Recently we visited with our son in Quantico, Virginia and stayed at the Staybridge Suites in Stafford, Virginia, which is just one town over from Quantico.
This area is saturated with Marines and people who commute to Washington, DC everyday. You will find lots of families in the area visiting their Marine. It is conveniently located on Jefferson Davis Highway, which is a straight shot to the Marine base.
The Staybridge Suites is a rather new hotel. They call it a suite instead of a hotel because it is designed for extended stays. With a property like this you will get a kitchenette which is very convenient. Some rooms are larger so you have a counter to eat at and others do not. Check out the room details before you stay and if you need a larger room ask about that feature. They also offer a full breakfast and not just a continental breakfast so you get even more for your money.
We got there very late at night and found that it was easy to find with our GPS. The parking lot is very well lit and there is a 7-Eleven adjacent to the hotel parking, which is another convenient feature.
One thing I have to say about their parking lot though is that it is too small for the actual hotel. Every single spot was taken so we had to park in the 7-Eleven parking lot.
Photo Courtesy of Ichotelsgroup.com
When you arrive at the front door you are greeted with music. The door is wide and opens automatically. Although there is handicapped parking right next to the door and a ramp there is no ramp in the front curb to allow you to roll your luggage up easily. I found this odd since most hotels have this feature.
Once inside I was greeted by friendly staff and the foyer was very pleasant. There is a fireplace in the center and everything was very clean, new looking and shiny.
Video Walk-through at the front door
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I was impressed by the size of the breakfast area and lounge area. To the right side of the lounge area is a TV screening room with leather recliners. Down the hall to the right of the foyer you will find the elevators, restrooms, pool, conference room, 24-hour laundry room and workout room (see video)
Video walk-through of our room
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We stayed on the 6th floor. The room was just like the rest of the hotel, clean, shiny, and very new looking. There was a large desk to the right of the door, a kitchenette to the left, a couch (which is not a pull-out bed), large flat-screen TV, and a single queen comfy-looking bed.
Because the Staybridge Suites is on a main road you would think there would be a lot of noise. I have to say that there was a lot of traffic always coming and going in front of our hotel and we never even heard a sound.
I found it just a tiny bit odd that the bathroom was to the right of the bed with the opening to the sink area open. Most of the time there is a wall between the bed and bathroom. This is not a real problem but if someone wants to use the sink or bathroom while the other person is still asleep it is very noisy and bright.
In the bathroom you will find that the rod for the shower is curved and that is gives you extra space when you are inside taking a shower. We finally bought a curved shower rod for our home since so many hotels have them. I didn’t realize they were so affordable for home use. The water pressure was really good and we had plenty of hot water. The sink, however, was a different story. It took a full 5 minutes for the water to get hot, which seemed odd.
The closet had an ironing board, safe, lots of hangers, and extra blankets and pillows.
The sink was wide and the lighting bright. I especially liked the attached hair dryer because it had a retractable cord and it had a digital read-out. It was very powerful and worked great.
Internet Access
Internet access is free everywhere in the hotel. It was easy to hook up. No password or special setup was needed. This was a definitely plus as we bring our laptop with us everywhere we go and work on the road as we travel.
Breakfast
Breakfast was a feast. There were Belgium waffles with whipped cream, eggs, toast or bagels, muffins, cereal, fresh fruit, coffee, tea, fruit juices, and friendly staff. What more can you ask for?
Photo Courtesy of Ichotelsgroup.com
Problems and Housekeeping
We had a slight problem the first night we stayed. When we pulled the comforter up to go to sleep it smelled awful, like someone’s body odor. We know that most hotels don’t change the comforters. The next morning we told housekeeping about this and they quickly sent someone to our room to pick it up. They washed it and returned it within a few hours. We were impressed!
Bonus Food Events
If you stay during the week they have special free food events in the evenings. These are usually Tuesday through Thursday only. One night they even had a beer-tasting event. Sometimes they have special movie nights with popcorn. The events are listed on a flyer that is on your refrigerator when you come into your room.
Overall Opinion
We would stay at the Staybridge Suites again. It was just about $7 more than other hotels in the area and the full breakfast and other features made it worth the extra cost. The few minor problems we had were not enough to keep us away either. We had a great experience at the Staybridge Suites and would stay there again.
Disclosure: this was a personal trip.
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