The Lollipop Road

Archive for the ‘Hotel Review’ Category

During our recent Cruise Views Marathon, we had the chance to stay at the Four Points by Sheraton in Cocoa Beach.  Conveniently located in the heart of Cocoa Beach on A1A just 7 minutes from Port Canaveral, it was the perfect hotel for our pre-cruise excursion.

The Reservation Process

This hotel is another one of those hidden gems within the Starwood system.  Looking for a convenient yet kid friendly hotel, we couldn’t resist the low Category 2 redemption rates at the Four Points Cocoa Beach.  A few clicks and we had our room reserved.  The Starwood website is probably the most user friendly of all major hotel chains.

Things To Do

This hotel is in the heart of the action in Cocoa Beach.  Directly across the side road is Ron Jon’s Surf Shop.  Across A1A and a block down is The Four Points is easy to miss when you are zooming by at 40 MPH because there is a lot going on with the exterior – this isn’t your typical hotel from the outside.  Positioned close to the street, the front is decorated with large fountains and ponds, several large surfboards, lots of plants and sports soothing pastel colors that make this sleeping spot appear modern and inviting.

The entrance is around the back where you’ll also find a multi-story parking garage that serves the retail businesses and the hotel.  The exterior was well maintained and clean, although the pool area could use a refresh. 

The Exterior

The Four Points is easy to miss when you are zooming by at 40 MPH because there is a lot going on with the exterior – this isn’t your typical hotel from the outside.  Positioned close to the main road, the front is decorated with large fountains and ponds, several large surfboards, lots of plants and is painted in soothing pastel colors that make this sleeping spot appear modern and inviting.

The entrance is around the back where you’ll also find a multi-story parking garage that serves the retail businesses as well as the hotel.  The exterior was well maintained and clean, although the pool area could use a refresh.  Traffic flow is a bit hairy around the parking garage and lobby, so make sure that your little ones are closely supervised when traversing this area.

Check-In

The check-in process starts with finding a parking space close to the lobby.  Unfortunately, there are only half a dozen spaces or so, so during peak times that can be a challenge.  At this point, parking in the garage is a bit of a time waster, as you’ll want to park on the level most convenient to your room.

The lobby is simple and attractive with a small seating area close to the elevators.  Check-in was fast and efficient.  We were assigned a room on the 5th floor, so we would park at the very top of the garage, which proved to be very convenient, although dragging luggage down a half-dozen steps wasn’t ideal.

Hotel Amenities

The Four Points Cocoa Beach offers lots of great amenities that appeal to families.  Located just next to the parking structure is a covered outdoor pool with secluded hot tub and waterfall.  Although on the small side, the pool area was never crowded and with the beach a few minutes away, there wasn’t much action.  However, this is the perfect place for a rainy day as it is covered.  A small exercise room for mom and dad round out the activities.

Just off the lobby is an attractive restaurant with large glass aquarium, TVs and a super friendly staff.  The Shark Pit Bar and Grill was a favorite for breakfast and dinner.  The food was excellent, prices reasonable and there was a magician roaming the restaurant entertaining the kids with various tricks.  The kids loved this place.

Saddled right next to the restaurant was a two-story retail area with lots of souvenirs and surf related items.  Riding the escalator was a bonus.

The Room

We were provided a room with two queen beds on the 5th floor.  We were surprised at the size of the beds and excited to see that there was a split bath.  The room was tastefully decorated and mostly clean, although we were able to easily find leftover trash from previous occupants.

Our room was equipped with a microwave and fridge, coffee maker, bulky 27″ TV, simple desk and a tiny sitting area with a single chair.  The Four Comfort Bed was very comfortable and everyone slept well.  The bath was split into an area with vanity and sink, then a very small separate area with toilet and tub.  There was also a small closet with luggage rack, iron and ironing board.  A complimentary hair dryer was also available in the bathroom.

The wired internet was complimentary and performed well during our stay.  There was limited kids programming on television, but that isn’t so much of a concern here as I wouldn’t expect kids to be spending much time in the room.  Storage was limited to three draws in the armoire and the small closet, which would likely be inadequate for a longer stay.

Larger rooms are also available, including a Junior Suite with sitting area and a two-room Whirlpool Suite.  We found, however, that the standard room was adequate in space for a family of four with a little extra room for the kids to play so long as we weren’t staying for a week.

Conclusion

The Four Points by Sheraton Cocoa Beach is an attractive hotel located in the heart of the action.  With two queen beds and split bath, the rooms are very family friendly.  Having an excellent restaurant on premises covered outdoor pool and being in close proximity to the beach makes this hotel a good choice if you want to be able to walk to all of the conveniences and attractions.

We think this hotel is a steal if you are redeeming Starpoints and even regular rates aren’t budget busting either.  For less than $100 you can get a well-appointed room with 2 queen beds within walking distance of restaurants, the Cocoa Beach Pier, the beach and other attractions.  Rates might be slightly higher during peak season and they do sell out.  Overall, we give this property two thumbs up!

Disclosure

As part of what seems to be a never-ending home search, we had the opportunity to stay at the Marriott Courtyard in Fitchburg, Massachusetts this past weekend.  Located in the central part of the state, this seems to be more of a destination than a resting place.  Attached to the hotel is a huge 55.000 square foot water park called Coco Key Resort, so if you do decide to stay here, you better like kids!  On to the review…

The Reservation Process

You can make a reservation in a couple of ways.  If you are looking for a water resort package, you can reserve through the Coco Key Reservation page.  Otherwise, you can go to Marriott’s website and reserve as normal.  I did the latter as I was using Marriott Reward Points (this property is a Category 2, which is a good value).  A few clicks and the reservation was confirmed.  Regular weekend rates start at $115/night or you can get a water park package starting at $149/night.  If you are booking a package, be sure to go through the Coco Key Resort, as the rates are cheaper than going through Marriott.

Things To Do

The main attraction here is the Coco Key Water Resort (day passes are $20 on weekdays and $30 on weekends), but there is more to do nearby.  Whether it’s skiing in the winter or hiking and biking in the summer, you can have fun at Wachusett Mountain located less than 15 minutes away.  In downtown Fitchburg, you’ll also find the Fitchburg Art Museum (kids under 12 are free).   Bottom line – this is a great weekend family destination!

The Exterior

The hotel is situated near the intersection of Route 2 and Route 31.  Set atop a hill, the drive up to the hotel provides a scenic introduction to the giant complex that consists of the Coco Key Water Resort, Courtyard and Convention Center.  Despite the size of the complex, there is a lack of convenient parking.  On busy days, I can see the convenient lots filling up quickly.  The exterior was clean, modern and very impressive.

Check-In

We checked-in after 7PM and there was lots of activity in the newly designed lobby.  Although there were several guests waiting to be serviced, there was only one clerk actually working with guests.  Rather than having a single desk area, there were 4 with no direction as to where a line should form, which added to the confusion.  Although the process went smoothly and the clerks were friendly, future visits to the desk would prove equally frustrating due to the design and lack of staff.

Hotel Amenities

As I said, this hotel is quite impressive, inside and out.  The modern lobby has a sitting area with television, quaint open concept bar area for light snacks and drinks and a large internet cafe that was always hopping.  Down the hall, there was also a simple restaurant (a bit pricey, but family friendly), a fitness room with professional equipment and an indoor pool with hot tub (free).  The only negative is that the pool was always crowded and is a bit small for the number of families that frequent this hotel.

Connected to the hotel, you will also find the Coco Key Water Resort lobby, which is simple and kid friendly with seating, video games and the entrance to the water resort.  There is also 60,000 square feet of meeting space, which no doubt makes for an interesting combination during peak season.

The Room

There are a total of 245 rooms on 6 floors.  Our room on the 5th floor was generous in size with 2 queen beds, a large desk and entertainment area, chair with ottoman, closet and decent size bath.  Also available are King with sofa bed and Suite with living room.  There was ample space for the kids to play and sleep, so in that respect they get an A+.

Overall, the room was clean, but I did find trash underneath the bed skirt and there was a bit of excess dust in/near the cooling unit.  Unfortunately, the fan on the cooling unit never shut off, regardless of what we did, so that was a bit of an annoyance.

On the tech side, the LCD television was great and offered lots of channels for kids, including Disney, Nick, the Cartoon Network and Showtime.  There was no on demand feature, however, there was a docking station to hook-up your toys to the TV.  The wireless internet signal was a bit weak and slow, but at least it worked consistently.

Amenities included an iron, ironing board, luggage rack, hair dryer and ample toiletries.  Storage space was a bit limited and we could have used more towels, but overall the room was roomy and family friendly.

Unfortunately, we have to note that the ice machine on our floor was not operational.  There was also a leak in the stairwell that left puddles of water on the stairs, which created a hazard.  With all of the kids that this property attracts, this should have been repaired immediately.

Conclusion

The Courtyard by Marriott Fitchburg is a great family hotel with lots of nearby attractions.  You can enjoy an entire weekend vacation without leaving the hotel!  The rooms are attractive, roomy and family friendly.  There are plenty of amenities for both kids and adults as well as plenty of other kids to play with while mom and dad sneak away for a quiet lunch.

We would like to see them pay a bit more attention to maintenance and address the setup of the front desk area.  Otherwise, this is definitely an excellent property.

Disclosure

The Reservation Process

I’m a sucker for a good deal, so I decided to take advantage of the Red Roof Inn Penny Sale this week. Booking was pretty easy; I signed up in advance for their RediCard so that I could reserve in one-click without having to enter all of my information (leaving an opening for someone to steal MY room). At Noon on Saturday, I navigated to their website, searched for and selected a hotel (the Red Roof Inn in Langhorne, PA), clicked on the penny room, hit submit and seconds later I had my confirmation. That seemed too easy, but I had my reservation for Monday night. I proceeded to repeat the same process on Sunday (securing a reservation for Tuesday evening) and other than having to enter credit card information (that should have been saved), it went without a hitch.

Things to Do in the Area

If you aren’t familiar with this area, it can be very busy during the summer. Less than a mile away is Sesame Place, so the limited hotels in the area hike their rates and still book up quickly during peak season. Within 10 miles you can also visit Tyler State Park, Washington Crossing State Park (where GW crossed the Delaware) and Historic Trenton, NJ. Could the Red Roof Inn be a good family alternative to the more expensive area hotels? Maybe…keep reading…

The Exterior

The Red Roof Inn is located just off of Oxford Valley Road in a small business park near US 1. Outside, there is a grassy area where kids (and pets) can run around, which is a plus for families. This location is also fairly quiet and is extremely convenient to restaurants as well as the Oxford Valley Mall. It should be noted that all of the rooms in this three-story hotel are accessed from the outside.  Luckily there is an elevator.  The exterior appeared to be clean and well maintained.

Check-In

I arrived a little after 1PM and was greeted by a very pleasant and friendly gentleman behind the desk. Check-in was quick; we chatted a bit about the penny deal and I was on my way. I should note that the lobby is small and there is no continental breakfast at this location, which is definitely a negative for families. However, there is a great on-demand coffee machine with lots of flavors (vanilla crème was yummy). When I opened the door, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

The Room

The Standard  Room (with two double beds) looked freshly renovated and very clean. I have stayed in plenty of cheap hotels and this hotel just didn’t give off that vibe (although it isn’t luxury either). Other than a bit of dust in the hard to reach places, it was one of the cleanest rooms I have stayed in recently. The furniture looked new and the bedding was well kept. Amenities were a bit sparse and consisted of a clock, luggage rack and not quite enough soap and shampoo for two people. There was no iron, hair dryer or separate closet in this room.  Deluxe rooms also offer a mini-fridge and microwave.

The bathroom was a bit small, but with a separate vanity area, it made it more family friendly. There was not a lot of storage – 3 large drawers to be exact. A family of four staying for a few nights would probably have just enough room (not that we actually use the drawers).

The cooling system as well as the separate electric heat worked very well. The mattress was not too firm and not too soft, affording a reasonable nights sleep. I have to say that I was a bit concerned at first that there might be noise from the traffic whizzing by on Oxford Valley Road (facing my room), but the soundproofing was actually quite good, although not perfect. The sound of the AC unit will drown out any traffic noise, but in the cooler season you may want prefer a room facing the business park.

On the tech side, the 25 inch TV offered a decent selection of channels, including The Cartoon Network, Discovery and HBO. On Demand features included Disney On Demand, Just Missed Programming – Kids Only, Games and TV Internet. Finally, (and here is where things went awry) there was supposed to be wireless internet service (Wi-Fi) and as the gentleman who checked me in noted – it is easy to use. Boot up, connect to wireless network, open browser and viola! Yeah, viola, it didn’t work. Each time that I tried to login, I got an error message. To their credit, the nice folks called support services several times, which is far more than the staff at more expensive hotels have done for me in the past. After two hours, I finally received a call from Thomas at the front desk stating that the problem had been fixed. Once it actually worked, there were no signal or speed issues, which again is rare for hotel internet connections. 

Overall, I was very impressed with the staff and their attention to customer service. On this day, it was far better than the fancier hotels in the area and that is a huge plus in my book.

Conclusion

Overall, although the room was on the small side, it was clean, quiet and offered just enough amenities for a quick one or two-night stay. No, there is no pool, fitness area, breakfast or restaurant on-site, but its also well under $100 ($67.49/night during the shoulder season), which in this neighborhood is rare (at least for a property in this condition). The bigger hotels nearby with fancy amenities (Courtyard and Sheraton) come with a price tag that is often double this price, so I do believe that this is a good value, particularly during peak season. However, during value season, you might want to shop around as the pricier hotels do get desperate and drop their prices. Overall, I would give this hotel a definite thumbs up if you’re looking for value and do not mind skipping some of the amenities.

Disclosure