I know this is going to shock some of you
Typing this now from a newly remodeled Fairfield Inn in the Anaheim area and I must say I am impressed!
Check in staff was super friendly fast and efficient-looking me right in the eye with a sincere thank you for being a loyal Gold member.Better reception than I get at most full service properties,

Room is SPOTLESS decor is very nice and while the case goods are either new or they were refinished recently.All soft goods are new including the bed.New Curtains and carpet.Bathroom was completely remodeled also.

I will make sure to fill out a comment card.

Are you referring to the one in Placentia/Anaheim or the one in Anaheim Hills?

I recently stayed at the FI in dwtn Omaha. Same story. Very impressive interior, decor, service. Cheaper than the CY down the street.

Fairield Inn in Hattiesburg, MS is also very nice (I think it is new). The Courtyard less than a 1/2 mile away is also nice.

Rochester Airport FF: Best Ever.

It's swank!! I was waiting by the front desk for a coworker to pick me up in the morning. The young lady and man behind the counter - it was shift change - asked how everything was with me stay. I told them this FF was awesome and the woman said she hears that several times every day. I told her that's because it is so much nicer than the usual FF.

Great decor. Good lighting. Cool vibe in the room.

I'm glad this is the direction FF is taking!

Placentia-I stayed at the one in Anaheim Hills a few years ago-that put me off FFI's for 3 years(I know I posted about it)

I stayed at the FI in Placentia last Friday night and it was great. The staff was super. Ditto your comments about the one in Anaheim Hills. That place had almost every problem imaginable. I still won't stay there.

I am so not a FFI customer but the new decor is amazing, from guest rooms to lobby's, all the more reason for CY's to quickly adopt their new decor package

We stayed at a Fairfield Inn this past week and I have to say the attitude mirrors your experience! I really do believe many of these smaller chains try harder.

I stayed at a new FI in Mariana, FL in April and it was real nice. My 1 BR suite was exceptional. Breakfast service was a bit spotty (not much there) but it worked for me.

"I am so not a FFI customer"
Socrates I would have(and did) said the same thing myself a year ago.But with FS properties pricing themselves out of my budget I have had to change my tune.
The closest FS property-Fullerton Marriott(I could see it out my window)was over $30 more for a saturday night.That is dinner or half a tank of gas.And since this stay,as 80 percent of my stays,was out of my pocket the least expensive property won.

This thread hits home with me right at the moment. My last several stays at CY have involved problems of varying degree. Meanwhile, my last several FI stays have been flawless.

Fast forward to this past Thursday. I had a reservation at the Dallas/Stemmons Fwy. CY. I called that morning and asked for an 11:30am check in. "No problem", I was told. Unfortunately, when I arrived they didn't have a room. I was told there'd be a twenty minute wait. I said "okay, fine" but when they could tell I was slightly dismayed, a room suddenly materialized.

This is in the context of a security gated parking lot and a major construction project going on at the hotel.

So finally, I'm on my way to the room complete with the noise and the dust in the hall, but when I get there, neither of the keys I was given worked.

I'd be willing to shrug off any one of these, and even the whole chain of events might not have been enough to surpass my level of tolerance, but what happened next finally pushed me over. There were two chairs opposite the front desk that were stained and discolored from ground in grime. Not just "questionable" but absolutely filthy with glaring multiple stains.

I'd seen enough! I was starting to get the distinct impression that there were multiple issues at this hotel and began to wonder "what's next"?

So...I got on my cell and booked myself into the FI Parkside about ten minutes away. They told me to come right over. Sparkling clean, friendly greeting, comfortable well-appointed room. Decent enough free breakfast offerings.

The FI was perfect in every way (except for those dinky little styrofoam cups). And a sharp contrast to the CY I had left.

Now that the older and underperforming FI properties are seemingly being upgraded or weeded out, its becoming harder and harder for me personally to see any advantages of CY versus FI. (Except for what they give you to drink from!)

I have stayed at five FI's recently:

St Clairsville, OH - Relatively recent decor; nice, cleanrooms; good breakfast; pleasant staff . I have stayed hear multiple times for business and always had a good stay. ^

Zanesville, OH - Older FI but still has all interior corridors, cleanliness was marginal, good breakfast, pleasant staff, overall feels tired

Reynoldsburg, OH - Relatively recent decor; poor studio suite layout; good breakfast. Trying it one more time before making a decision on this property.

Beckley, WV - Older, but very well maintained FI; Rooms are Large; Large breakfast area and good breakfast; okay outdoor pool; very pleasant staff. I have stayed hear multiple times on the way to and from The Carolinas for vacation. I have always had a good experience at this property. They are very family friendly. ^

Wytheville, VA - Brand new FI. Nice larger rooms. Good size bathroom with ceramic tile floor and marble sink; pleasant staff. Good breakfast though the new style breakfast area with the bar doesn't work well for families. Definitely would stay here again. ^

Bottom line, FI's are generally gettng better and are a more cost effective alternative. When will CY finally cave and offer free breakfast (at least to elites) @:-)

--Jon


P.S. Main differences I see with CY is better towels and glassware at CY. More business travelers and less families at CY generally leading to quieter stays. It use to be CY generally had bigger rooms; however, with the new FI's comming online, there is much less if any difference.

Agreed on the Dallas/Stemmons Fwy CY being a dump. The parking lot scared me right away, even before I checked in. While I did stay, I won't go back.

It's funny that the last two posters each dislike the styrofoam cups. I've stopped using the glasses in hotel rooms after seeing several news reports about those glasses being rinsed out by the maids and put back up for the next person to use. When there are only glasses in the room, I scrub them out with shampoo, rinse them over and over, and dry only the outside with a towel before using.

But then again - about to reveal too much - I won't use a hotel shower/tub until I've cleaned it with Comet. I keep small plastic bags full of Comet in my suitcase and use a wash cloth to scrub the tub. I then take the cloth and wash the bathroom floor and toilet. I use a towel to dry the floor and then wash the floor and the sink and door knobs. Since I started doing this five years ago, I've only gotten one slight foot infection in over 500 hotel stays. The hotel maids don't clean, they straighten up.

It takes me under five minutes to do this. I've fooled myself into thinking its exercise. Amazingly, TSA has never questioned my small bags of powdery substance. (I also have a small bag of laundry detergent, just in case.)

In the same way we have a FS "Lounge open on the weekend thread" perhaps we need a FI "Great Stay" Thread.

Two come to mind:

CLT Arrowood: nice property, great staff, great pricing. I use it (mostly) for early flights - so have not had the breakfast BUT each time I am leaving the "hostess" pops out of the kitchen with a breakfast bar, a juice, and a piece of fruit to go. Amazing. (Only thing I can figure is that she hears the elevator).

Williamsburg: Horror story at c/in w/ RInn. Handed key back and drove a couple blocks down the road to FI. GREAT welcome, very nice room (they actually have a 2BR suite; which I booked.) huge breakfast area that was well kept and stocked. Indoor pool. All very nice.

But I agree with Jon Maiman about towels and glasses. Towels I can survive for a day or so....but I HATE styrofoam.