Holiday Inn Express & Suites Fayetteville Nw-Spring Lake

The room was quiet and clean. My first-floor window faced a parked car, though, so I kept the curtains closed the whole stay. Getting into the parking lot can be a little odd. I knew the area from an earlier trip and had no trouble, but it might be worth checking the route before you arrive.

The staff were courteous and professional, and the hotel was clean, which matters most. But calling the room basic is being generous. It reminded me of my old barracks room at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, about 35 years ago, only smaller, and the furnishings were just as plain. The desk chair might suit a small, flexible person, maybe a 13-year-old. The lobby furniture looked like what you'd see at the child development center where my wife worked five years ago, no joke. This was my first stay at a Spark by Hilton. For only $10-$20 more, nearby places like Home 2 by Hilton or Four Seasons offer nicer rooms, so this didn't feel like a great value.

The rooms have little refrigerators, but no microwave or drinking cups. For both, you have to walk to the lobby, and the hotel is spread out, so it was quite a trek for us. The office told me Spark is Hilton's basic hotel brand. Even so, I wondered why it wasn't priced around $75 like a Motel 6. I wish the advertising had made these shortcomings clearer. I was disappointed.

How does this count as a 3 star hotel? There was hair on my pillow, random stuff scattered across the floor, and dust in the room. The shower was awful, with body hair still in it and down the drain, and the towels were dusty too. Good thing we had brought extra towels. As I was taking my kids inside, someone was getting high right outside the building. Maybe the rooms in the main building are better, but I'd avoid the second building at all costs.