This hotel had gotten some negative reviews on Tripadvisor, and I was somewhat disappointed when I received this hotel from a Priceline bid, as I had been expecting to get either the Westin, which is just on the other side of the Interstate from this hotel, or the Marriott, which is just a few doors down. But if you're worried about getting this hotel on an opaque bid, don't be. Granted it has some fairly minor drawbacks, but it is by no means a horror show. Overall, I'd call it an acceptable 3* hotel, though it's rated a 3.5*. I got it for $49 on PL, so if I had paid $80 I might be feeling a little different about the place. Now mind you, I'm pretty low maintenance and don't generally use many of the hotel's amenities like workout room, restaurant, etc. So I can't really speak to those. The hotel is a former Embassy Suites, so if you've stayed at one of those, you know the layout. I arrived quite early, about 11:45 AM. The lobby and courtyard areas are really quite nice. The young lady at the front desk was very friendly and courteous, and told me it was a little early, but after checking she found that my room was ready, so I was able to check in early. Overall, the staff was professional, for what little dealings I had with them. The room was nice, a nice full 2-room suite with refrigerator and microwave. Typical Embassy Suites. The bed was quite comfortable. Parts of the hotel have completely been refurbished, including the rooms. I was a little disappointed with the bathroom. The tub, tile, and shower looked like they had not been refurbished and showed some age. I thought it could all use a really good scrubbing too, though I wouldn't call it dirty. Some might, though. Other minor drawbacks--the hotel is very handy to I-95, but also in a VERY busy area. Long traffic lights at a busy intersection, and be prepared to make a lot of U turns. There is a train track right next to the hotel, but the trains are mostly 2 or 3 car commuter trains that are not very obtrusive at all. And to top it off, there is a small executive airport about a mile away, so planes flying overhead too. However, I didn't really find any of this very annoying, for the most part. A minor distraction. Also, if you go into some of the remote corners of the hotel, it's just plain beat up and ragged. I went to the ice machine, which is at one far corner, and the wall had a big hole in it, the carpet looked old and dirty and it was just plain slumlike in that one small area. I don't know what's up with that. The hotel is about a 20-minute drive to the beach. There are your typical fast food joints and small shopping centers in the area, but it's not near anything "tourist-y" at all. So overall, it's not a showplace, not a dump. Good luck.
