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.

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.