Springhill Suites Pasadena/Arcadia [Master Thread]
 

I couldn't find a thread on this one, but anyone have experience with this property? I've got 4 nights booked, but it was dramatically cheaper than other properties in the area, so I'm wondering if there's something I need to worry about.

I'll be with my wife and two small children.

I have no personal experience there. But, when I'm in your situation, one thing I do is check out aerial maps to see check out the neighborhood. This hotel looks to be located about 75 feet from railroad tracks. And, it's about 300 feet from an intersection where those track cross the road. It's up to local law as to whether the train has to use the horn when it crosses that intersection.

It does appear that there's a wall between the tracks and the hotel. If you get stuck on that side of the hotel, I'd guess that the ground floor will be quieter than upper floors because of that wall.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e823b7bc02.jpg
Image courtesy Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/1Hh97D8BCcK2

Of course, it's possible that the hotel planned ahead and invested in heavy-duty sound-proofing like some airport hotels. But, the location of those tracks would make want to call the hotel and ask some questions if I were planning a stay there.

If I'm not mistaken, those track are light-rail; 2-3 cars max and not running 24/7

https://www.metro.net/riding/paid_parking/gold-line/

Don't think noise will be too bad.

I have no clue about noise, but trains are close to 24/7. According to the Metro website, the first train leaves the nearby station at 3:59am during the week. The last train arrives at 1:51am. So, there's only a 2 hour windows without trains in the dead of night.

I still recommend calling the hotel and asking about whether trains are required to blow their horn and if the nearby crossing alarms can be heard into hotel guest rooms.

Stayed two nights there in January 2016. Had a ground floor room. No significant noise from the tracks or freeway. Lots of free parking. Breakfast was OK, comparable to a Fairfield.

Thanks for the actual trip report vs. speculation. Much appreciated.

Cheers.

I've been to the Hilton Garden Inn right next to this one. No noise issues at all.

I've stayed on a higher floor and the train noise from the rail was noticeable. But I'm a light sleeper.

Was not impressed with either the room decor (mine, on a couple of stays, was light green) nor the comfort or layout of the rooms. It was acceptably basic, but not much beyond that.

I switched to the nearby Courtyard in Monrovia and a nice Residence Inn, also nearby, for later stays as a result.

Thanks for the actual trip reports. Not as good as I'm hoping but better than I feared, I guess.

My main concern is probably safety of the area (since it looks a bit industrial), size (since I'm travelling with kids), and cleanliness. I stayed in a Crowne Plaza at SF Airport once and the decor was terrible, like something straight out of a Brady Bunch episode. If I remember correctly, the sofa was actually corduroy and I do have a personal aversion to popcorn ceilings.

The location seems great with easy access to the 210 and Pasadena. I would have preferred something IN Pasadena, but the prices are crazy near the end of the year, most likely due to the Rose Parade. Not the best timing on my part.

The area is actually less industrial and more strip-mall like (Starbucks, chain restaurants, etc.). I never was concerned about safety on my many stays at the three Marriott properties in the area. It was clean and the size was adequate for a low-to-mid-range "suite" hotel.

I stayed at this property several times while visiting family. - actually grew up in the area. The room is your standard SHS version 1.0 room (read: no teal/glass wall separator). The hotel's location is relatively quiet, even more so compared to the Courtyard half a mile away, where there is noticeable traffic noise from the freeway nearby. The surrounding is suburban, with lots of family-friendly restaurants. The closest restaurants within walking distance are Outback, The Derby (a steakhouse), and a couple of restaurants in the Starbucks shopping center. There are a ton of other choices in the nearby area, including Ding Tai Fong at the Westfield Santa Anita mall.

Never been in a SHS, which is part of the concern. Never been in a Fairfield, SHS, Courtyard, etc etc. I've never really been in any of that particular category of hotel. HIX Suites might be the closest I can think of? I've never done anything resembling extended stay either.

Suburban is frankly perfect though, so thank you all again for allaying my concerns. I'm a lot more concerned about properties when I have my wife and children with me. Actually... the kids are flexible but my wife always wants champagne on a beer budget.

Quick update - had one more stay last week. If I paid attention, you could hear the train whirl by - a quiet electric train passing through station, no horns or wheels on track noise like a subway.

I’ll add my two cents. I had a recent, three-night stay here; and whilst you could hear a faint whizzing of the light rail, you will definitely hear your next door neighbour. On my last day I was woken up at 3am by the sound of someone (likely) losing their backdoor virginity (or being murdered). Then, around noon, I was treated to the sounds of someone who was a bit more experienced. Either way, the HGI across the street was only slightly better because their walls weren’t this thin.