I would compare Homestead Suites with TPS for Marriott. SHS in my opinion is a much nicer product and better value. SHS, FI, RI, CY & TPS all have free HSIA. Give SHS a shot, most I have stayed in are pretty nice. The Downtown Seattle one is great, it feels like a full service hotel (room service, bar, etc). AVOID the Ft. Lauderdale Airport SHS, it is a dump.

I stayed at my very first Springhill Suites (Norristown, PA) on Monday night. It was very, very nice. The free breakfast buffet was simply outstanding. The staff was nice. They let me check in at 10 a.m! And the hotel itself sits at the top of a high hill, with a great view of the surrounding area. All that for $114!

Bruce

Will definitely do. I am anticipating some future hotel stays in the Lansing, MI area, which has everything from Courtyard to Fairfield to TownePlace etc. which I can all get for the same rate (state gov't per diem.) So My plan is to try out a few here and there before settling on the one I like. I will definitely try Lansing's SpringHill now! Thanks for the tip!

I've stayed at that property before and it is very nice, and convenient to the PA turnpike. By coincidence I stayed at next SHS up the turnpike in Willow Grove on Monday night. This is also a decent SHS except they still have the old thin mattress. Front desk folks were very pleasant and helpful as always.

I have only stayed a a few FIs, and gave up on them a few years back. I usually book the suite at the Ctyd prop if I am not staying at a FS Marriott. That being said, I do prefer the consistency of the Ctyd over the FIs. I travel a lot in the soutwest (AZ, NV, & NM) and found the FIs in these areas to be poor in quality. I can speak for Flagstaff, Yuma, Tucson and San Diego, CA. Although I've found a couple Ctyds that I wasn't thrilled with they were generally scheduled for renovation (Las Vegas Green Valley location comes to mind).

As for pts on incidentals I've been getting them as of last week? I won't be listing my account number or the hotel location for Marriott to start their audit on this though!!!

My first FI stay was adequate. Nothing more.

I've now booked a TownePlace night - which seems to have less than daily housekeeping and claims to have larger rooms.

The housekeeping isn't an issue for one night - so I'll be curious to see how it stacks up.

Comments from the more experienced?

I stayed at a Towne Place a couple of weeks ago.It was in Anaheim(CA)and on the "wrong side of the freway"for close proximity to DisneyLand.It IS right across from the A'Pond however-easy walk.
The room was OK-bed was not the greatest and the room coukd use some spiffing up-but very ok for what I paid(under $60)
These properties do attract a lot of families with small kids on the weekends-so not the quietest night.
Also,house keeping is not an every day thing at TpS's-I only stayed one night so It did not matter,
Very nicely furnished kitchen,real stove/oven,full size fridge.dishwasher,microwave,coffeepot and fittings.

I have only tried one TPS (Columbus, OH). They were out of studio suites so I was upgraded to a one-bedroom suite. Furnishings and room were good though the level of cleanliness could have been better. Breakfast is a joke (basically cereal bars or vacum packed muffins). Wound up going to Panera bread to buy breakfast. Also at TPS you only get 5 points per dollar (i.e. just like Residence Inn). Overall impression is TPS is a budget grade property on par with FI but with more room but essentially no breakfast. Since most of my stays are short-term, I'll stick with SHS or CY in that order as my preferred limited service properties and FI when the budget is tight. Also will take FS Marriott or Renaissance when the pricing is comparable to SHS or CY. If it will truly be a long-term stay, RI or SHS would be my first choice depending on how long I will be there.

--Jon

Housekeeping at TPS properties is supposed to offer a "refresh clean" daily for short-term guests & twice a week for long term guests. A "refresh clean" is basically a replenishing of the supplies. The staff is supposed to do a "full clean" once a week on long term guests. This would be your standard cleaning at the other brands.

I believe that TPS is simply filling a niche for people or companies that may balk at some of the rates at RI. Frankly, as long as my sheets were clean when I arrived, I don't need them changed every day.