Ohio: Cleveland/Mentor – The Residence Inn by Marriot

THE RESIDENCE INN BY MARRIOTT: CLEVELAND/MENTOR

5660 Emerald Court, Mentor, Ohio 44060

We only spent one night at the Residence Inn in Mentor and immediately upon opening the door to our room we wished we were staying longer. In fact, we even discussed doing so.  The Suite was clean and wonderfully appointed with a fully functional kitchen, small living room/office area, sleeping area, generous closet and bathroom. The kitchen was stocked with basic equipment and the hotel even provided a single use packet of dishwashing detergent in addition to the usual toiletries and coffee. The bed was firm without being hard. Temperature within the suite was easy to set using the thermostat. There was free parking and an outdoor pool with hot tub that we did not get an opportunity to use on this trip. The complimentary buffet breakfast included eggs, breakfast meats and potato, along with cereals, baked goods, yogurt, fresh fruit, and the standard waffle iron setup. The seating area for breakfast was more comfortable than most, offering booth options that would also serve as a great place to get away from the room with a laptop and get some work done. We arrived too late to participate in the social hour and didn’t get a chance to see the fitness center, but did see notices about both those items in the room. The staff was friendly and welcoming. The TV allows you to log into your streaming services, a thoughtful feature that we didn’t have time to use. There is a very small convenience store in the lobby that includes microwavable meals and even beer for the weary traveler who just doesn’t want to run out again. The location worked fine for our needs, but it is about 1/2-hour drive NE of Cleveland. This is a hotel we would definitely like to return to in the future. If you visit the area, don’t miss Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Pennsylvania: Allentown – Parkview Inn

PARKVIEW INN: ALLENTOWN

1151 Bulldog Drive, Allentown, PA, 18104

We had a very long day driving and were trying to make it to Hershey to spend the night. We only made it as far as Allentown before my fiancé was just done with the car and we found this place at the last minute. The room was large, bright, and clean, but smelled faintly of mold. The room amenities included a desk, dresser and refrigerator (no freezer). The in-wall heat/AC unit was easy to use to control the temperature of the room. The king size bed was firm, but sagged a bit in the middle. There was no blanket provided and the bottom sheet on the bed was not fitted, so it moved in the night. The thin bedspread was a rough fabric that woke me up every time it touched my skin, but when I tried to make it warmer in the room, the mold smell was stronger, so I had to keep it cool. I did not get a good night sleep, but my fiancé had a few beers before going to bed and managed to sleep fine. The shower pressure was good and toiletries were provided in the room. They have an outdoor pool that we did not get the opportunity to see or use. There was a complimentary continental breakfast provided that included cereal, baked goods and fresh fruit, but also had the addition of a waffle iron.  They do require a $75 deposit upon arrival, even if you use a booking service, so be ready for that. The cost of the room seemed expensive for what it was (I felt it was probably worth closer to $60-70/night) and since comfort and a good night sleep are my main concerns, we likely wouldn’t stay here again if there was another option.

Massachusetts: Boston/Danvers – Best Western

Best Western: Boston/Danvers

50 Dayton Street, Danvers, Massachusetts 01923

We thoroughly enjoyed our 4-night stay at the Best Western Hotel. Our plans for the trip included sites in Salem, Gloucester/Rockport, Concord and Boston. The hotel offered free parking which was great, since we were travelling with a vehicle, and was a perfect central location for us… everything being about a 20-30 minute drive. The complimentary breakfast is a typical hotel buffet with eggs, breakfast meats and potatoes alongside yogurt, cereal, baked goods, fresh fruit and the standard waffle iron set-up. In addition they offered a make-your-own-pancake machine, which made two pancakes every time you pushed a button. The coffee was ok (Folgers), but we usually visited Starbucks immediately after leaving the hotel in the mornings because we like our coffee significantly stronger. The queen size beds were firm, but softened slightly with soft bedding, and an ample selection of pillows was provided. The room included a dresser, closet, small table with chairs, tv with cable, refrigerator, microwave and personal coffee maker. The shower pressure was good and toiletries were provided. The thermostat in the room made it easy to maintain just the right temperature for us. We enjoyed the pool area, but wished there would have also been a hot tub or sauna. Other amenities we didn’t use, but looked very nice, were the large-sized fitness center and outdoor patio. The staff was wonderful and the hotel desk offered us an excellent restaurant suggestion for our first night there. They even printed us directions. We would definitely stay again should we find ourselves back in Boston.

New York: Buffalo/Williamsville – Budget Inn

Budget Inn: Buffalo/Williamsville

8255 Main Williamsville, NY 14221

The Budget Inn in Buffalo is a pretty basic roadside motel. We were only staying there for one night and our main factors for choosing it were location and price. We found it to be clean and the staff very nice. There was free parking, essential for anyone on a road trip. They offered a complimentary continental breakfast in the hotel lobby with cereal, baked goods and a small selection of fruit. The best part about breakfast was the nice, strong coffee. This was one of the few days on our journey where the hotel coffee was strong enough for us not to go elsewhere for our morning brew. The queen size bed was very firm. The room was older, but clean and offered a dresser, desk area, refrigerator, microwave, and personal coffee maker. There was an area for hanging clothes if absolutely necessary, but it wasn’t the most convenient. The shower had incredibly strong pressure and maintained good temperature. Toiletries were provided. The in-wall heat/AC unit was a bit larger than necessary for the small space and made it a harder to control the room temperature. For the price, this was a very good place to stay for a night and we would not be upset to find ourselves here for another short stay in the future. The location is convenient to Niagara Falls.