Latham's BEST Hotel Deal? Colonie Inn & Suites Awaits!
Latham's BEST Hotel Deal… Or Just a Deal? Colonie Inn & Suites: A Review, With Feelings.
Okay, fine, let's talk about the Colonie Inn & Suites. "BEST Hotel Deal"? They're selling a dream, aren't they? Let's see if the dream delivered. Buckle up, because this is gonna be a messy, opinionated, and hopefully, helpful review. I'm not a robot; I'm a human, and this hotel… well, it is a hotel.
First, the basics, because even in a mess, there's gotta be a foundation:
- Accessibility: They say they have facilities for disabled guests. But you know how that goes, right? It's like promising you a unicorn – you hope it's real. I didn't personally test the full accessibility (wheelchair access, etc.), but I'd call ahead and VERIFY. Don't take their word for it, especially if accessibility is a MUST.
- Internet Access: FREE Wi-Fi in all rooms! Hallelujah! I need to vent! It worked… sometimes. Picture this: you're in your room, trying to upload a crucial document, and BAM! The connection goes kaput. You pace, you swear under your breath, you restart your phone… the frustration is real. Then, miraculously, it's back. It's like the internet is playing a cruel game of hide-and-seek. They also have… LAN internet? Seriously? Is this the year 2000? Maybe for some, having both is a good thing, but I just wish it was more reliable.
- Cleanliness & Safety: They tout the "anti-viral cleaning products" and "professional-grade sanitizing services." Okay, good. That's what they should be doing in these crazy times. I felt relatively safe, and seeing all the rules was a reassurance. They did their best, I'd give them that. They even had daily disinfection in common areas, that's great. But no amount of cleaning can fix some things…
- Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: OKAY, this one's a rollercoaster. They have a buffet. I love a buffet. (Don't judge me.) This one… was ok. Actually, let me be honest. It wasn't amazing. The "Asian breakfast" seemed suspiciously… standard. The coffee situation? Let's just say I snuck downstairs to the coffee shop after the first cup. They also have a "Happy Hour." Now, there's an area where I'm absolutely here for, but I didn't get to try it and I regret it now.
- Services and Conveniences: This is where they try to make you feel like a king. "Concierge," "Daily housekeeping," "Dry cleaning," "Food delivery." It's the promise of ease. The daily housekeeping was a godsend, cleaning up after my disaster was very helpful. The concierge… seemed a little overworked. I needed a recommendation for a pizza place, and it took longer than it should have. But hey, they tried.
- For the Kids: Babysitting! Family-friendly! Okay, for a start, but I don't have kids. That's all I'm saying.
- Getting Around: Airport transfer? Taxi service? Car park (free of charge)? Score! Having all these options is convenient, but I mostly used the free car park, which was a bit of a crapshoot at times. Finding a spot was definitely a game.
- Room Amenities They have ALL the amenities--almost. Almost. Things like a mini-bar, bathrobes, and a hair-dryer are GREAT. I also liked the extra long bed. But, I was slightly bummed there was no microwave. It might be a minor quibble but in the end, I would have loved to have it.
Now, for the real dirt, the stuff they don't put in the glossy brochures (and the stuff I actually cared about):
The Frustrations:
- The "Pool with a View": There is a pool. It's… fine. It looks nice in the photos, with high vantage points, but the "view" is of… the parking lot. It's hardly a tropical paradise. It felt a bit like a betrayal, actually. They should have used the picture of the pool with a view of the parking lot for transparency.
- The Internet, Again: I swear, I spent half my time wrestling with that Wi-Fi. One minute, I was checking emails; the next, I was screaming at the router (figuratively, of course… mostly). It was maddening. Please, Colonie Inn & Suites, get your internet situation together. It's 2024! We need to connect.
- The "Soundproof Rooms": Nope. Not really. I could hear the guy in the next room snoring, AND he was in the next room! I also heard kids running down the hallways--what family friendly should look like.
The Unexpected Joys:
- The Desk: I had some work to do so I got a nice desk. What a pleasant surprise. It wasn't huge, but I was able to get some work done.
- The Staff: Overall, the staff were nice. Really, they were. They were doing their best, and that goes a long way. They weren't perfect, but they were human, and that's more important than a perfectly polished hotel. I recall one person in particular who was extremely kind.
- The Bed: The bed was comfortable--very comfortable. After a long day, that's all I needed.
Would I recommend it?
Look, the Colonie Inn & Suites isn't perfect. It has its flaws, its quirks, and its moments of internet-induced rage. But… it's also a decent hotel that's clean, has various amenities, and has a somewhat convenient location. "BEST Hotel Deal?" Maybe not. But, a deal nonetheless.
My Verdict: You probably won't be disappointed, but don't arrive expecting paradise. Come for the convenience, the mostly-reliable staff, and the comfy beds. Manage your expectations and you'll be fine. Just… bring a good book, some patience, and maybe your own internet booster.
Parisian Paradise: Opera's Hidden Gem Hotel Prince Albert Awaits!
Okay, buckle up, buttercups, because this isn't your grandma's pristine travel itinerary. We're diving headfirst into a Colonie Inn and Suites Latham (NY) experience, and let me tell you, it's gonna be a ride. Think less "perfectly curated Pinterest board" and more "slightly unhinged but ultimately lovable travel buddy."
The Colonie Inn & Suites: Let's Get This Show on the Road (Maybe. Eventually.)
Day 1: Arrival (or, The Great Continental Breakfast Debacle)
1:00 PM (ish): Landed at Albany International Airport. Honestly, the airport was fine. Nothing to write home about. Except maybe the weirdly aggressive coffee kiosk lady who gave me the stink eye when I asked for decaf. Note to self: Albany clearly runs on pure, unadulterated caffeine.
1:45 PM: Found the rental car. "Bertha," a silver sedan who, I secretly suspect, has seen better days. Bertha and I have a complicated relationship, but more on that later.
2:30 PM: Check-in at Colonie Inn & Suites. The lobby… well, it's a lobby. Standard hotel lobby fare. The front desk person was friendly enough, bless her heart. I swear, they train these people in the art of polite indifference – a crucial skill in the hotel business. My room key? It was one of those old-school, plastic keycards. Felt like I was time-traveling.
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Unpack, collapse on the bed, and assess the damage. The room? Decent. A bit dated, maybe, but clean. The TV was a relic. I almost expected it to be a black-and-white. No complaints until… the AC. Dear God, the AC. It sounded like a dying walrus.
5:00 PM: Dinner. Found a mediocre pizza place down the road. The pizza was… edible, not really something to write home about. I'm convinced the secret ingredient in all upstate NY pizza is just… hope.
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Battled with the AC. It won. Eventually, I just turned it off and opened the window, which meant I could hear every single car that drove past. And the crickets. So many crickets. Are there MORE crickets in the country?
9:00 PM: Slept poorly, plagued by nasal congestion. I blame the dust mites, the AC, and the pizza.
Day 2: Breakfast of Champions (or, The Continental Breakfast From Hell)
7:00 AM: Woke up feeling like I'd wrestled a badger. And lost.
7:30 AM: Continental Breakfast. Ah, the highlight of any hotel stay. I swear, they put the "continental" in "continentally disappointing." The bagels were the consistency of hockey pucks. The "fresh fruit" was a bruised banana and a couple of sad-looking apples. The coffee… well, let's just say it tasted like sadness. I was getting emotional. I could cry because of a bagel here. It was a bagel, and it was taking all my happiness.
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM: The Quest for the Perfect Breakfast! I was hungry, and the hotel breakfast was a joke. I took a detour to a second diner on the way to my "planned" itinerary, I tried to get that perfect breakfast. A proper, non-hotel breakfast. The staff was lovely, but the wait was atrocious, and the bacon was overcooked. It was a tragedy; I cried again.
1:00 PM: After breakfast, I visited the actual destination for this trip.
5:00 PM: Back at the Colonie Inn. Took a nap because of the sadness and the bad breakfast. Ate ice cream for dinner.
8:00 AM: Slept poorly, plagued by nasal congestion. I blame myself, and the ice cream.
Day 3: Departure (or, The Bitter Sweet Goodbye to Bertha)
7:00 AM: Woke up feeling like I'm becoming one with the bed. I think I’m starting to like it here.
8:00 AM: Continental Breakfast. I knew what I was in for. I tried not to get emotional. I didn't even look at the bagel; I grabbed a banana and some coffee.
9:00 AM: Checked out. Farewell, Colonie Inn & Suites! It wasn't perfect, but it was… an experience.
9:30 AM: Returned Bertha. I'll miss her. The car rental process was complicated, and a lot of paper and signatures for a car that I've only known for 3 days.
10:00 AM: Left for the airport.
11:00 AM: Landed, and ready for the next adventure.
Quirky Observations & Emotional Reactions:
The AC: The true enemy of my sleep. I swear, by the end of the trip, I was communicating with it telepathically. "Please, just breathe." It did not listen.
The Breakfast: I am now emotionally scarred by continental breakfasts. They are a lie! A cruel, carb-laden lie!
Albany: A quiet, unassuming city that I can’t wait to know more about, and maybe I will.
Final Thoughts:
Would I recommend the Colonie Inn & Suites? Well, it's a hotel. It's a place to rest your head. I wouldn't say it's a destination in itself. It's the kind of place you'd go because you have to, not because you want to. And honestly? That's okay. Sometimes, you just need a clean bed and a mediocre breakfast to get you through the day. Even if the AC sounds like a dying walrus. And that, my friends, is travel in its messy, glorious, utterly human entirety.
Strasbourg Getaway: Chic Citadines Eurometropole Apartment Awaits!
So, what *exactly* is this "BEST" deal at the Colonie Inn & Suites everyone's talking about? Is it ACTUALLY a good deal?
What are the rooms like? Are they… clean?
The free breakfast! What can I expect? Glorious, unlimited pancakes? A grim, lukewarm experience?
Is the pool worth it? Does it even *exist*?
Is the location convenient? Is it close to… *anything*?
What about the staff? Are they friendly at least?
Okay, okay, so… Should I stay at the Colonie Inn? *Really*?
