Being a travel blogger based in Wichita Falls has its limitations when it comes to traveling for content. The most obvious one is traveling to Dallas or Oklahoma City for a flight. The time it takes to travel to either destination, approximately two hours, is not appealing. In between trips, I try to my best to review something local, whether it be a hotel or restaurant.
There are some restaurants I have enjoyed…
…others I may need to revisit (or not).
Texas Roadhouse
On the Border
Karat Bar and Bistro
McBride’s Steakhouse
I have reviewed only one hotel during my time here, Fairfield Inn and Suites, which I enjoyed. It was time for another hotel review.
Booking
I booked my stay using 20,000 IHG Rewards points for two nights. If I wanted to, I also could have booked the stay for $85 USD per night at the government/military rate. Even though this was a rewards stay, I was able to earn 500 IHG Rewards points as a platinum member.
Arrival
The hotel was located just off of Southwest Parkway near the Sikes Senter Mall. This area of town has everything you could imagine, which I appreciate as a local because it is only a few minutes from my house. Parking at the hotel was complimentary. One thing stood out to me immediately, the hotel had two separate buildings. I do not if this is standard for Staybridge Suites but found it odd. Maybe one of you has some insight?
Check-In
The standard check in time is 3pm, but I called to see if I could check in early…six hours early. The friendly guy working the front desk thought he had a room ready, but wanted to make sure. He took my number and said he would call me shortly. I received the phone call a few minutes later so I proceeded to the hotel.
Most hotels have some sort of double or automatic door at the main entrance, not this one. There was a single door which was similar to a side door at other hotels. I experienced two hotel firsts without leaving the parking lot (and I did not get a picture of either…fail). The front desk was to the right as I entered.
The agent quickly recognized me from the phone and proceeded to process the check in. Check in took less than two minutes then I made my way to the room. The elevator was just past the front desk. Across the way was a small business center.
Room
I made two lefts from the elevator before arriving at the room.
The room was nicer than I expected, for the most part. The room had two sides with the kitchen being the first area I entered on the left side.
The television was in the worst position, it faced the entrance. I had to turn the entire console to watch.
To the left of the television was a very small couch which was on its last legs. See what I did there? LOL.
The right side of the room included the double queen beds and the bathroom. The beds were comfortable, while the bathroom could use a remodel.
Dining
THIS! As I said before, I did not know much about the Staybridge Suites so when I found out they offered complimentary breakfast and dinner snacks with UNLIMITED alcohol in the evening, I felt awesome about my decision.
Here is a look at the breakfast set up.
I then had the chance to experience the dinner snacks. On the first night, quesadillas were the centerpiece. The chicken quesadillas do not look appealing, but were actually quite tasty. The alcohol selection was more than I would have expected.
The next night’s snack was meatball subs. The meatball picture does not do it justice as this was at the end of the service. The other guests really did a number on them.
If I did not want to partake in the complimentary food, I could have purchased something from the Market, located to the right of the front desk.
Fitness
There was a pool located in the courtyard, opposite the main entrance. It was undergoing spring cleaning during my stay.
A small fitness center was located between the fitness center and the exit to the pool.
Final Word
What a wonderful surprise. I would have never expected the Staybridge Suites to provide so much complimentary food to guests. The unlimited complimentary alcohol confused me more than anything, however, I did enjoy it. LOL. Whether for $85 USD or 10,000 IHG points, I would definitely visit the hotel again.
