Econo Lodge Inn & Suites I 35 At Shawnee Mission

For a weekend tournament, I needed a safe, clean, inexpensive place, and this fit the bill. It was clean and very well priced. Kartiq (spelling?) at the front desk was kind. The room was small, and the bathroom felt cramped. I also had to turn the shower way up to get hot water, and the pressure wasn’t great.

The lobby sparkles, and my room was clean with no issues. The WiFi worked well too. It felt a little stuffy when I first arrived, but the AC cooled it down. I actually prefer that to higher-end hotels that blast the air so the room is freezing when you walk in. Even Econo Lodge Inns I’ve stayed in weren’t nearly this clean.

The room itself is pretty decent, but it smelled like smoke when I walked in. I haven’t even stayed the night yet, and carrying my bags upstairs has already made me feel so unwell I couldn’t eat dinner. At check-in I asked whether there was an elevator and was told there wasn’t. I explained several times that I couldn’t manage the stairs with two 50-pound bags, another 35-pound bag, and a large backpack, and asked for a ground-floor room. I thought I was told there was one with just a few stairs, which I said would be okay, but the key card I got was for an upper floor. When I repeated that I couldn’t carry my suitcases up and down several times, they only apologized and offered nothing else. I gave up and took the card. I have a chronic illness that already makes me avoid stairs, and I’m still getting over a cold, which has made it worse.

The pool was clean and made our stay on a very hot June day much nicer. Our room was clean too, and they placed us near the pool as requested. There are lots of good places to eat nearby. We left our travel pillows behind, but when we called, the staff had them waiting at the front desk. Everyone was polite and welcoming. Thanks to the staff!