Choice Hotels Property Review Thread
Nov 24, 2015, 7:55 pm
Sep 9, 2018, 2:00 am
Quality Inn Praça da Batalha Porto
Praca Da Batalha 127-130 Porto, PT 4000102
Quality Inn Porto, Portugal (0 Photo)
Quality Inn Praça da Batalha Porto
This is an older hotel with well-appointed rooms. The room size is small by American standards but not for Europe. It's quite adequate. The mattress was great.
My one complaint is a big one: When I woke up the bathroom smelled like sewage. And I am not sensitive to smells. This was STRONG.
The bathroom has no fan, so I opened the outside window and in an hour or so the smell was mostly gone.
As far as I know, every fixture in a bathroom has a water trap in the drain path to stop air flow. I'm pretty sure one of those traps had a leak, letting the water depart and then the air to flow in. One possible solution was to run water continuously down each drain. I settled for using the drain stopper in the tub and bidet (yes, there's a bidet) and covering each stopper with a wet towel. That was only partially successful, presumably due to the uncovered overflow drains. I decided not to ask for a room change because I wanted to spend my time touring rather than packing and unpacking. But if they try to give you room 203, ask for another one.
A full breakfast is included in the rate. The desk clerk tried to tell me that points reservations did not include breakfast, but his associate told him otherwise. The first guy said it was not included until very recently, which seems unlikely to me. Just in case, bring your reservation printout showing that breakfast is included.
The breakfast buffet was surprisingly complete. Toast, croissants, cake, cereal, yogurt, fruit, scrambled eggs, goofy European bacon and sausage, 4 kinds of juice, and a huge beans-to-brew coffee and espresso machine. You can even make a turkey or ham and cheese sandwich to hold you until dinner. You will save a bundle here.
The best parts of Porto are within a 15-minute walk of this hotel. That alone makes it an excellent value. The Metro is about a 7 minute walk, and the Funicular down to the river is about 4 minutes away. You could see the whole place in a day, but take at least 2 days to be relaxed about it. I rode the red tour bus, but the Yellow bus line looks nicer and has free Wifi so you can post on FlyerTalk during your ride!
I spent 20k points for the room rather than $134, but the points price decreases to a bargain 8k in the off season. I would definitely choose this hotel again.
If you want to add another cheap destination, fly RyanAir to Carcassonne, France for $25 and stay at the Best Western hotel (Donjon) which is INSIDE the spectacular old walled city. You can walk its streets early in the morning before the tourist mobs arrive.
Oct 21, 2018, 9:35 pm
Dec 3, 2018, 11:49 am
Was pleasantly surprised as the property felt like a new Hampton Inn. Very clean, good sized room with a 55" flat screen, breakfast on par with most Hampton Inn's, and a very friendly staff. Decent fridge and microwave in the room. Good sized bathroom with a functional fan that actually kept the mirror from fogging up during a shower. Nothing in Fort Dodge is ever in an ideal location, as frankly there is nothing to see or do in the winter months, so this location didn't bother me. If you set the bar at Applebee's level, that will be the highest you will find locally for restaurants, but that has nothing to do with the hotel. Would stay again if needed, as it had everything I needed and since I don't have my typical Hilton options and this property is on par with the IHG option, I will happily stay again.
I'm from Fort Dodge, so I've seen it all over the last few decades, but happy to see some new hotels as options, this one is only a few years old if I recall.
Dec 19, 2018, 7:58 am
Shuttle arrived at airport about as fast as possibile without speeding (10 minutes). Check-in was fine; I'd forgotten to provide my airline info (wish Choice would let one do that at reservation!), but remembered the next morning.
My king room was as expected: bed; night-table either side, clock radio with mp3 jack (yay!); desk with free, wired hi-speed access (I had no laptop with me); double bureau with drawers in one side and fridge/microwave in other; flat screen TV with local cable lineup. Bathroom okay.
Breakfast (6 - 9 AM daily) comparable to Hampton/Holiday Inn Express: fruit, breads, cereal, juice coffee, "omlettes", hashbrowns, sausage, bacon. They use real mugs, plates, cutlery - not plastic/styrofoam. Desktop computer and printer in lobby.
Local shuttle service to casinos and downtown strip site, as well as airport. There's a 24/7 grocery and drugstore on next block. Same block includes strip mall with Costco and a couple of restaurants - including an excellent Indian choice; there's a Denny's on the block, too.
Franchisee managers do the grunt work themselves (driver, busboy, etc.) - there's a Hampton-esque statisfaction guarantee. I chose it as the Hampton is way out-of-town (without wheels), and would stay at this property again.
Shuttle service to/from airport. No more to casinos. 24/7 grocery and drug store on next block closed a few years ago.
Anything that might have been real at breakfast is now plastic. Have never seen anything I would touch for food.. Computer is still in lobby and the original furniture in rooms. The place receives high ratings on trip advisor and on various booking sites. It's clean enough and I'm fine with it at the right price. Redaway Trucking uses it for their drivers and pay about $47/night.
Jan 1, 2019, 2:27 pm
Stayed almost two weeks in November. Half the price of Geneva hotels. When the tram and rail line to Geneva are finished .It will be even better. Big room, kitchenette and a big bathroom.
Quality Inn Mt Vernon, I'll
Nice property. Big room .Standard breakfast.
Mar 4, 2020, 4:20 pm
Yep.. I stayed there for one night last night. The breakfast was continental consisting of mostly stale muffins and pastries and cereal. The room was incredibly small. No exercise room which is kind of a dealbreaker for me. I'm currently on the elliptical machine at the Fairfield Inn where I'm staying now. Parking was valet only which bothers me because it takes longer to get my car and in my experience the car is never locked. I wound up parking on the street. on the plus side the black out curtains actually worked. And I kind of like the neighborhood. I actually grew up and lived for about 18 years about seven blocks away from there before Brooklyn Chinatown had expanded so much. I got to try some very cheaply priced dim sum from a couple of the local Chinese bakeries.
Another minor nit, when I checked in the clock in the room was wrong. I could not figure out how to change it. I asked the front desk to get it fixed. When I got back to the room at two in the morning it had been fixed sort of. It then read 14:00.
I probably won't stay again but mostly because of lack of exercise room. It's hard to find a hotel in Brooklyn with an exercise room and reasonable parking. The Fairfield Inn on third Avenue has a lot which I'm more or less giving up on because it's often full. but I've always been able to find on street parking near there. I would try the holiday in express on Union Street but it doesn't have an exercise room. I may try the actual Holiday Inn closer downtown even though the parking garage is separate. The Hampton Inn has parking but it's a seperate valet garage that needs to be paid for separately and one time they kept me waiting for almost a half an hour when I arrived after midnight. If money were no object I would just stay in the full-service Brooklyn Bridge Marriott which has a garage underneath. I can also just park at my relatives house and take the subway.
Occurs to me I probably should put most of this drivel in a thread elsewhere about Brooklyn hotels.
hopefully I corrected all the voice to text failures
Jul 19, 2020, 12:57 pm
Comfort Inn & Suites Omaha Central
Comfort Inn & Suites Omaha Central
7007 Grover St Omaha, NE 68106
Comfort Inn & Suites Omaha Central (0 Photo)
Comfort Inn & Suites Omaha Central
Stayed 1 satisfying night at this hotel in mid-June on a family trip because it was close to some friends we were visiting. A comfortable room, nice amenities, a fun bar&grill onsite, good breakfast buffet, clean and warm pool. Very pleasant stay and a good value. We would recommend to anyone.
Check In
Plenty of parking around the building. Lobby seemed a little small for the size of the hotel. Clerks were friendly and helpful.
Room
Had the 1K, 2Q, 2 BR/2BA Suite. It doesn't have a "living room", just the two bedrooms with a french door to close off the 1K room, but the room "lobby" made it feel spacious enough for five people. The room was quiet, beds were comfortable, bathrooms were functional, the minibar was useful to deal with our leftovers.
Service
All the staff we met were friendly and helpful, and the hotel seemed well tended.
Dining
Went to Firewater for Happy Hour deals. Food was fine and drink prices were reasonable. Crowd was fun. Breakfast buffet next morning was well stocked with all the hot and cold basics.
Location
Chose location to be close to friends' house, but not much else around. Was not close to downtown but location right off highway made it convenient to get there.
Overall
Was very pleasant stay, very pleased with the comfort and amenities. Would recommend.
Aug 26, 2020, 11:53 am
Ridgeline Hotel at Yellowstone North, Ascend Collection
Gardiner, MT
Ridgeline Hotel at Yellowstone North is the deal of 2020 (6 Photos)
Ridgeline Hotel at Yellowstone North, Ascend Collection
Overall
This hotel is my deal of 2020. The cash rate is $240+ and it's worth that much, but I got it for 12,000 Choice points per night. Fridays and Saturdays the price drops to 10,000 Choice points per night. Wow.
Location
You are right above the Yellowstone River. Open the window and you can hear the water flowing over mild rapids. You can see the river from your bed, from the bench outside your door, from the picnic area nearby, or from an overlook walkway. It's magical. You could easily spend the whole day here rather than driving to Yellowstone Park.
Check In
Efficient, friendly check-in. Didn't even need my credit card since I was using Choice points. 
Room
Based on Internet reviews I chose a River View room. It's outstanding. I can see the Yellowstone river out the window lying on my bed! Outside my door I have a bench to sit and watch the river and the rafters enjoying it. Nearby are wood chairs overlooking the river. 
Service
Covid19 has eliminated room cleaning during your stay, which is an excellent policy.
Dining
For Covid19 the front desk will give you a grab and go breakfast bag with an apple, a small juice, and two granola bars.
Mar 29, 2022, 3:12 pm
I suspect that my room used to be an efficiency apartment. Although not huge for an apartment, my seventh-floor room had a king-sized bed, a queen sleeper sofa, a small dining table, a bathroom with a sink separate from the room with the toilet and shower, a kitchen with a two-burner cooktop, a microwave, a refrigerator, and a coffee maker, and even a small entryway table by the door. The rooms are not luxurious but they're not run down either. I'd say that the decor is understated and perhaps trending towards dated, but everything I saw was in good shape.
As mentioned, the hotel is near the Metro station but be warned: there's a steep hill for your return to the station from the hotel that's not for the faint of heart, and I would consider this the major argument against the property. The overall neighborhood is relatively safe although close to the on and off ramps for nearby US Route 50, and there are a number of places within five minutes' walk for a bite with a shopping area with more dining options, The Crossing, about half a mile away. In between, there are several convenience stores, a couple of Starbucks, and a Whole Foods Market. Breakfast is served in a room on the top floor, the Capitol View Room, and above the surrounding rooftops, you can see the US Capitol and the Washington Monument in the distance.
The hotel is two stops from the Metro's closest access to Georgetown, the Foggy Bottom/George Washington University station. One stop away is Rosslyn which will get you access to a number of Metro lines. We went to the Tidal Basin to see the cherry blossoms and that was a relatively painless 20-minute trip. Cash price was $160 per night, which was low given that hotels closer to the Cherry Blossom Festival were going for two and three times that--a Hyatt House at the Wharf in DC was going for $600. I instead used 16K points per night for an award, and I thought this was a good redemption value given the proximity to Metro and the quality of the property.
I will definitely return.
Apr 26, 2022, 9:28 pm