The Good: Good room size, Friendly staff, Decent breakfast
The Bad: Minutia, A little expensive
The Basics: The Comfort Suites in Stratford is a decent hotel, but like most things in Connecticut seems a little pricier than it ought to.
Shortly before I rather suddenly found myself walking down the aisle at my own wedding, I took a trip. Had I known that I was about to be married, I doubt I would have splurged that way. But, at the time, it seemed like a cool idea: I would take a trip to New York City to see Sin Nombre (reviewed here!) and before my other premiere the next night, I would meander through Connecticut and Massachusetts. Despite having recently found a hotel near New York City I enjoyed staying in, I figured I would try a new hotel out, if for no other reason than to have something else to review.
With my little vacation in mind, I booked a room at the Comfort Suites in Stratford, Connecticut. This is a smaller-than-average Comfort Suites and I soon learned it was only a stone's throw from Mohegan Sun Casino (reviewed here!). Thrilled about the possibilities, I pulled off the interstate found myself amused by the giant billboard for an adult bookstore the hotel was situated under and checked myself in. If I had known how terrible the next night of my trip was going to be, I probably would have made more of an effort to enjoy myself at the Comfort Suites!
Location
The Comfort Suites Stratford is midway between New York City and Boston, so it makes for a great place to stop for those hitting the two major cities and looking to avoid the expenses associated with either. The Comfort Suites Stratford (CT082 in the Choice Hotel numbering system) is located at 1500 South Avenue in Stratford, Connecticut. This multi-story hotel is very easy to find using directions from Mapquest or the hotel's website. There are no grounds to speak of for the hotel and it is just a sidestreet or two removed from the interstate.
The Comfort Suites Stratford is located right off I-95, one of the major east-west arterials in the Northeast. Easily accessible from exit 31, the hotel is a nondescript building with little to distinguish itself as a hotel, save the sign. It does not stand out in the neighborhood it is in and there is only one entrance into the hotel's parking lot. The parking lot appears to hold only about a hundred cars.
Room Size
When one stops in to the Comfort Suites Stratford, they are greeted by a friendly staff member, regardless of the hour. I had booked a king bed suite, nonsmoking. This entire hotel is nonsmoking and the lobby is surprisingly large - though it had a low ceiling - for a hotel this size.
The room I stayed in was a 31 X 13 1/4 foot suite and it certainly felt larger than that. The internet rate for the room totaled out at $85.12 for the night and given that it was the middle of the week in a pretty unremarkable area of Connecticut, I was surprised at the expense.
Cleanliness
The Comfort Suites Stratford is a model of cleanliness. From the parking lot to the rooms, all public areas as well as the furniture and windows in the suite, everything was immaculately clean. The Comfort Suites Stratford left me impressed and pleased on the cleanliness front.
Every surface in the suite was spotless. There was no dust, no dirt, not even the slightest hint that anyone had ever stayed in the room before me. It was completely, immaculately clean. The toilet passed the first flush test without incident, the linens were all clean, dry and fluffy. The entire hotel was nonsmoking and nothing smelled like it had ever been in the presence of nicotine.
The public areas were similarly clean. The hotel had a breakfast room and the counters and dishes were spotless. In fact, the help that was working the breakfast room - which had seating for five families - was kept spotless. The staff working that area was vigilant and efficient. Even the walls were kept free of even a hint of dirt. Despite staying at the hotel for almost a full day (yea late check out!) the cleanliness of the public rooms I saw did not go down.
Amenities
The Comfort Suites Stratford was a fair value for the price. While it might be standard in all Comfort Suites, the room had an herbal shampoo and conditioner that smelled wonderful and it made for a distinctive entrance the moment we stepped into the room. There is something reassuring about entering a room that smells good in a very familiar way to make one feel at home.
There seemed to be extra towels in the room (probably because of the pool), there were four pillows on the king-sized bed, and the room had a refrigerator, microwave and sofa in addition to the usual desk. The television had over thirty channels.
Like most hotels in the Choice pantheon, the Comfort Suites Stratford offered a free continental breakfast. This hotel's breakfast was quite good. In addition to the usual "make-your-own waffle station" and the standard coffee, three types of juice, bagels, danishes, and mini-muffins, this hotel had a hot option; scrambled eggs!
There is a pool at this Comfort Suites, but I did not have a chance to explore it in my stay there.
Overall
My stay at the Comfort Suites Stratford was largely unmemorable. The room was a good size, the breakfast was adequate, but the whole experience was just a touch more expensive than left me feeling like I had gotten a good value for my money.
For other hotels in the Choice Hotels chain, please be sure to check out my reviews of:
Quality Inn & Suites Universal Studios - Orlando, FL
Comfort Inn Livonia - Livonia, MI
Comfort Inn Towson - Towson, MD
8.5/10
For other travel reviews, please be sure to visit my index page on the subject by clicking here!
© 2012, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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