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I had to be in San Antonio a few days ago for work. As someone who enjoys traveling, I try to maximize my time in a location. This means that I would prefer not to travel a great distance between my hotel and other destinations. For anyone who has traveled in San Antonio, you know that traffic can be brutal. This led me to search for a property near restaurants, shops, etc. I figured that the Fairfield Inn and Suites San Antonio International Airport/North Star Mall would be the perfect spot.
Booking
I booked the standard King room at the hotel for $85/night at the government/military rate. I used my Marriott Rewards credit card to pay for the stay. I was able to earn 2,329 points (855 base points, 510 credit card points, 750 Megabonus points, 214 elite bonus points as a Marriott Rewards Gold member).
Arrival
The hotel is located just minutes from the North Star Mall. The mall has over 200 hundred stores. I arrived at the hotel just before 5pm to find the parking lot empty. This was strange because the Fairfield Inn shares a parking lot with the Courtyard Marriott. Parking was complimentary.
Check-In
The front desk is located to the left as you enter. The area was crowded with guests so I decided against taking a picture. After a few minutes, it was my time to check in. I provided my credit card and ID to the clerk. She welcomed me back to Marriott and thanked me for being a Marriott Gold Elite. I was informed that complimentary breakfast would be available the next morning and there were no suite upgrades. With keys in hand, I started towards my room. I spied a fruit basket next to front desk (something to hold me over until dinner), but after closer inspection, I decided to pass on it.
Room
The room was located on the second floor. I took the elevator up (lazy, I know). After exiting the elevator, I made a left and the room was halfway down the hall.
When I entered the room, I felt like I went back into time. It was in desperate need of an update.
The bathroom area was to the left. It included a sink with Paul Mitchell toiletries and open closet.
In a separate room was the toilet and bath tub/shower. The shower had decent pressure but I felt like the faucet was about to come out of the wall every time I turned the shower on/off. Another issue that I had was that one of the towels had long black hairs on it.
The main part of the room was to the left, after exiting the bathroom. A bed, TV, desk, and a kitchenette was packed into the area. There was just enough space for one person to move around.
The view from the room was of the hotels’ shared parking lot in the foreground, Wells Fargo parking structure in the background, and the Courtyard Marriott to the right.
Dining
There was not much for dining on the property, but finding decent eateries should not be an issue in San Antonio. If you need snacks, there is a market near the front desk.
Breakfast is served daily from 0630. The food options are eggs (scrambled and hard boiled), sausage (pork/turkey), waffles, cereal, yogurt, and assorted fruit. None of the options looked appealing outside of the waffles. I did not have time to make a waffle because one guest made six waffles in row…must have been carb loading. Anyway, I settled for hard boiled eggs, pork sausage, and pineapples with orange juice. The only issue that I had with the food was the mushy pineapples.
If the market or breakfast is not appetizing, you can call out to the pizza restaurant with the menu that the hotel’s staff slides under your door.
I decided to go to Kona Grill at the North Star Mall. I wanted to see if the Kona Grill in Dallas was the standard on the exception. I enjoyed my food and the service at Kona.
Fitness
The fitness center was located just past the lobby on the left.
It was a very small room. It included some cardio machines and free weights. This was my favorite part of the hotel because I was able to run a 5K before going to dinner.
The hotel has a nice indoor pool that is located just past the lobby, on the right.
Final Word
For $85, this hotel was ok. The bed was comfortable and the gym allowed me to exercise for a bit. The proximity to the mall and surrounding establishments was a huge plus. I did not like the rotten fruit at the front desk nor the strands of hair found on the towel. I would visit the property again, but only after they tidy up a bit.
