Originally Posted by ElmhurstNick (Post 23817061)

After that, CY isn't noticeably different than Hampton but is often cheaper, and sometimes there's a HIX that's cheaper and that I know something about (HIX are far more variable).

Originally Posted by catocony (Post 23760336)

To the Marriott newbie, Courtyards used to be well known for the inexpensive breakfast buffet. It wasn't free stuff, like at Springhills, Res Inn and Fairfield, but they were quite good.

I haven't been in one that still had a buffet in over a year. Now, you have to pay a lot to get a little at the Bistro, or eat outside the hotel. That's fine with me, a Denny's or McDonalds or a diner are preferable. A lot of people do prefer the Bistro since they can grab a sandwich or a beer at night.

Beyond that, Courtyards do have some advantages over the other non-full service hotels. The rooms are good-sized, the walls aren't paper thin, a lot of rooms have balconies so you can open them and get some fresh air.

Fairfield Inns are low end. The beds aren't bad, but the walls tend to be thin, which is bad for low end places since tourists love these places. You do get free breakfast, which is an enhanced continental with eggs, probably waffles and a breakfast meat of some sort. The rooms tend to be smaller than Courtyards, and the overall amenities are fewer and cheaper.

Springhills were originally started as Fairfield Inn Suites, a two-room version of the basic Fairfield Inn. They are two rooms, with a mini-fridge, sofa and chair, desk and desk chair in the entry room. My complaint about Springhills is that the bedroom is fairly small, and the bed is usually planted right in front of the AC/heat unit. And, like Fairfields, it's rare to find a room with a balcony, so you're forced to use the AC, live with the 3-4 inches you can open the window to, or you're breaking out a screw driver to take out the blocks so you can open the window completely. You get a free breakfast here as well, the same as at Fairfield.

Res Inns are their own thing, being small apartments. Some people love them, some hate them. If it's one of the ones that has all of the doors in the interior, hotel-style, and the appliances aren't old, then they're really nice. If it's an old property that is set up like small apartment buildings, with exterior doors, they can be bad. Either model can have old appliances, and a loud refrigerator banging on and off all night can be bad for sleep. But, if you're traveling with kids, or are going to be there for a week or two, a Res Inn can be great. The free breakfast is maybe a bit better than the Fairfield/Springhill setup, and they do have some free food in the evenings Mondays through Thursdays.

Originally Posted by ohmark (Post 23817277)

Hampton plays in the same ballpark as Fairfield. CY faces off against HGI.