My two cents on RIs, compared to apart-hotels in Europe and elsewhere around the world.

1, they can be nice. Then again, quite a few are old dumps. I break RIs into two categories. One, the ones that have an exterior front door and are set up like small apartments. Two, the ones that have interior front doors and look similar to any other hotel from the outside

The first kind tend to be fairly old. I don't think they've built any like that in a while, since they tend to take up a lot more real estate and the fact that a lot of people do not like exterior doors. Colder in winter, more bugs, less security, etc. However, they do tend to be bigger, and some of the two-bedroom unis are two-level, which can be real nice if you're with a family. You have a loft/bedroom upstairs, with bath, and a bedroom and bath downstairs with the living room and kitchen.

The second kind is just a large hotel room with maybe a seperate bedroom. They tend to be newer.

Both types suffer from the same problems. If they haven't been renovated in a while, the fridges tend to be loud. I spent a week in one a couple of weeks ago, and actually flipped the circuit breaker for the fridge off when I was in the living room. I had a seperate bedroom, but if it had been an efficience - ensuite - I would have had it off anytime I was in the room at all.

Also, the heat/AC units are in a closet inside most rooms, and they can be loud. Louder than the usual units in hotels.

Gernerally speaking, if you're traveling with a horde, RIs are probably a good choice. However, it's not like a lot of apart-hotels around the world where the cleaning staff is more maid than cleaner.