La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Clifton/Rutherford

The kids loved the pool, and we like La Quinta because the waffles and hot breakfast make a road trip easier for parents. The breakfast photos showed a hot tub, though, and there wasn’t one. We also had no hot water on our last night or the next morning. When I mentioned it to the front desk at checkout, the woman gave me a side-eyed “yep, we know, working on it” and seemed annoyed, with no empathy or apology. A text alert would have helped since the hotel already had our number, especially because we didn’t know whether the outage affected just us or the whole hotel. Maybe she’d heard the complaint before, but it felt brushed off and was a little rude.

This is my second stay in under three months, and I’ve been very pleased both times. We used to stay at the MC Autograph to be near family, though I know that boutique hotel is a different kind of place. I’d still pick La Quinta every time. At the MC, you have to call the desk and wait for ice, then tip, buy coffee at the restaurant, and park off-site. Here, ice is on every floor, coffee is in the room and lobby, and there’s a large free parking lot. The workout room is clean and has enough equipment for most fitness levels. The rooms are quiet and comfortable, with plenty of outlets by the desk and nightstand, lots of towels and washcloths, and comfy beds and pillows. The staff are lovely and helpful. The free breakfast team keeps everything clean and stocked, and they help guests with the waffle makers. Restaurants, CVS, and Target are nearby, and there’s a Red Robin attached, so you don’t have to go outside. The staff are great, and it’s a lovely stay for the price.

The beds were comfortable, and it was peaceful and quiet. There’s plenty of parking, with easy access to the highway and local roads, and shopping, restaurants, sports arenas, and family entertainment are close by. The front desk staff were friendly, and the woman who looked after my room did a good job during the first week. The person who prepared it in the second week was disappointing. I’d stay again.

The place was super clean, smelled fresh, and had the toiletries stocked. Breakfast included apples, oranges, bananas, cereal, eggs, sausage, waffles, muffins, bagels, and a few other things. There’s also a pool and gym. The one problem was dogs barking at 6 in the morning. Pet owners, please keep your pets home. People want to sleep in on Saturday and shouldn’t have their trip ruined by barking.