Econo Lodge East Hartford Hwy 5

The room was clean, and we didn’t see any bed bugs or other bugs. The floors had just been redone, so there was no carpet, though the place smelled strongly of smoke. This was a last resort since my boyfriend was coming up for the weekend on short notice, but honestly it wasn’t as bad as we expected. I’d bring my own sheets.

We paid $120 for a king room, and the bed was comfortable, the TV worked, and there was hot water. No tub, but the simple setup suited us. We could hear kids outside and planes overhead, yet it still felt peaceful. It reminded us to be grateful for a safe, warm place for the night. I’d stay again. 👍

The manager was incredibly rude and kept insisting that guests weren’t allowed. I’d booked for two people and checked in with two, but was told not to bring anyone back to the room or they’d call the cops. Around midnight the manager was walking around, apparently checking that I hadn’t brought another guest. I also waited about 15 minutes at the desk before anyone showed up. The room was dirty and smelled like body odor. There were burn marks on the sheets, the door wouldn’t shut unless I fiddled with it, and the fridge didn’t work. In hindsight, I’d have paid the extra $30-40 for a nicer hotel. This place felt gross, dirty, and smelly.

Staff were polite, and parking right by the room was easy. The furnishings were in reasonable shape and the room was clean enough, but the place had a poorly maintained feel. The floor was spongy, and the neutral decor didn’t help much. I arrived around 8:30 p.m. to a warm, humid room with the AC off, an unplugged refrigerator, and a bit of stale smoke odor. There was some road noise, plus I could hear the upstairs neighbors walking around from my first-floor room. Breakfast had been advertised as free, but I was told there would only be coffee because of covid. It’s an old-school motel concept that could work, but this one didn’t quite pull it off.