Hotel Review: Dulles, VA Fairfield Inn and Suites

After my stay at the Winchester Fairfield Inn and Suites, I was one stay shy to earn a free night through Marriott's Unexpected Bonus. I decided to do a mattress run to earn that free night. After a quick search,  I found a $50 night stay at the Dulles Fairfield Inn and Suite.

After taking the bus from Tysons, I wondered over to the area where hotel shuttles pick up passengers. It is located on the ground level around the 2A sign. I decided not to call the hotel and request a pick-up. Instead, I waited to see if the shuttle would arrive. Luckily, it arrived 20 minutes later. There was a sign at check-in that stated that you need to call the hotel to request a shuttle. It doesn't normally run to the airport.

The hotel is located on Indian Creek Drive, about a mile away from the airport.

This Fairfield Inn and Suites is one of the unrenovated hotels. The lobby was tiny, but had a very homey feel to it.

I was given a room on the first floor that faced the main road.

         
                      

You could tell this room was unrenovated. It had a look of an old country country club. Green carpet, dark wood furniture and tacky art work. The room was very clean and the only real sign of age was the tub.

The hotel has a small gym has two treadmills, an elliptical, a set of weights and a bench. The gym faces the pool.

The pool is a great size for swimming laps. There are a few places to sit around the pool. No need to bring towels from your room as big beach towels are provided. The pool is open until 11 pm on weekdays and
8 pm on the weekend.

Directly outside of the pool is an area outside to sit, sun bath and have a smoke or two.

One of the benefits of staying at Fairfield Inn and Suites is free breakfast. On the weekends, breakfast is served until 10am in the cafeteria.

They had a variety of cold options

      

 

And hot food; eggs, bacon and a waffle maker:

In the cafeteria room is a computer for your use:

A couple quick notes, there is only a subway located in a gas station in terms of walking distance for food. The airport is about a 10 minute van ride. Overall, this hotel was OK for a quick mattress run. The hotel was clean except for cigarette buds in the hall way.

Finally, what is this list? It was taped on the door outside the door across the hall from me

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Thrillist's 13 Worst People at Every TSA Checkpoint

Thrillist has a list entitle The 13 Worst People at Every Airport Security Checkpoint. 

The list made me laugh so hard, because it so true. I copied it here for you:

13. Extended Family Lingering With Departing Relative
Yes, by all means, please walk alongside everyone waiting to continue your conversation with your nephew when he finally returns from the other side of the snaking line.

examiner.com

12. Egregious Liquids Lady
She checked three suitcases, but didn't throw in her full-sized shampoo and conditioner because she "didn't want them to leak". Look, your soft curls sure ain't getting us to the gate anytime soon, so why don't you stop arguing about what constitutes a "liquid", finish your 60oz Evian, and start transforming into Spends 20 Minutes In The Plane Bathroom Lady already?

11. The Stroller Family
Not only do they get to skirt the line you just waited in for an hour, but once they hit the conveyor belt the act of keeping their hellion brood in one place for thirty seconds becomes impossible as mom and dad become preoccupied with folding up the stroller, both of which are two of the simpler tasks on the planet.

http://avoision.com/2011/09/16/but-you-kept-the-baby-right.php

10. The Elderly
The same people who had trouble turning off their TV this morning are now navigating the world's most advanced security system. Taking 15 minutes to undo Velcro shoes feels like an elaborate prank all old people are in on.

http://theinspirationroom.com

9. Too Much On His Person Guy
This dude manages to have no less than two laptops, phones in three different pockets, lace-up shoes with a buckle (why?!), a watch, a belt, bracelets, a necklace, and, like, six rings...on one hand. Oh, you need to slowly take those off at the last possible second? Please, take your time, it isn't like the rest of us are here for a scheduled departure or anything. (and he is probably wearing this coat:)

8. Must Put Everything Back On His Person Guy
The version of Too Much On His Person Guy insists on putting himself entirely back together againbefore he leaves the conveyor belt. Bonus points for checking voicemail and responding to emails between shoes.

7. Thinks He's a Cop TSA Agent
Noticeable because of his perfectly crisp uni, military cut, and mustache, this dude had some vision problem that precluded him from being a Texas Ranger/Green Beret/other no-nonsense, emotionally unstable occupation. Now, fresh from mall security, he's been called up to the big show. No joking with this dude, 'cause he'll tase you. Twice. In the nuts.

I smell a squeal in the works: Paul Blart: TSA Agent

6. This Body Scanner Violates My Rights Lady
She'll launch into a half-cocked rant about how full-body scans violate her fourth amendment rights. To you. In line. 10 minutes before she's even at the scanner. Here's an idea: if you don't want your rights violated, then DON'T FLY ON A GODDAM PLANE!!!

www.humblelibertarian.com

5. Clueless About What Sets Off Metal Detectors Guy
"Take your watch off, sir." BEEP. "Take your belt off, sir." BEEP. "Do you have keys in your pocket, sir?" BEEP. "How about change?" BEEP.

4. My Plane Leaves in 10 Minutes Guy
This guy screwed up by misjudging how long he'd need at the airport, and now it's on literally every single person ahead of him in line to make sure he catches his plane. This is also the same guy that tries to rush to the front when the plane has landed.

www.gossipthread.com

3. Accidental Weapon Guy
Just because you love Survivorman doesn't give you a license to keep a pocket knife on your keychain.

   

  The Office

2. Non-Accidental Weapon Guy
60% chance he's married to This Scanner Violates My Rights Lady. 100% chance he'll start talking to her about the Constitution.

www.bokbluster.com

1. So Tired From My Night Out That I'm Yawning and Not Looking At The Screen TSA Agent
Come on, man, at least try to catch Non-Accidental Weapon Guy! There's a good chance this dude was inspired to get a job with the TSA after watching Jay Baruchel's character in She's Out Of My League, only this is real life and dudes from Pittsburgh don't score 10s.

oh, wait this was suppose to be about passengers

I have zero patience for people at TSA. The rules have been around forever and you should know them by now. That is why I got Global Entry/TSA Precheck and I love it. Getting through security at Dulles in less than 5 minutes is wonderful and none of these people are there. Well that statement isn't totally true. I had one guy at precheck have two water bottles in his bad. WTF!

However, I still have to deal with the normal people at Hartford, because they don't have precheck. And "I am always, always behind #5 on this list

TSA, NSA, if you are reading this, can you pass along a message to TSA to get precheck at BLD. Thanks!

I hope this list gave you a good weekend chuckle.

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Earn Points at Airports: Thanks Again

I love earning points, when I have to do little to nothing to get them. Swipe my credit cards (earn points!), dine out at certain restaurants (earn additional points!!), grab a bottle of water, magazine and snack at the airport (earn bonus points!!!).

How many of you know that you can earn points at major airports by registering your card?

Up until last year’s US Airways Grandslam, I didn’t.

There is a program called “Thanks Again,” that allows you to earn points by shopping at vendors located in major airports. Thanks You is very similar to Dining Rewards: one has to sign-up (free) with a points earning program and register your credit cards with that program. Unlike, Dining Rewards, you don’t have to complete surveys about your experience.

Thanks You currently has programs with US Airways, United, American Airlines, Delta. Again, you can only earn miles with the program that you are registered with. Most vendors at the airports earn you 1 mile for $1 spent. However, every once and a while a vendor might offer 2 miles per $1 spent.

According to their website, Thanks Again has afflictions with over 150 airports. However, their "affiliation" is sometimes only a car service and/or an entertainment store as in the case of LAX, MCO, SAN. You can use this search engine to see what merchants participate at particular airports:

How can you tell if a merchant is participating? My experience, at Dulles (IAD), was that merchants had signs up indicating they were a member. The type of vendors participating was numerous: from sit-down restaurants to kiosks selling jewelry. According to their website, Dulles has only 3 vendors: CNBC, Brooks Brothers and DC Express. However, my points earning statement says I have earned points (in the past month) from Gordon Biersch and Subway, so the search engaging might not be updated.

In addition to earning points at airports, Thanks Again allows you to earn points at local (non-airport) vendors. Most of the local vendors ares restaurants and require you to buy Restaurant.com gift certificates, earning you 3 points per $1 spent on the certificate. This is not a great rate, as the United Airlines shopping portal earns you 10 miles per $1 spent. Other local merchants include spas, storage units, and golf courses.  As I have previously mentioned, my former dry cleaners was apart of Thanks Again earning me 1 points per $1 spent.

Thanks Again has bonuses based upon the amount of money who spend in 90 consecutive days:

Earn 500 bonus miles/points when you spend $250 or more (2 miles/points per dollar spent)

Earn 1,500 bonus miles/points when you spend $500 or more (3 miles/points per dollar spent)

Earn 4,000 bonus miles/points when you spend $1,000 or more (4 miles/points per dollar spent)

Earn 25,000 bonus miles/points when you spend $5,000 or more (5 miles/points per dollar spent)

All it takes to earn points from Thanks Again is signing up and registering your credit cards.

Will you earn a ton of points by joining "Thanks Again," probably not!

Can you earn points for simplying registering your credit cards and using it at airports? Yes!

Will you? I think it would be unwise not to!!!!

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Ride Super Shuttle, Earn Miles

Super Shuttle is a door to door shared van service to and from various airports.

All vans in the Super Shuttle fleet are bright blue and very noticeable.

You can earn United miles for each trip booked at Super Shuttle's website. Currently, you can earn 50 miles for each one-way trip (100 miles per round-trip). For those choosing private sedan service, the earning rate jumps to 150 for each one-way trip (300 round-trip). The sedan service looks like this:

Here are the niddy gritty details:

Important part within the terms is that miles are only earn on "airport transfers only."

You can also earn Southwest, US Airways, Delta and Frontier miles through Super Shuttle.

The cost of super shuttle depends on where you are being pick-up/drop-off. For instance, when I used Super Shuttle to IAD,  its cost $25 without tip.

On the other hand, I used Super Shuttle in San Diego and the cost was only $12.

The other variable that changes price is the number of passengers. As you can see above, the 1st Passenger costs $29, but the next passenger on the same reservation is only $10. Therefore, booking 2 people on one reservation drops the per person cost to $20.

The only downside is that you have very little control with Super Shuttle. They try to get you to the airport around 2 hours prior to your flight. Using them to get home, you are at the mercy of the drop-off list. I have been the last one on the drop-off list and arrived home 2 1/2 hours after boarding the van.

Super Shuttle is a great service if your luck is your favor!

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I Completed My First Fuel Dump

This weekend I crossed off a milestone in my points life: I completed a fuel dump.

It all started with a trip to Colorado Spring and a flight on Q400 from Denver to Colorado Springs. We boarded the plane and then we waited, and waited, and waited. Eventually, the captain comes on the speaker apologizing for the delay; apparently  we had a weight problem. I start playing on my phone researching mileage runs and five minutes late the doors were closed.

We start to taxi to the runway and we stopped. The pilot comes back on telling us that the plane has to much weight and we need to Fuel Dump. For the next 20 minutes, we sat on the tarmac with the engines going full blast burning fuel. The plane rocked back and forth the entire time. It was one of the most unnerving experiences, in my travel experience, and we were still on the ground. We were burning fuel longer than the actual flight.

I learned that Colorado Springs has a weight maximum for airplanes and someone in Denver filled the plane with to much fuel. On top of that, I saw 20 bags not make it on the plane. So, I completed my first fuel dump, but I don't think did it right.

Here are some other observations from this weekends trip:

1) All flyers are equal in Colorado Springs

           I learned the Colorado Springs' airport has no priority access line or PreCheck. Elites and all
           other passengers have to take off their shoes, pull out their laptops and remove their liquids
           circa 2011. Unlike our security experience at Dulles flying out, it took 10 minutes to get
           through security with only 2 others in front of me, and no one complained except Chris.

2) E+ has so much more room than regular seats

           On the ride out to Colorado Springs, I sat in a regular economy seat. The difference between
           Economy Plus and regular seats is noticeable. Add in a backpack, the room gets even less.

3) No more flying between Denver and Colorado Springs

           Even thought the flight is at max only 17 minutes long, it is one bumpy ride. Add on top of
           that one needs to sit in a hot, stuffy, and cramped plane for 20 minutes prior to taking off,
           I am done flying Q400 routes. If we ever are invited back to Colorado Springs, Chris and
           I will drive from Denver, regardless of the price

4) Colorado Springs has GREAT Tequila

           Let's just say , we closed down the bar in more than one way!!!!

I hope you had a great weekend wherever your travels took you.



           

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Getting to the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner for FTU DC

EDIT: If you are heading to FTU DC don't forget to stop by our FTUDC TweetUp on Saturday! 

As FTU DC gets closer and closer we've covered the restaurants that you can't miss when you are touring around the DC area, but for the actual FTU event you will need to get yourself to the host hotel, the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner .

The hotel is located right next to the Hilton headquarters and was renovated when they moved their headquarters to the northern Virginia area so it is an absolutely beautiful hotel. I've stayed here before when doing a mattress run and the service is wonderful, the food delicious and the hotel very nice.

I'm going to break down how to get to the hotel from the two closest DC area airports: Washington National (DCA) and Washington Dulles (IAD). I'll cover it in three separate ways: by car, by taxi and by public transit.

Washington National (DCA): 

By Car: If you elect to rent a car from DCA..then good luck. I say that half-joking and half-serious. They haven't voted DC traffic the worst in the nation for fun. The drivers here are a bit nutty and they can get a little stressed during rush hour. That combined with the crazy road patterns that make no sense to the outside on looker you might want to prepare yourself for this.

But if you do decide to drive here's how you do it:

OPTION ONE (Choose this option if it is outside of 4:00 pm -6:30 pm on a weekday or if you have 2 or more people in the car):

This option is a bit complicated, but it really is the fastest way to the hotel. If it is outside of the hours of 4:00 pm - 6:30 pm on a weeknight or if you have two more people in the car you will want to use Interstate 66. Why those hours? Well the road acts as an HOV only interstate during those hours, so unless you have two or more people in the car or feel like paying a nice hefty fine...stay off 66.

If you meet the HOV rules or it's outside of those hours you will want to take the following steps to get to the hotel:

1. Exit National Airport headed to the George Washington Memorial Parkway toward Washington, D.C
2. Take the Exit to I-395 S toward Richmond, VA
3. After merging ont I-395 you will exit on the right to 8B VA-110 toward I-66 almost immediately
4. Follow the signs to I-66 W
5. Drive Aprox. 7 miles and take exit 67 toward Dulles Airport/I-495N to Baltimore
6. After Aprox. 2 miles take exit 19A to VA-123 S/Dolley Madison Blvd toward I-495 S/Tysons Corner
7. After Aprox. 1.3 miles take a right on Tysons Blvd.
8. You will then take an almost immediate right on Galleria Dr. which turns into Westpark Drive.
9. Take the first right on Jones Branch Drive and the hotel will be on your right.

OPTION TWO (Choose this option if it's inside 4:00 pm -6:30 pm on a weekday or if you do not have 2 or more people during HOV times): 

1. 1. Exit National Airport headed to the George Washington Memorial Parkway toward Washington, D.C
2. Drive Aprox. 11 miles and keep left at the fork following signs to I-495 S
3. Drive Aprox. 3 miles and take exit 46A VA-123 S/Chain Bridge Road
4. Drive Aprox .03 miles and turn right on Tysons Blvd.
5. You will then take an almost immediate right on Galleria Dr. which turns into Westpark Drive.
6. Take the first right on Jones Branch Drive and the hotel will be on your right.

Two Driving Options from Washington National (DCA)

Taxi: This is the most expensive option by far. When you arrive at National head to the baggage claim level and out the doors and follow the sign to one of the two taxi ranks. Tell them you are going to Tysons Corner and they will put you in a Virginia cab. The Washington Airport Authority estimates that the taxi will run you about $36 before extras for extra people and bags.


Public Transit: Washington has a Metro system that will get you most anywhere you need to be...sadly the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner is not really one of those places...but it can MOSTLY be done. But you will need to take a taxi from the Metro, so it won't get you all the way there.

When you arrive at National Airport head over to terminal B/C and follow the signs to the National Airport Station. When you get there look for a fare machine on the right side that has a touch screen that should say "SmartTrip Card" or something similar on it. Here you can purchase a SmartTrip card, which is a reloadable fare card that you can top up as you go, it will also save you $1 per ride over the rate for a paper farecard. The card will cost $10, $5 of that will be for the card and $5 to use as a fare. I would put more on the card because you will need it for the ride back and just in case the fare is a bit more than expected. The fares fluxuate during different times of the day, so it's hard to always predict exactly what it will be. But it should be between $3-6 depending on time of day.

After securing your fare card take the escalator to the platform and look for the Blue Line Train toward Largo Town Center. The train approaching will be on the display boards on the station platform as well as on the side of the train when it pulls up.

Once on the Blue Line you take it five (5) stops to Rosslyn Station. After exiting the train take an escalator to the lower level and board an Orange Line Train to Vienna. You will take the train seven (7) stops to the Dun Loring station where you will have to catch a cab to the hotel.


Washington Dulles (IAD): 

By Car: 

1. Exit the airport and head toward Dulles Access Rd. toward Washington, D.C. If you do not enter the Dulles Access Rd. you will merge onto the Dulles Toll Road and WILL have to pay a toll, so be prepared. The merge to the Access Rd. is to the left, so stay to the left till you merge on.

2. Drive Aprox. 13 miles and look for the exit to I-495 S.
3. Take exit 46A to VA-123 S/Chain Bridge Rd. toward Chain Br. Rd/Tysons Corner Vienna
4. Turn right onto Tysons Blvd.
5. Turn right onto Galleria Dr.
6. Galleria turns into Westpark Dr.
7. Turn right onto Jones Branch Drive and the hotel is on your right.

By Taxi: Again the most expensive option you will find. Follow the signs on the baggage claim level to the taxi rank. Taxis leaving Dulles are controlled by the airport authority so there is only one company that operates out of the airport, the Washington Flyer. They estimate the fare to Tysons Corner is about $30 before extra people and bags. 

By Public Transit (Sorta): 

Washington Flyer Coach: The same company that offers the taxi service also operates a passenger bus option from Dulles Airport. The ride will cost you $10 for one-way or $18 if you buy a round-trip ticket.

From Dulles you catch the Washington Flyer through Door 4 from Baggage Claim area. The bus will take about 20 minutes and will drop you off at the West Falls Church Metro stop. From there you will go up into the station and out the other side to catch a taxi to the hotel.


Hope this helps you as you make your transit choices to the hotel and if you have any questions or need help, feel free to drop me a line! (chris@doitforthepoints.com)

EDIT: A comment from Preston gave some great info on how to get to the hotel via public transit that doesn't involve a cab if people are interested:

"I won't be able to make it to FTU, but I live in Arlington and exclusively take public transit. From DCA, you can walk to Crystal City and take the 23A, which runs all the way through Arlington to Tyson's. You could also hop on the Blue line to Rosslyn, get on the 3A/B/E to Glebe Hwy and Lee Rd and then hop on the 23A going to Tyson's. Neither option is perfect, but it's only a $1.60 to take the bus ($1.80 if paying cash, with no change offered).

From Dulles, you could take the 5A to Rosslyn, the 3A/B/E to Glebe Hwy and Lee Rd, and finally, the 23A to Tyson's. Again, a huge hassle, but some people are extremely cheap"


EDIT 2: JerryIMM gives some more direct transit routes in the comments, thanks Jerry!!!

"It's even easier than that: take the Blue Line from DCA, and switch to the Orange Line for 6 stops to West Falls Church. Catch the 425 bus towards Tysons West Park Station. Take this about 20 minutes directly to the Hilton: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/routes/425.htm"


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Newbie Debate: Best Airline & Best Hotel Chain

Chris and I disagree about many things. An interesting conversation brewed recently between the two of us and we were on opposite ends of the spectrum, to some degree. So, we decided to bring our, at times, heated conversation to the blogosphere.

Here are the two questions:

1)      What is the best US based airline for newbies?

2)      What is the best hotel chain for newbies?

When we use the term, “newbies,” we are talking about someone who has zero loyalty with any airline/hotel chain and they have never signed up for loyalty programs with airlines or hotels. A “newbie” is a virgin to loyalty travel.

 A few ground rules:

1)      Newbie lives in the Washington, DC Area

2)      She/he can fly out of DCA, BWI or IAD.

3)      Newbie has a good credit score, but no airline or hotel cards

4)      Has a job, but does not travel for it.

5)      Newbie is focused on overseas travel with a sprinkle of US base travel.

Over the next few days, Chris and I will lay out our arguments on why Newbie should pick our airline or hotel chain. Arguments will be laid out back to back based on the subject. For instance, today, I will argue for my airline and tomorrow, Chris will lay out his airline choice. Then we will move to hotels.

At the end, we hope you, our loyal readers (all five of you); will vote on who persuaded you the most too sign-up for their airline and hotel loyalty programs.

Let’s Get Ready To Rumble!!!

Important note: Chris and I may talk about the loyalty credit card for our particular airline and hotel in these posts. Credit card sign-up bonuses are an important part of the “game.” If we do decided to use credit card links, they will be public application links taken from the issuer's direct website. We do not earn income from you applying from the links. Similarly, please take an extra minute or two before applying for credit cards. If you do not pay your credit card balance off every month then you should stay away from this aspect of the game. Credit cards can lead to major long-term problems if not used correctly. I encourage you to read my post on Young People and the Chains of Credit Card Debt for more details.

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Hotel Review: Sheraton Dulles AKA Sheraton Herndon

My second mattress run for the 4,000 Starwood point per stay promotion. I decided to stay at the Sheraton Dulles for a $75 all in price. The package I book included high speed Internet and breakfast.

I took a bus from Tysons (a major business area in Virginia) to Dulles (IAD) which took 40 minutes. When I arrived at IAD, I went to 2H (where the hotel shuttles pick-up occur) to call for my shuttle. After calling the hotel for a shuttle, the hotel employee informed me that she would call me back after finding the shuttle. I never received this call. Also, she never informed me to look for the Hyatt Place shuttle, not the Sheraton shuttle:

The shuttle that pick me up and drops me off

It turns out that the company that owns this specfic Sheraton owns the Hyatt Place next door. I think its great that they share a shuttle. Shouldn't they tell their guests?

A blah looking hotel!

The hotel's decor reminded me of your grandfather's study decorated by grandmother. The lobby has a few places to sit and check-in desk to the right"

Check-In was a breeze. I was thanked for being a Starwood member and given a room on the fourth floor. The hotel has five floors.

The fourth floor is the Starwood Preferred Guest level. I am a basic member, but it helps reinforce why I still come back.

I was given a monster room. Monster room!

                                 

The King bed was comfortable.

The room had a large desk and a very comfortable leather chair and ottoman.

Each room had a large chest....

with plenty of places to hang your clothes.

The bathroom had french doors:

The bathroom had a large shower.

The shower was not clean. Not clean is an understatement:

I packed-up and went back downstairs to complain. They gave me a new room and access to the club floor on the fifth floor. Once you exit the elevator, the club room is directly there. The lounge is open for breakfast Monday through Friday from 6:30 am-9:00 am and for Hors d'oeuvres 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

On the weekends, guests can get complimentary appetizers and breakfast downstairs at the bar.

Very Old Country Decor

Vegetables, Cheese, Fruit and something hot, which I could not figure out what it was:

The hotel had an amazing gym with free weights, cardio equipment, and other fitness equipment:

The hotel had a pool, which is open only when there is a life guard on duty:

 Since the hotel is located in an office park, there is very little around it open at night. Therefore, everyone hangs out at the restaurant, Capitol Connection. From the looks of this sign, Happy Hour looks great:

The breakfast buffet. 

I never got to try the buffet because I got downstairs to late (10:30 am). The restaurant ends breakfast at 10:00 am, on the weekend. Therefore, my breakfast coupon went to waste:

There was no notification on the slip that the restaurant closes at 10:00 am for breakfast. This pissed me off. What place closes at 10:00 am for breakfast on the weekend? The front desk attendant did not tell me about the early close of the restaurant. My hotel room did not have a book about the details of the hotel. If I was lead in the dark than how many other hotel guests make the same mistake.

The second part of my package was High Speed Internet Access. The Internet was not high speed. Every 20 minutes the Internet would freeze. The only way to unfreeze the Internet was to reboot the entire computer. This made movie night very difficult.

When I made my complaints about the Internet and breakfast, the answer from the front desk agent shocked me. In regards to breakfast, "go next door to our sister hotel and visit their cafeteria." I sure bet Starwood would like to know that the answer is to go to a competitor. The solution to the Internet was to use the computers downstairs:

I left the hotel upset. It stuck with me for the entire day. The stay was terrible. First, the hotel is not near the Dulles, its in Herndon, a 10 minute drive from IAD. Second, not getting the package I paid for stunk. Yes, I should have questions and not assumed, but the staff could have been more proactive. That leads me to the final point: the service. While the product was great, the service was terrible. The staff did not seem like they enjoyed working for this hotel. I even heard one employee tell another that "she would not stay at this hotel." The second one agreed. Not a good sign.

My guess is the attitude of the employees comes from the top. I called the hotel's general manager, a few days later, to discuss my stay. I received her voice mail and left a message asking "her" to contact me to discuss my stay, which was less than pleasant. A few hours later, I received a call from a front desk worker to discuss my phone call. When a customer calls upset, why does the General Manager return the call? My guess is that she gets lots of these calls and did not want to take another one.

The front desk attendant offered me points, a free night, or something else. I declined. I knew I would be writing this review and did not want the offer to cloud my judgement.

My final assessment is still the same a week later. The hotel has a great product, but the staff's attitude ruined  my stay. Would I recommend this place to others? All I will say is "stay at your own risk."