Spent the night for business as all the downtown hotels were booked. Great older hotel - very well kept with an excellent staff. Only downside is there is no entertainment in the evening. So if you want to sit in the bar and listen to some music - have them put on a radio.

Clean rooms, nice beds, nice pool

I visit this area 4 times a year to visit my nearby mother in-law and have had nothing but problems - and I travel several times a month domestic and overseas generally with no issues elsewhere. For a couple years we tried the Marriott Courtyard down the street but almost always had noise problems. Then the Hilton, but also had noise and service was pretty pathetic. So this time I thought I'd try the Crowne Plaza - I even paid extra for the "executive floor".

To be fair, let's start off with the good part: The bed is very comfortable, the room was clean, and the staff - especially in the executive lounge - were very friendly. It was also quiet - but that will happen when there's a total of 5 cars in the parking lot. Slow week?

But here's my big rub. The nature of my job requires me to stay in email/internet contact. The hotel advertized high speed wireless, which these days has become pretty much a minimum expectation. When I first tried to log on I noticed problems, then discovered it was very intermittent even with a strong wireless connection, often dying completely. I contacted several people, had several people say it was going to be fixed, but nothing. Maybe I'll even attach my screenshot of a speed test - yes it was dial up speed. Luckily my mother in-law did have a real high speed connection and since I had to spend a lot of time over there, I got work done - and I also took advantage of the mini hot spot capability of my iPhone. But this is a deal-breaker for me. True, reliable high speed internet is simply a requirement for my job.

Some other notes: my big complaint at most hotels was true here: lack of power outlets to charge cell phones (especially next to the bed where I can also use it as my alarm), computers, iPad, etc. There was one single outlet on the desk lamp, and the lamp had to be half off the desk in order for chargers to fit the orientation of the outlet. The carpet was a bit worn, and the toiletries were no where near appropriate for the supposed four star category of this hotel. Sorry, this is really a three star at best. The free breakfast and evening drinks in the executive club lounge were pretty pathetic, but since I just eat cereal in the morning it was ok - and better than spending $20 like I'm often forced to do at other hotels. On Thanksgiving the lounge was closed and we were told to partake in the "continental breakfast" in the lobby - strange tasting coffee and just some cold danishes - no cereal or other options. Gee... and I paid extra for the upgrade to the executive floor... hmmm...

But the bed was good, and I slept well. If that's all you need, then the Crowne Plaza is an option. If you need reliable internet, look elsewhere. If you want true four star then I guess you're heading into the JW or similar closer to downtown - there's nothing in this part of town.

The only real complaint I can muster about this hotel is that it's nearly impossible to find the parking lot entrance. You have to turn before you actually get to the hotel, but the turn is not labeled. We ended up driving *to* the hotel, then *past* the hotel, completely befuddled as to how we were supposed to get there. We turned right at the light immediately after, and then managed to drive through two parking lots to the parking area for the Crowne Plaza. For the entire length of our stay, we had issues remembering where we were supposed to turn.

Check in was very fast and easy, and the decor is very professional. The room was spacious and well cleaned, although there was mold on parts of the caulking in the tub. I understand it is difficult to clean those nooks and crannies, but some bleach spray works wonders. The room was also quiet - I'm not sure if it was because there weren't very many visitors at the time, or because they have enough insulation to effectively cocoon the rooms, but it was much appreciated.

Another nice touch - the bedding was very soft, and the room didn't smell funny. Smell is the first thing I notice about a hotel room, and one of the hardest things to control effectively, with so many people and situations in each room. If a room doesn't have an odd scent, I know that the staff is cleaning effectively.

We used the hot tub each night of our stay. The indoor pool/spa area was spotless and at a very comfortable temperature. The sauna was in perfect working condition, and also spotlessly clean.

We decided to forgo the hotel restaurant breakfast for IHOP, which is less than 5 minutes away. The breakfast didn't look up to $9.99 standards, and we were craving pancakes, anyway.

All in all, very comfortable and worth the rate.

We stayed here overnight and had one of the best night's sleep in a hotel ever! Room and bathroom was spotless, bed was sooo comfy with plenty of pillows and bedding. Wifi worked great. Plenty of toiletries and coffee. Great location with plenty of restaurant choices.