But I guess for the price they charge they can't afford a remodel. Extended Stays are designed for weekly tenants, not vacationers looking for a couple of nights' stay. That is why there is no pool and no daily housekeeping. However, we were able to drop off our soiled towels and pick up clean towels on demand.
The carpets throughout the hotel are terrible, especially in the hallways. The carpet in our room had sticky spots. The carpets just need torn up and replaced. The curtain rod fell off the first time we touched it. I was able to fix it and I swear it was intentionally loosened. The recliner did not work, and the springs were shot. The TV was a tiny 19" tube, but there is two free Showtime channels. The bathroom is large and overall the room is not cramped. There is no blow dryer so you better bring one. The beds were marginally comfortable.
The "full" kitchen is not full. NO oven; only a stovetop. There is a microwave and a full refrigerator. There is only two plates, two bowls, two forks, two spoons, etc. so be prepared to wash dishes after every meal. There are some cooking utensils. There is a 4 cup coffee maker (ours worked but obviously had seen better days) and a toaster.
Just about every staff person was friendly and helpful with only some random annoying surliness. Everyone was helpful and responsive. And the room was very clean when we checked in. Also, the HVAC vent covers in the hallways were clean. It's little things like that that say a lot about a place.
The wifi is not free. The base cost is $5 per stay (no matter how long) and you can upgrade to higher speeds at a considerable extra cost. If all you want is e-mail and to surf you are fine with the base service.
The third floor is a smoking floor. Avoid it at all costs. We did not go up there, but one of the families in our party got stuck with a room up there and they said it was horrid - unless your a smoker, of course.
The location is close to shopping (Eastland Mall just a few miles away) and restaurants. You are also close to downtown Bloomington, uptown Normal and Illinois State. But then, it's easy to get anywhere in the area within 20 minutes.
This could be a great property if it was remodeled. Also, as another reviewer noted, there is South and North Veterans Parkways on the opposite sides of town, and the hotel does not have a direct entrance to Veteran's Parkway. You have to turn at the nearest stoplight and come in to the property from an access road. It's easy once you get used to it.
If you just want a couple of nights, go elsewhere, but if you are staying for a week (we were here for a week-long softball tournament) the use of the kitchenette is very handy.
Room Tip: Non-smokers should avoid the third floor
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
15 November 2011
"I recently received a copy of your review of the Extended Stay America Champaign - Urbana. Our company prides itself on excellent guest service, so it was gratifying to read your feedback about our staff. I would like to give you my most heartfelt apology regarding the part of your stay that was not satisfactory.
We specialize in providing clean, comfortable rooms at an affordable price. That means we don't set out extra amenities like shampoo, lotions, shower caps, etc, in our rooms. However, our hotel does have a limited supply of sundries at the front desk, and we happily dispense them free of charge upon request. Operating in this way allows us to continue to provide you our great rooms at exceptional rates. I take seriously your concern, however, and assure you that we work very hard to explain exactly what we offer to our guests before they arrive. I am, of course, very sorry that we were unable to make our offerings more clear to you before you checked in, and hope that you will keep our hotel in mind when your future needs are for an accommodation like ours.
It's not common that we get the sort of feedback you provided, and although it is discouraging to read, it will help us make our hotel even better in the future. Let me apologize again that your stay was not completely satisfying, and assure you that we will continue to listen to our guests in forums like this one or directly (please visit our website and click the Contact Us link at the bottom of the page). I hope we have addressed your concern satisfactorily, and that you would give us the pleasure of having you as a guest again at this hotel or any other Extended Stay Hotels(sm) brand location in the future."
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
