and a washer/dryer.  At check-in the service was basic, I was not greeted as a Rewards member, and the staff did the minimal of their job; I was only there for one night so just received my key and proceeded to my room. 

For some reason I received a room reserved for disability access so the layout was a bit different.  As

you entered the door, the room was smaller than other Springhill Suites but bigger than a standard hotel room.  As you entered, there was a large entryway to accommodate disability equipment.  The door to the bathroom was on the left while the right had space to move around or put a luggage rack.  The bathroom itself was bigger and had handle rails, but the counter space on the sink was very tiny and could barely hold anything; the hotel did provide soap, lotion, shampoo, conditioner and towels.  Back in the room, the beds were located along the left wall and we had a room with two double beds so both beds were against the wall with a nightstand in the middle; there were also outlets available on the nightstand.  Along the right side of the wall was open armoire which contained shelves on top and a microwave and refrigerator on the bottom.  Connected to that was a desk which contained a lamp (with outlets) as well as a TV.  Continuing along the rightside was a couch that was in between the desk and the window and there was a TV mounted on the wall across from the couch.  It was a decent size room but generally Springhill Suites have bigger rooms, so I was not sure if this was a modified version or if this was another type of hotel room that was turned into a Springhill Suites.

The hotel provides a decent amount of facilities for guests to enjoy including complimentary parking, complimentary wifi, complimentary breakfast, a fitness center, laundry facilities, indoor pool, business center, and complimentary coffee and hot water.  The wifi was open, did not involve any passwords or login and could connect as many devices as you wanted.  The pool, fitness center, and laundry were open to everyone and while not large facilities were decent enough to provide the basics.  The hot water + coffee were available throughout the day and the complimentary breakfast was available in the morning - normally it is a buffet but given the pandemic it was modified to where you come and select prepackaged cereals, fruit, yogurt, muffins, etc and take them back to your room to eat.  Its a basic breakfast and its decent and glad hotels are still offering this service.  Overall, Springhill Suites provide the guests with a good night’s sleep and a lot of a facilities.  The room is not perfect, but it’s decent and they are generally clean and spacious.

Stay Report: Mandalay Bay (Las Vegas, NV - October 2020)

Stay Report: Mandalay Bay Las Vegas 

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My friends and I had planned on spending time in Vegas back in December 2019; then the pandemic hit and every plan everyone made went by the waste side.  In September 2020, it looked like Las Vegas was opening back up a little so decided to move forward with my trip.  It had been over 10+ years since I had last been Vegas so I did not know the best place to stay, location, etc.  My friend had been to Vegas many times and enjoyed staying the Four Seasons, which is on the top 4 floor of the Mandalay Bay; so I decided to stay at the Mandalay Bay so that way we could all just meet in the lobby if we wanted to go anywhere.  It was easy to book the room on the Mandalay Bay website, but the prices kept changing so I constantly had to check back and forth to get the best rate; luckily all the rates booked were able to be cancelled and refunded as all rooms required a deposit (which they did charge to the credit card at the time of the booking).  Each rate included access a resort fee, which included certain perks which I will detail below.  It was not easy to modify or manage the booking online, and any changes needed to be made by calling the hotel, which required pushing too many buttons and being on hold for too long. 

The hotel is located at the end of the strip and there is a grand entrance - there are two entrances, one to

the casino and one to the resort.  Also, there are two hotels connected to the resort - the Mandalay Bay and the Delano (as well as the Four Seasons); its one big maze, not a lot of signage and lots of confusion.  The check-in desks were located at the end of the lobby and there was long roped off area in which to line-up for the check-in desks – like a check-in line at the airport.  The type of service received at check-in depended on which representative you received – some were good at providing details while others only provided the basic information; at check-in I only received the basic information but at check-out I received all the information, some of which would’ve been helpful at the beginning.  I checked, received the key, and proceeded to my room.  Regarding Covid-19 protocols, there were markers placed on the floor to remind guests to social distance while in line, but this was not enforced and it was left up to each individual to their discretion.  There were also masks and sanitizers stations placed each door entryway.

There were different elevator bays depending on which floor your room was located, and each bay had about 8 different elevators so in theory it would be easy to social distance given there is a lot of option; however, again it was left upto the individual to make this decision as the hotel did not provide any guidance or signage regarding this fact.  My room was on the 11^th floor and as you get in, the room was bigger than I expected.  As you walk inside the door, you walk down a mini-hallway to get to the room.  The room has two beds against the right-side of the wall and along the left was a desk connected to a chest with drawers on the bottom, coffee-maker and paid bottle water on top, and then a mini-bar below (which was weight sensitive so even if you picked it up and put it back down, it automatically charged to the room).  Against the opposite wall were the two beds which were large, comfortable and provided a good night’s sleep; again the bed and sleep quality was better than I expected.  In the middle was a nightstand with a lamp and outlets and there were outlets on either side of the beds (which was convenient.  One wall was covered with windows which allowed for lots of light to come inside – and our view was of the airport, which was great for an aviation lover as you could see (but not hear) planes take off all day.  The entrance to bathroom was located next to the beds, and there were individual closets on either side of the bathroom entrance.  The bathroom was huge, and again, bigger and better than I expected.  There were double sinks with lots of counter space, a full jacuzzi tub, a shower, and a covered toilet.  There were also plenty of toiletries including soap, lotion, shampoo, conditioner and towels and if you requested more tons were provided.  Overall, it was a spacious and comfortable hotel room with plenty of room to move and rest.

As it was a resort, there were plenty of amenities for guests to enjoy including many pools, business

center, shows, an aquarium, restaurants, casinos, spas and a man-made beach inside the resort.  Because of the 'resort' status, the hotel included a daily resort fee which covered internet, local calls and other non-essential items; to me, and reviewing what was part of the fee, it was a fee that was designed to gain more money from the guests as it covered nothing and guests were still being charged for other items.  The resort did include complimentary wifi, but the wifi was open to everyone so there was no need for a login so, again, not sure what the fee was good for?  The resort did include many pools, a man-made beach, and lots of cabanas for guests to enjoy (these were not included and had to be paid for).  Because of the pandemic, certain cabanas and chairs were not utilized and staff went around asking guests who were not in the pool to keep their masks on - so that was a pleasant point.

Overall, it was a mixed experience at Mandalay Bay.  The rooms were nice, spacious and comfortable so that was on the plus side; there were also many amenities for the guests to enjoy so that was also positive; negative was that customer service was not great, the resort fee seemed inconsequential, and there was a lack of signage and direction (it was not well laid out).  The size of Mandalay Bay was large and if comparing it to a Disney Resort or a resort in the Caribbean, it was less organized and less friendly - so why go to Vegas if I could get the same thing elsewhere?

Stay Report: Tru by Hilton Salt Lake City Airport (Salt Lake City, UT - October 2020)

Stay Report: Tru by Hilton Salt Lake City Airport
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I concluded my trip in Salt Lake City and since my flight departed from here, I wanted a hotel that was near the airport.  There were many options to choose from - it is an international airport and hub - but I had never experienced Tru by Hilton so I looked into it and the price was right so I booked it.  It was easy to book the hotel through the HHonors website and easy to manage through the app.  Given the look, the pricepoint, and the plethora of complimentary amenities, it seems the hotel is competing with Fairfield Inn by Marriott and other mid-scale brands. 

The hotel is near the airport and is located in a business park surrounded by offices, parking garages, and other hotels.  It is an odd-location in that there are no services - no gas stations, no restaurants - nothing close by so you need a car to access everything.  Also, the hotel is on the on the main road but set behind a huge parking lot and faces the highway - and shares a parking lot with a Comfort Inn; so an odd location.  When you enter the hotel, there is an open lobby with a circular check-in desks in the middle.  There are couches and lounging areas against the walls and surrounded the check-in desks, and in the back corner there was a pool table (now covered due to pandemic).  The chairs and desks would be ideal to lounge, work, meet, or gather all in one area.  Check-in took a while but eventually I received the key and proceeded towards the elevator to the room. In front of the elevator was a 'community board' which listed the temperature for the area, sights to see, notes from the staff, and other items; it was a cross between a dorm, a hostel, and an office.  

The room itself reminded me of an bigger IbisStyles room (review here).  As you entered, on the left

was the bathroom on the right-side wall was a mirror and hooks.  The bathroom was contained a sink with decent counter space, a toilet, a shelf running along the wall for decoration and more storage space, as well as shower with a glass door.  There were toiletries in the bathroom next to the sink and inside the shower - next to the sink was hand soap and lotion while in the shower was shampoo, conditioner, and body wash; like the Ibis they were in the squeeze bottles but they did not smell good at all so I avoided them.  There was an open closet in between the bathroom and the main room and the closet contained a shelf to store your luggage on, an open rack and hangers to hang your clothes, and against the wall was the iron and ironing board.  Underneath the luggage storage was the refrigerator - it was a nice addition but an odd location.  Further into the room against the left wall were the two beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were a decent size and provided a good nights sleep so no complaints there; there were also plenty of outlets next to the bed and on the nightstand to charge all the electronics.  An interesting feature is that underneath the bed, part of it had been hollowed to allow for additional luggage or shoe storage; it was a good use of space.  Along the right side of the wall was a long shelf which contained the TV on stop, outlets against the wall (and you could place the electronics on the shelf) and underneath the shelf was a movable desk and chair.  There was a room AC and ontop of the AC was another shelf so I was not sure if this was a decoration piece to cover the AC or another storage area.  Overall, the average room size had decreased but the use of space was better and there was nothing extra in the room so it did not feel crowded or overstuffed - it felt comfortable and basic.

There were plenty of amenities for the guests including complimentary parking, complimentary wifi, complimentary airport shuttle, complimentary breakfast, fitness center, pool table and congregating area, and lots of space in the lobby to hang out, do work, or meetup.  The wifi was really strong and you were able to get lots of work done, and complimentary breakfast was still being provided; you could stop by the front desk and grab a to-go box which contained two hard-boiled eggs (in costco package), a bagel + cream cheese, yogurt, and utensils.  Coffee, hot cocoa, juice, and water were also available so overall it was a nice option and glad they still offered it.

In the end, I was not sure what to expect from Tru by Hilton but what I experienced was a more European-style hospitality with some American-features.  The room design and utilization of space was very European but the availability of lots of amenities for the guests to enjoy was definitely American; however, for the price point the room and amenities provided were a great bargain so definitely a good competition.

Stay Report: Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Virgin Zion National Park (Virgin, UT - October 2020)

  Stay Report: Fairfield Inn by Marriott
Virgin Zion National Park 
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I was traveling to Zion National Park and was staying there for one night, and when I looked online Fairfield Inn was giving the best rate and the reviews looked decent.  I have stayed at Fairfield Inn before and generally they were decent but I never really had high expectations; but my last stay in Houston at the Fairfield Inn exceeded my expectations (see review here).  That was my mindset going on - a decent hotel that provides complimentary parking, complimentary breakfast, and complimentary wifi.  It was very easy to book the hotel through the Marriott website, and once booked it was easy to manage through the Marriott app.  

The hotel is actually located in Virgin, Utah which did not seem that far from the park on Google Maps but when driving it did take about 15-20 minutes (depending on traffic).  The location is beautiful as its surrounded by nature and a background of mountains.  All of the hotels in the area have the same general look, which is nice because it makes it uniform and also does not impeded the nature scenery.  The look is very wide but not very tall - and the Fairfield Inn had two floors.  The look is more like an old-school motel with a courtyard in the middle and rooms surrounding, but the hotel looked and felt updated and modern.  As you enter the lobby, the check-in desks are to the right while straight ahead is the kitchen and dining area.  There are hallways to the left and right that lead to the guest rooms as well as other amenities, and there are entrances on either hallway and in the middle of each hallway to the rooms.  The check-in process was not that great - the barely college-age workers did not have any customer service skills at all and their uniform also looked unkempt so it was not a great representation of neither the hotel nor the brand.  From the outside and inside, the hotel looked modern and updated so I received my key, a paper to the amenities available, and made my way to the room.

The room itself was an updated version of the standard Fairfield Room.  As you opened the door, on the left-side was the bathroom while straight ahead was the main part of the room.  The bathroom had the sink on the left-side and a long counter that connected to the half-wall which provided some privacy to the toilet.  There was a walk-in shower on the right-side and hooks for towels/clothes next to the shower; the shower contained Paul Mitchell refillable shampoo, conditioner and body wash (there were the same products at Courtyard in Atlanta - review here - and they were very nice).  Usually there is a closet across from the bathroom but this time there was an open/updated closet between the closet and the room.  Half of the closet was open and provided more space to the room while other parts were closed to allow privacy; and part of the closet was connected to a storage area on which you could place your luggage.  The new design to the closet looked nice and updated and still kept the amenities of an iron, ironing board, a safe, a fridge, a microwave, and a coffee maker + coffee.  Further into the room, there was a king-size bed on left side of the room with a nightstand on either side.  Across from the bed was a large desk with a chair, and above the desk was the TV mounted on the wall.  Right next to the desk was a stand with a luggage place on top and drawers on the bottom.  The room provided a lot of amenities for the guests to enjoy, it was spacious, the bed was large and comfortable to sleep in, there were plenty of outlets spread across the room and next to the bed, and overall it was a nice and comfortable room. 

Fairfield Inn has some standard amenities at all its hotels including complimentary parking,

complimentary wifi, complimentary breakfast, and a fitness center.  The fitness center was open despite the pandemic, but there were signs asking everyone to keep safe and were a mask; the fitness center was big, had lots of updated equipment and had a water station.  The parking was vast and you could park next to a variety of entrances; the wifi was complimentary and fast enough to stream videos and check email.  Fairfield was still providing complimentary breakfast, but you stood in line to select from the limited menu and then you took the items back to your room to eat.  You could choose cereal, bagel, muffin, and/or fruit as well as coffee and/or juice and there were toasters and cream/sugar on the side for guests to partake it.  While it was not a vast selection, I am glad that Fairfield was still able to provide this service to guests.

Overall, it was another pleasant stay at Fairfield Inn.  They seem to be upgrading and updating their hotels and the renovations seems to be improving the experience.  This hotel was updated; the rooms were nice and spacious; there were plenty of amenities for guests to enjoy; and the hotel was spread out so you could practice social distancing.  The hotel did have plenty of signs asking guests were masks and there were plenty of entrances that you could utilize.  The only negative was that it was a longer drive than expected to Zion (but you also avoid traffic) and the check-in experience was not great; but other than that it was a great trip.

Stay Report: Element Houston Katy (Katy, TX - September 2020)

 Stay Report: Element Houston Katy 
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I travel to Houston a lot and normally I stay in or near The Galleria but this time I was going for a different reason and needed to be near Sugar Land, Texas.  Even though Sugar Land is a part of Houston it was further out of my way so I wanted to find a happy medium and through search I found the Element Houston Katy.  I have previously stayed at Element Hotels and have enjoyed them, from the environmental approach to the mini-suites and complimentary amenities.  I checked the distance and the price and both seem to be good so booked the hotel through the Marriott website, which was easy to do.  

The hotel's location is a bit odd as it is basically located in the Costco parking lot and behind some apartments.  It seems like the track of land was divided in half, with half of the land going to Costco and the other half going to apartments and the hotel.  From the roadway, the apartments come first and then the hotel is in the back; it just seemed unique to me.  In the front of the hotel was the parking lot and then the entrance to the hotel.  As you entered in to the hotel, there was a small check-in desk on left and left was the kitchen where generally the complimentary breakfast would be provided.  Straight ahead was a long and narrow sitting area/communal area with lots of couches and chairs.  These faced to the large windows and patio which also contained chairs and a bbq area.  After check-in, we received the key and proceeded to the room (the Element always provides their own luggage trolley's to assist in transporting your luggage - a great idea).

Element rooms are designed as mini-suites and resemble a New York studio apartment with a bed, a

sitting area, bathroom, and a mini-kitchen.  As you entered the room, on the right was a long but narrow bathroom with a large sink on a counter (the size of the sink reduced the counter space), a toilet, and a shower; there was soap for the sink and refillable shampoo/conditioner and body wash in the shower. In the hallway, across from the bathroom, was a closet with an iron, ironing board, and a place to hang your clothes.  Further into the room, along the left-side of the wall was the mini-kitchen which contained a sink, a stove, a large fridge, a dishwasher, plates, glasses, a sponge, and dishwashing liquid.  There was also a mini-sink and a coffee maker on the large counter space.  Continuing along the left-side of the wall, next to the kitchen was the TV which was mounted on the wall.  Along the right-side of the wall were the two beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were comfortable, large for two people, and provided a goodnights sleep.  There were also plenty of outlets near the bed or on the nightstand to charge all your electronic items.  In between the beds and the kitchen was a desk and chair on side, which faced the kitchen, and a chaise lounge chair which was against the side wall and also faced the kitchen.  Running along the side wall, above the chaise lounge chair, was the window which was large and let in lots of natural light.  Even though there were lots of items and amenities in the room, it did not feel compact or stuffed (like some other hotel rooms) but felt more like a studio apartment in New York City. 

The Element provides lots of amenities for its guest including complimentary wifi, complimentary parking, complimentary breakfast, access to luggage carts, a full-stocked and large gym, a bbq grill for guests to use. a large patio to host bbq and outside activities, as well as a large indoor seating area for guests to enjoy.  Due to the pandemic some amenities were not available or were curtailed, including breakfast which was not as extensive and mainly included mini-packs of cereal, yogurt, and breakfast bars which you could take to-go.  Also, due to the pandemic their housekeeping services were drastically reduced and this put pressure on the front-desk, which having difficulty in responding to this pressure.  Safety-wise, masks wearing and social-distancing signs were plastered everywhere but these were not enforced nor were guests ever reminded by staff.

Overall, it was an interesting stay at the Element.  The hotel room was nice, the amenities were still available, and the general vibe were good.  The service was a bit strained and the lack of adherence to safety protocols was a bit concerning.

Stay Report: Hampton Inn Bozeman (Bozeman, MT - September 2020)

Stay Report: Hampton Inn Bozeman, MT 
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Due to the COVID-19 a lot of travel plans had been uprooted, including my own.  Since international travel was currently out of the picture, I decided to travel domestically within the U.S. and went to visit Yellowstone National Park.  I flew in and out of Bozeman and since my flight had an early departure time, I booked a hotel in between the city and the airport.  I wanted a hotel near the airport but unfortunately there are not that many hotels in that area so I decided to book the Hampton Inn Bozeman as it was about 10 minutes away from the airport, there were some services and stores around the hotel, and I have previously stayed at Hampton Inn and enjoyed the experience.  It was easy to book the hotel through the Hampton Inn website or through the HHonors app.

With the pandemic, there were a lot of safety measures that the hotel had put in and that was evident from the lobby.  As you enter the hotel, on the right is the check-in desk while on the left is the entrance to hotel rooms and the elevator.  Straight ahead is the dining room/lounge area where complimentary breakfast is served.  The first safety measure was that there were shields around the check-in desk and you were supposed to keep social distance while checking-in.  The entire process did not involve a lot of contact and the front-desk attendant was very friendly and service-oriented the entire time.  After I received my key I went back to my car because the back entrance was closer to the elevator so I went and moved my car to that spot. 

Our room was on the 2nd floor and so after taking the elevator, we went down a couple of hallways to

get to our room.  The room had a safety seal on it indicating it had been washed and sanitized with Hilton's Safe Guarantee.  We had requested a room with two double beds and our room was a standard Hampton room.  As you opened the door, on your right was the bathroom which contained a tub, a sink, a toilet, as well as toiletries - the size was also standard, not too big but not too small.  On the left-hand side was the closet which contain a rack to hang clothes, an iron and ironing board, as well as a luggage rack.  Further into the room on the right were the two double beds – both of which were comfortable but a bit on the small side.  In between the beds was a nightstand and across from the beds were a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top, and next to that was a fridge with an ice bucket on top.  Overall, the room was decent, spacious enough and comfortable but not overly spacious.

We were only there for one night so did not experience other amenities of the hotel.  Also, given the pandemic I am not sure which amenities were open and which were not.  The hotel did provide complimentary wifi, complimentary parking, and complimentary breakfast.  The wifi was decent and you could connect as many devices as you wanted (the hotel also had plenty of outlets available to charge your device).  The complimentary breakfast starts at 6am and we had to leave at 5am to catch our plane, but the breakfast mostly had to-go items included cereal, fruit, and yogurt to go. 

Overall, it was a decent stay at the Hampton Inn.  The hotel generally provides a decent room at a good price and nice quality of rooms.  This room was not as updated as the others but it still provided a decent and comfortable night's sleep.

Stay Report: Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel (Yellowstone - September 2020)

Stay Report: Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel

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I was traveling around Yellowstone National Park and all the research and reviews said to stay in the Mammoth Area as a good base to explore the north side of the park.  Due to the COVID pandemic, there is only one hotel available in this area and the hotel fills up really quickly.  The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is apparently one of the oldest hotels in the park, and is currently managed by Xanterra.  Xanterra manages most or all of the hotels within National Parks (I stayed at Xanterra managed properties in Grand Canyon) and they offer a range of accommodations.  Even though they offer a range from basic to more upscale, not of them go beyond a 3.5-4 star rating.  The Mammoth Hot Springs is considered on the higher end in terms of star rating, price, and accommodation value.  I was checking in June for travel in September but the booking only opened up in July, and once it did I booked my stay.  Due to the pandemic, the fare was refundable even though the full payment was due at booking.

Check-in is technically at 4pm but we pulled up to the lobby around 2:30pm and we were able to be

checked-in and receive the key to our cabin.  The lobby did have COVID procedures in place with limited number of guests inside, social distancing stickers on the floor, contactless payment, screens between the hotel attendant and yourself, and limited interaction between staff and guests.  The lobby itself looked grand and had a huge entryway with a gift shop on left, the check-in desks on the front and entrances to the dining room and upper floors behind the check-in desk.  Due to COVID restrictions, you could not congregate in the lobby but there were seating outside and there were lots of people sitting outside - either eating or taking access of the wifi, which was only available in and around the lobby area.  

We received our key and went to our cabin.  The hotel had standard hotel rooms connected to the lobby or had individual cabins behind the hotel; I believe the hotel rooms were not being used and mostly the cabins were in use during the pandemic.  Each building contained 2 cabins and they were basically somewhat-upscale versions of camping cabins.  Each cabin had a separate entrance and its own porch with two chairs and a table outside.  Once inside, everything was in one room.  As you entered, there was a little coat hook on the left-hand side and a trash can/recycle/compost bin on the right side with a tray and ice bucket on top.  The left-hand side also contained the small sink, towels, as well as hand-soap and lotion bottles (which were refillable to reduce waste).  The bathroom was also on the left-side, was extremely compact width-wise, and contained a toilet, towels, and a small shower which had shampoo, conditioner, and bodywash in refillable bottles.  Along the right-side were the two beds with a night-stand in the middle.  The two beds were decent enough and comfortable enough for a good nights sleep, but there needed to be more blankets and other covers for those who felt cold.  The room lacked amenities such as AC, and while it did get really cold at night so there was no need for AC it was hot during the day so AC during the day was definitely needed (there was a small fan but it did not look clean so were hesitant to use it).  

There was one restaurant on the hotel property and this was the only restaurant that was open in the area.  This restaurant served the same menu for lunch and dinner so my suggestion would be to come

prepared with either your own food, or prepared to pay a lot of money for the same food at the restaurant or to buy some basic supplies from the general store on the hotel grounds and make your own food there (we did a combination of the two since the food at Mammoth was exactly the same as what we had at Old Faithful). 

This was my third experience staying at a Xanterra property.  When I first stayed at their property in Grand Canyon, I did not know what to expect so I kept my expectations low and was pleasantly surprised at the good quality of the hotel.  I was expecting a similar quality at both Old Faithful and Mammoth and they were not of the same quality; both of these looked older and more utilized (ie not as updated) as the other hotels.  Despite the lack of luxuries and the lack of updating, the price paid for the hotel is extremely high and I understand we are paying for the convenience of staying the park but given the price I would expect the level of amenities similar to Grand Canyon.  I would rate the hotel in Grand Canyon as 3.5 stars and would give Mammoth 2.