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Category Archives: Hotel Review

Comfort and Covered Bridges

14 Sep

Hampton Inn Concord/Bow New Hampshire

Spent a weekend at the Concord/Bow Hampton Inn for doing some sightseeing, specifically visiting some of the local covered bridges.

Upon arrival of the inn, I got a bit of an unexpected sight, the outside of the inn is in the process of being renovated. Crews all around the building were working on replacing the buildings outer coating. A post on the door of the inn explained that the entire inn is undergoing a complete renovation that will cover the next ten months.

Checking in was a simple process, I had already done the online check-in the night before, so all my stuff was ready, all I needed was to get my keycard and hear the orientation for the hotels amenities. A quick stop at the hot beverage station for a coffee and off to my room. The hot beverage station is a great thing, available 24 hours. With medium roast, dark roast and decaf coffee as well as hot water for tea and cocoa. A collection of hot beverage condiments to prepare your coffee your way rounded out the station.

My room, a King Bed with microwave room, was at a comfortable temperature upon entering. Besides the microwave, there was also a mini fridge, a single serving coffee maker, a television with a selection of local programing available and an iron and ironing board tucked neatly in the amour. The bathroom was sparkling clean with a selection of Neutrogena bath products for usage, a wall mounted hair dryer, as well as tub/shower, a selection of fresh towels rounded out the bathroom.

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While I am away on a weekend I keep in touch with my friends via Skype on a tablet. The tablet is also my main entertainment while in my room, so I rely on good Wi-Fi. Here the Wi-Fi was a bit spotty, while on my Skype call with my friends, the Wi-Fi cut out a few times causing my call to drop. It would reset after a minute or two, but still a bit annoying.

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Overnight was nice, the bed was comfortable, with nice fresh linen. The room seemed quite soundproof as I heard no outside noise and just a faint bit of sound from the hallways. The blackout blinds did a great job keeping out that night time lighting as well as the morning sun. The room had an alarm clock that seemed easy enough to set.

Morning comes with the complimentary breakfast buffet. A nice spread with plenty of choices. I had a couple of slices of toast, freshly toasted by me in the available toaster, as well as bowl of oatmeal, a couple of strips of bacon rounded out my breakfast choices. There were also home fries and scrambled eggs in the chafing dishes, a station to make your own waffles with plenty of topping options, a small selection of cold cereals, a selection of breads and pastries and to round it out a nice selection of fresh fruits. Coffee from the hot beverage bar rounded out my morning.

Out for my adventures of the day, returning to my room was as much a joy as my first entering the day before. Housekeeping had been by and had my bed made, freshened up my bathroom and replaced all that I had used the night before. The second nights sleep was as nice as the first, quiet and comfortable.

After breakfast the second morning, it was to check out and headed home. Check out is at noon here and gave me plenty of time for breakfast, a nice shower and getting packed before I had to hit the road. Check out was simple enough, stop by the front desk, turn in my key cards and get my receipt. Then on the road for my drive home.

The staff were friendly and helpful. I have already got a weekend for next year booked here. Thank you to the entire Bow/Concord Hampton Inn staff for making my weekend a comfortable one.

 
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Posted by on September 14, 2018 in Hotel Review, Travel, Weekend Trips

 

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Delta Montreal Race Weekend

03 Aug

Had a recent weekend in Montreal for the Formula One races. I purchased a package from Octane Travel Solutions for the Formula One race. The hotel that we chose was the Delta Montreal.

Delta Montreal is located right inside the city of Montreal, there is very little parking around the hotel. Delta offers underground parking for its guests at a daily cost as well as valet parking with a bit more of a daily cost. I parked myself for the weekend, and as part of the package we got an unlimited use pass to the local transit. There is a couple of Metro stops with in walking distance of the hotel.

Our room was a two queen bed room with a balcony on the fifth floor. The wall mounted television had a good selection of local programing, giving us something to do during our down times. A coffee maker was included in the room as well as an iron and ironing board. The bathroom had a hair dryer and a collection of toiletries for guest usage.

My friend arrived a few hours before I had and did the check-in for us, all I had to do was check at the front desk for my room key, took less than a minute for me to get the key and off to the room I went. After a nice shower we headed out to find a good place for dinner. Checked with the concierge to get some ideas. We had a hankering for Italian, got directions and off we went. We did find the restaurant, unfortunately there was a really long wait time. We found this to be the case everywhere we checked. After a couple of hours of walking around and not finding any satisfaction we decided to head back to the hotel and see if their restaurant was still open. Luckily the hotels restaurant was still open and no wait time.

I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and my friend had the sirloin burger. Both orders came with fresh cut French fries. The pulled pork sandwich came on a pretzel roll, something I had never tried. I enjoyed the sandwich, the BBQ sauce on the pork was a bit sweet with just the right amount of tang for my tastes. My friend was enamored by the hamburger and said it may have been the best burger he has ever had. This set a trend for us for the entire weekend, we had dinner at the hotels restaurant each night. Saturday night I had the chicken club sandwich with came with an order of fries. Sunday was the steak and fries. Each meal was well worth the price.

The room was a 2 Queen bed room with a balcony. The room was comfortable for the two of us, I did not feel cramped. The bed was clean and comfortable. The room darkening blinds did a great job at keeping out the city lights and the morning sun as well. Unfortunately, the room was not very sound proof. We were on the fifth floor, and we got plenty of sound coming up from the streets below. We even heard the cars racing in the overnight.

I was aware of the hotel offering breakfast, I chose not to partake and rather slept in late. Housekeeping did a great job of tending our room while we were out enjoying our adventures each day, returning after the days fun we found the room cleaned, beds made up and any toiletries that we had used refilled. The only odd thing I noticed and was a bit surprised by, the glasses in the room had not been replaced and were found exactly where we had left them in the morning before leaving.

I found the staff of the hotel to be very friendly and helpful whenever I was looking for assistance. The common areas of the hotel were clean, and I found the whole atmosphere to be comfortable.

Checking out was a simple procedure, we went to the front desk, turned in our keys and we were on our prospective ways, I to the hotel garage and my car, my friend to a taxi and made way to the airport.

 
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Posted by on August 3, 2018 in Hotel Review, Travel, Weekend Trips

 

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Relaxing Weekend

15 Jun

Planned a weekend trip to visit the Dinosaur State Park, Hilton Gardens Inn Hartford North was my choice for lodging for the weekend. Less than a 20-minute drive from the park. Conveniently located right off Route 91, Hilton Garden Inn is close to a selection of restaurants and shopping.

Arrival and check-in was quick and easy as I had done an online check-in the day before. Check-in desk had my key cards ready for me, I got the little amenities speech and I was off to my room. My room was the 1 King Bed with Walkout Balcony with Skyline View. The view was nice, a large panoramic view of the city and the airport was in the distance. I enjoyed sitting out on the balcony and watching planes land and takeoff for a bit.

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The room was clean, and the bathroom had nice fresh towels and a collection of toiletries for use. I noticed a lack of drawers for me to store my stuff in, but I made use of what was available. Entering the room was a small counter with a Kiering coffee maker, a minifridge and a microwave. A large counter made up most of the room. A television with a selection of local programming in the center of the counter for entertainment. On one side of the television was open area for what ever usage you could come up with, the other side of the television was a desk area with LAN ports, a desk lamp and a desk chair that was comfortable. balkin

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The bed and sofa/with pullout bed covered the other wall. Night stands on either side of the bed with lamps, a phone on one side and an alarm clock on the other finishes up the room amenities.

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I use WIFI to connect with my friends through Skype, the inn offers a complimentary level as well as a premium level for an additional 4.95 per night. I always get the premium level because of my WIFI usage. I had not issues with the internet access, listening to Pandora, watching streaming videos and such where seamless.

Sleeping was refreshing, the room was quiet overnight getting no outside sound or any from within the inn. The room darkening blinds did their job wonderfully, keeping out any light from the parking lot, as well as the morning sun.

With morning comes breakfast, and Hilton Gardens offers a breakfast buffet with a good selection of self serve items and cooked to order eggs, pancakes and French toast. I had a ham and cheese omelet with a couple of pancakes with some sugar free syrup.

Second night was as good as the first. Slept well, had a nice breakfast and got ready for my drive home. Checkout was a quick and easy, a quick visit to the front desk, turn in my key cards and off for my drive home.

Hilton Garden Inn was a great place to spend a weekend, if my plans bring me to the area in the future this will be where I will stay.

 
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Posted by on June 15, 2018 in Hotel Review, Travel, Weekend Trips

 

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A Little Literary History Weekend

03 May

Had a recent weekend trip to Farmington Connecticut to visit the Mark Twain House and Museum. My chosen place to stay was the Hampton Inn & Suites Hartford/Farmington because it was close to the museum, about a 15-minute drive away.

The Inn is located right off route 6 and a short drive off of Route 84. The surrounding area is mostly residential, making for a quiet area. Parking for the Inn was plentiful. Check in was quick and easy, a visit to the front desk, get my key cards and the clerk handed me a list of local restaurants as well as two menus to restaurants that deliver to the hotel, a pizza and sub shop and a Chinese restaurant, a quick stop at the 24-hour hot beverage station for a coffee and I was off to my room.

My room was a 1 King Bed Suite. The room was very comfortable and clean on entering. Got myself comfortable for the evening. The room had a large desk splitting the area into two sections. A television was attached to the desk, viewable from either side of the desk

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The bathroom had nice, clean and fresh towels, a collection of toiletries and a hair dryer. There was also a little nook with a good-sized counter with a small sink, a coffee maker and a collection of coffees and teas, a microwave and a mini fridge rounded out the area.

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Headed out for a bit of shopping for the evening, then back to my room and ordered the Chinese takeout from the restaurant the front desk gave me on check-in. The order was delivered in a timely fashion, I got a call from the restaurant just before delivery asking if I wanted to meet the driver in the lobby or have it delivered right to my room. I was in the mood to get a coffee, so I met the driver in the lobby.

Kicked back and relaxed, watched a bit of television, plenty of local broadcast to choose from, the to bed. The bed was very comfortable, and the sheets and comforter were clean. I heard very little sound come in from out side and the light blocking blinds did a great job keeping out all light, including the morning sun.

Morning brings a complimentary breakfast buffet. Plenty of choices to go with, fresh breads and bagels with a toaster for do it yourself, a chafing dish full of scrambled eggs, sausage patties, and home fries. Oatmeal and cold cereals are available as well as some fresh fruits. The hot beverage station is there for your morning coffee.

Headed out for my days explorations. On my return to my room I hit my first and only problem. I was booked and signed in for a two night stay. Getting to my room I found my key card would not open my rooms door. It wasn’t a real big deal, I went back to the front desk, told them the problem and they promptly reset my key card. Back to my room, and the key worked.

My room was cleaned, new fresh towels and the toiletries I had used where replaced. The bed was cleanly made and the coffee and cups that I had used had been replenished. Enjoyed some leftover Chinese for dinner.

The second evening had me on Skype with a couple of my friends from Canada and Detroit. We were on to watch a Formula One race. The WiFi worked great and I had no drop outs with either the call or the broadcast onto my tablet.

Had a second great nights sleep. Morning had me getting a light breakfast because I knew I was going to be spending a few hours in my car driving.

Check out was as quick and easy as check in, turned in my cards to the front desk and an the road I was.

My visit to the Hampton Inn Farmington was relaxing and enjoyable, the next time I am going to be in the area this will be my destination. Thank you to the staff of Hampton Inn Farmington.

 
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Posted by on May 3, 2018 in Hotel Review, Travel, Weekend Trips

 

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Hampton Inn Hartford/East Hartford

30 Mar

Here For The Planes and Some Relaxation

I was in Hartford for a weekend to visit the New England Air Museum, and the East Hartford Hampton Inn and Suites was in a great location for my visit.

Located right off of Route 84, Hampton Inn Hartford has a nice central location. Arrival at the inn in the mid afternoon and checking in was a quick and easy process. I had already done an online check-in the night before and everything was ready for my arrival. A quick orientation about the inns amenities, a cup of coffee from the 24-hour hot beverage station and I was headed to my room.

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My room was a 1 King Bed Studio Suite. The room itself had a good amount of space. Right inside the door is the kitchenette type area which includes a minifridge, a microwave, a coffee maker and a small sink, on a good sized counter. The main room had the bed, of course, a couch with a pullout bed, a desk and a bureau with the television on top. The television had a lot of local programming as well as some pay-per-view programming available.

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For me while I am on a weekend, I like to keep in touch with my friends via skype, so a good WIFI internet connection is important to me. I had no issues with the connection though out the entire weekend. Besides skyping, I was able to stream Pandora without interruption and even watched a movie, again with no problems.

After a relaxing evening .it was off to sleep, The bed was nice and clean and very comfortable, giving me a good nights sleep. I heard no noise from outside my room and the room darkening blinds did a sufficient job at keeping out the light, including the morning sun

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Morning comes with the complimentary breakfast buffet. The coffee station was open for business and flowing freely. The staff was doing a great job at keeping everything full. For me, breakfast was a couple of slices of toast, freshly toasted by me at the toast station, a bowl of oatmeal, and some ham and cheese scrambled eggs. All was freshly cooked and tasty. There are plenty of other breakfast items available to choose from, including a self serve waffle station.

After my days adventures I was looking forward to a late afternoon of relaxing before dinner, so back to my room I headed. Returning to my room I found it cleaned and refreshed for me, my bed was freshly made and towels have been replaced.

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After another great nights sleep and a nice fresh breakfast, I was getting ready to get back on the road for my drive home. Check out was a quick and easy process, turn in my key card and have a receipt sent to my email and I was on the road home.

Thank you to the entire staff of Hampton Inn and Suites Hartford/East Hartford for giving me a wonderful and relaxing weekend.

 
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Posted by on March 30, 2018 in Hotel Review, Travel, Weekend Trips

 

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Hilton Gardens Groton Fishy Weekend

07 Mar

My weekend plans where a visit to the Mystic Aquarium and the Hilton Gardens in Groton seemed like a great place to stay, less than a 15-minute drive to the aquarium.

I always enjoy staying at Hilton properties and Hilton Gardens in Groton lived up to my expectations from Hilton. When I arrived at the hotel I found no line at the front desk, I did an online check-in the night before so my key card and reservation where already for me. A quick orientation for the hotels amenities and I was off to my room. On the way I stopped by the 24-hour hot beverage station for a coffee.

I had a 1 King Bed 1 Bedroom with Whirlpool tub room. Upon entering my room, the first thing I noticed was how spacious the main room was. The separate bedroom was also just as spacious. This was the first time I stayed someplace that had a full bath and a half bath which I found a bit odd. The suite itself was very clean and the temperature was comfortable. One thing I do like about Hiltons is that they always have a light on for when you enter your room.

The bathrooms where both spotless. The main bathroom with the whirlpool tub had plenty of fresh, clean towels as well a collection of toiletries. The living area had a nice kitchenette with a Keurig coffee maker, a minifridge, a microwave and a counter with a sink.

The main room had a pullout couch, a couple of chairs, a desk with another chair and a big screen television with a lot of local programing to choose from. The bedroom had the king bed and another television for sleepy time watching.

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Sleeping was great, the room darkening shades kept out all outside light including the morning sun. The room was also very quiet, I heard no outside sounds either from the rest of the hotel or outside.

Morning and breakfast go together, and Hilton Gardens offers a mixed bag of breakfast choices. I went with the full buffet which includes everything available for the continental breakfast with a selection of fresh cooked choices including your choice of eggs and pancakes.

The buffet had a great selection. A toaster with a collection of breads and such, I had a bagel with cream cheese, some fresh baked pastries, fresh fruits and juices and a self-serve waffle station. My eggs where perfectly prepared as a ham and cheese omelet. Staff was there doing a great job of keeping everything full.

After my day of adventuring and returning to my room I was greeted by a fully cleaned and restocked room. Second night of sleeping was just as wonderful as the first night. Knowing that I would be spending a couple of hours in my car driving, I had myself a light breakfast. A bowl of Red Berries Special K and a bagel. Checkout was quick and easy. A printed receipt, handed in my key cards and I was on the road.

Hilton Gardens Groton gets a double thumbs up from me for having a great staff all around. For being clean and for all around friendliness.

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Posted by on March 7, 2018 in Hotel Review, Travel, Weekend Trips

 

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