SkeptiCallie
Nov 15, 07, 8:25 pm
If any of you plan to stay at the Embassy Suites in Rogers, Arkansas, you might want to know that they have added a new building which is attached to the existing one. I surmise that they had so much business from the WalMart/Tyson chicken/football, etc., traffic, that they needed a place for the overflow. We were there to see the Ozark fall leaf colors, and Rogers was very crowded. We considered ourselves fortunate to have found room at the ES, as often it is full.
The Hilton website photograph does not show a picture of the new building, or it didn't a few days ago when I checked anyway. The text does mention it, however. There is a spa in the new building and a number of rooms. There is also a computer for public use on the first floor of the addition that is free. Computer usage in the rooms is charged for.
The new building has six floors. The primary ES building has more, I think nine. I suppose I should check, but anyhow--.
We were assigned the new building. Our suite was considered an upgrade. Impressions: The decoration was in a muted grayed-brown color scheme. Evidently the main building has reddish-brown or reddish accent colors, but our suite did not. I thought it was quite drab. The bathroom was comparatively small. There were two flat-screen TVs.
We were nevertheless happy with the choice because the room was so new. It was also very quiet. We didn't see any other people on our floor (sixth floor). I can't say that I personally liked the color scheme.
The new addition has an atrium, just as the main building does. But it also is much quieter in decoration and much more subdued than the primary building. I suppose it is just a matter of taste as to which one prefers.
The buildings are connected, of course, with only a few extra steps to go from the check-in desk at the existing building to the elevators of the new one.
On our first day, someone slipped an envelope under our door containing a coupon for a free appetizer or dessert at their restaurant. We ordered, asking a waiter near the manager's-reception area to bring it to our table there--having chosen from the restaurant menu posted inside the elevator. We were brought a different order. It turns out that the restaurant menu posted in the elevator is "new," and the kitchen hasn't coordinated its menus with the posted menu yet. Oh, well. . . . :)
The evening reception was better than nothing. Drinks were a dollar. Milk (yes, I admit to knowing about this :) ) was free. They brought as many cartons of low-fat milk as I asked for. Snacks were dry pretzel-like or toasted-chex-like stuff plus popcorn. Nothing else. Commendably, the snacks were kept in cylinders that dispensed if one pressed a button. I appreciated the sanitation, as it is always a problem if people have to get snacks from a communal container.
Breakfast is evidently a matter of pride for the ES staff, judging by a comment one of them made. I consider all ES breakfasts to be, by definition, excellent, when compared with non-ES breakfasts (a few regular Hiltons being the exception), but this one was not one of the best of the ES line-up. Waits at the omelet-and-meat ordering counter were too long. Food was mostly bland. And there were doughnuts put out in boxes that indicated the doughnuts had come from a local place. (I think the regulars at the ES probably LIKE those doughnuts, however! :) )
Check-in was a little snippy but not a lot. Good stay, but not a great stay.
Anyhow, the above is intended for someone who plans to be in Rogers (if anyone does) and who wants information on the ES. I wouldn't go out of my way to stay at the Rogers ES again, but if I were ever in Rogers again, I would mildly prefer to stay there. (If that makes sense--IOW, a sort-of recommendation.)
The Hilton website photograph does not show a picture of the new building, or it didn't a few days ago when I checked anyway. The text does mention it, however. There is a spa in the new building and a number of rooms. There is also a computer for public use on the first floor of the addition that is free. Computer usage in the rooms is charged for.
The new building has six floors. The primary ES building has more, I think nine. I suppose I should check, but anyhow--.
We were assigned the new building. Our suite was considered an upgrade. Impressions: The decoration was in a muted grayed-brown color scheme. Evidently the main building has reddish-brown or reddish accent colors, but our suite did not. I thought it was quite drab. The bathroom was comparatively small. There were two flat-screen TVs.
We were nevertheless happy with the choice because the room was so new. It was also very quiet. We didn't see any other people on our floor (sixth floor). I can't say that I personally liked the color scheme.
The new addition has an atrium, just as the main building does. But it also is much quieter in decoration and much more subdued than the primary building. I suppose it is just a matter of taste as to which one prefers.
The buildings are connected, of course, with only a few extra steps to go from the check-in desk at the existing building to the elevators of the new one.
On our first day, someone slipped an envelope under our door containing a coupon for a free appetizer or dessert at their restaurant. We ordered, asking a waiter near the manager's-reception area to bring it to our table there--having chosen from the restaurant menu posted inside the elevator. We were brought a different order. It turns out that the restaurant menu posted in the elevator is "new," and the kitchen hasn't coordinated its menus with the posted menu yet. Oh, well. . . . :)
The evening reception was better than nothing. Drinks were a dollar. Milk (yes, I admit to knowing about this :) ) was free. They brought as many cartons of low-fat milk as I asked for. Snacks were dry pretzel-like or toasted-chex-like stuff plus popcorn. Nothing else. Commendably, the snacks were kept in cylinders that dispensed if one pressed a button. I appreciated the sanitation, as it is always a problem if people have to get snacks from a communal container.
Breakfast is evidently a matter of pride for the ES staff, judging by a comment one of them made. I consider all ES breakfasts to be, by definition, excellent, when compared with non-ES breakfasts (a few regular Hiltons being the exception), but this one was not one of the best of the ES line-up. Waits at the omelet-and-meat ordering counter were too long. Food was mostly bland. And there were doughnuts put out in boxes that indicated the doughnuts had come from a local place. (I think the regulars at the ES probably LIKE those doughnuts, however! :) )
Check-in was a little snippy but not a lot. Good stay, but not a great stay.
Anyhow, the above is intended for someone who plans to be in Rogers (if anyone does) and who wants information on the ES. I wouldn't go out of my way to stay at the Rogers ES again, but if I were ever in Rogers again, I would mildly prefer to stay there. (If that makes sense--IOW, a sort-of recommendation.)