"Tiny space, big experience"
Overall Score5.0/ 5
How do I begin? I live full time (when I'm not visiting folks ashore) on a boat. On a boat, you have to maximize use of space, and double-dip on how things are used, sometimes. Our single, non-smoking room was a bit of a shock after my experience in everything from Ritz to Marriott to Super-8. This was my first Microtel experience. I'd read lots of reviews which were not entirely positive (though, in the main, they were). Some of the negatives I will confirm, though I didn't have the same level of experience as the other reporters. Chiefly, if there is any drawback to be mentioned, it's that the hotel is built to residential noise suppression standards. That means that sometimes you can hear things originating above, below, outside, or adjacent to your room. That's the worst I can say about my experience. On the other hand, having hot scrambled eggs (patties which fit just perfectly into a bagel), link and patty sausage, and biscuits and gravy, all on a buffet table, along with donuts, pastries, bagels, toast and waffles to go with the regular and decaf coffee and apple and orange juice (or, if you prefer, the fresh fruit and/or dry-with-milk cereal or oatmeal) is not your usual budget motel free breakfast. Hot coffee is on tap 24/7, and while breakfast isn't supposed to start until 6:30, every morning at 5:30 when I staggered down to fetch coffee (there is a maker in the room, but we are two-fisted drinkers so I needed more than the little pot provided ensuite), all of the provisioning had already started. A zap in the microwave got it all up to speed, and I took our several cups of coffee and several sausage-egg bagels with accompanying blueberry, nut, applesauce or other muffins and fruit or cheese pastries, an apple, orange and banana back up to our room. Having the elevator immediately opposite the breakfast bar helped, of course. On the other hand, if you'd rather, there is seating in the immediate area, along with a television for catching up on all the news and weather. We'd get under way by 6AM, assisted by our very comfortable sleep in the queen bed with the full-wall mirror as a headboard. Lest you think that lascivious, while, if you were so inclined, it could be, instead, as we know from our home (a sailboat) that mirror made the room look much bigger. It also reflected the light, enhancing visibility. In fact, as to the bed and space around it, there was just enough space to hang side tables, one each for the telephone and alarm clock, with overhead (over the very-comfortable pillows) full-width lighting just perfect for in-bed reading. The space was adequate for easy movement, but not a lot of real estate for which you pay handsomely elsewhere. Opposite the bed was a closet with a television, mounted at the proper angle for viewing from the bed, on top of it; the desk was attached to the side of the closet. The ironing board and iron inside was a nice touch one previously would not have seen until you got up to the higher level hotels. The outer wall included a heat pump with a remote digital control and (gasp - unheard of today) a sliding window for fresh air if you were so motivated. Under that window, and over the heat pump, was a full-length cushion, perfect for seating if you weren't at the desk. Next to the heat pump were two deep drawers, perfect for a couple's week's worth of clothing. Free local and long distance telephone calls, an ethernet jack to enhance your wireless (WiFi) internet access, and all the cable TV you could want to watch rounded out your waking hours. When you weren't doing any of that, the shower and bathroom space was similarly compact, but not undersized. The usual hotel tub/shower arrangement was accompanied by soaps and shampoos in personal sizes. I'm 6-4 and I could stand under the shower, an anomaly in most places, which has the stream hitting me in the neck or lower. A free USAToday and fitness center (along with a conference room, too) round out the hotel-style amenities here. But wait, there's more. This is a 62 unit hotel. Not so small as to be tiny, but not so big as to be impersonal. We found the front desk staff to be personable, and recognizing of us and all the other residents we saw passing during our stay there. Getting there was a pieced of cake, immediately off I-20, and if you're so inclined, you can easily walk to either the Cracker Barrel or the KFC which flank the hotel. When we were there, a Checkers drive-through hamburger franchise was either building or failing, as we saw what looked to be construction material there, and it wasn't in operation. It's directly (300 feet) out the front door. Many other eating and retail establishments are a left or right turn out of the driveway, or on the immediately adjacent highway US27. We were in the single, so we can't comment on the doubles or suites, but I'd expect it's pretty much the same experience. Indeed, I happened to go from there to another city where some friends of ours were staying in a different Microtel this past weekend, in one of the suites. They were equally favorably impressed with their experience. So, I give it the fattest kudos allowable. I will make it a point to return there on our next visit to the area. I'm very glad I found it.
Skip G. (Individual traveler, booked 1 room), from
10-Feb-2014 Verified Review, stayed from Sun Feb 02 to Thu Feb 06 2014 at a $43.99 average nightly rate.