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CA San Jose Residence Inn Silicon Valley Newark


carpediem888
By carpediem888,
in

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This was my second stop on the GART (Great American Road Trip) after Morro Bay and experiencing the beauty and terror of the mountainous California Highway 1 for a full day. Who needs amusement park roller coasters when you've got this to drive?

After a quick look-around in Monterey, I stopped for 2 days at this property. Won it via the Priceline lottery: $47 per night at an iffy 3-star level. Lately, I think Priceline is suffering from grade inflation. And, if I had to do it again, I might raise my standards to a 3.5 star level along with my bid.

Pros:

1. Easy access from the highway and lots of close restaurants, banks, gas stations, and grocery stores.

2. Suites that have flatware, plates, glasses, cups, pots and pans. A full-size refrigerator, microwave, and cooktop are available, too.

3. Wireless access is solidly reliable and fast; Ethernet cable in room not evident.

4. Lots of lamps and good lighting overall.

5. Plentiful towels and great shower pressure.

6. Self-serve laundry is available on the second floor and requires use of your key for access. Each load costs $2 for a wash and $2 for a dry. Cycle times are posted, which was an excellent mark of logical thinking.

7. Standard array of breakfast buffet items: eggs, sausage, potatoes, oatmeal, waffles, fruit, bagels, bread, juice, and coffee.

Cons:

1. Room carpets are well past their prime - please put them out of their misery. Now.

2. Elevator interiors are heavily scratched - akin to public housing facilities.

3. Heavy discounting of room rates bring out dubious characters: one might use the word "ghetto" to give you a flavor of what I'm talking about.

4. Pull out couch and chair are both saggy and looked like 1990s era refugees; take a pro-tip: don't sit on them unless you're wearing something that you'll be burning after wearing.

5. Weekends draw some large extended family gatherings at the pool - can be noisy and heard even from my 5th floor room.

6. A subtext of car break-ins: front desk clerk issued me a parking permit and mentioned that it would be useful in contacting owner if criminals attacked my car. (Yikes!) I parked my rental Versa next to an expensive Mercedes, hoping that thieves would gravitate towards it instead.

7. Saw a police cruiser in the parking lot on Saturday evening around 915 PM - I don't know whether that was a result of the loud extended family gathering at the pool (#5) or another car incident (#6). After verifying my car's health the next day, I didn't want to jinx myself by asking.

All in all, letting the property deteriorate is a downward spiral. If management invests in renovations, it could charge more for all clients (Priceline or not).

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