This was a hard hotel to review because on the surface it looks perfect - close to highway and Oakland mall, family friendly, and unique town house style... but for subtle reasons we weren't entirely comfortable and relieved to leave. We stayed in the two-floor two-bedroom which has a nice design and is perfect for families. The hotel staff is extremely friendly (and so are other hotel patrons) and the whole place has a residential feel to it. There is a swimming pool, basketball courts, barbecue area. The breakfast is terrific with lots of choices including at least 4 hot items (e.g., scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes etc.). There is also a free "dinner" every night.
Although I think most families would be really excited to stay in this kind of hotel, it is an older facility and there were some drawbacks. For example, the townhouses have a smart layout but it still felt crammed and tight. The furniture was comfortable but old with stains/frays. There were three TV's (two large flatscreens) but only a handful of basic channels so nothing really to watch. Having central A/C was terrific but only a one degree difference on the thermostat between being freezing or stifling hot. There was a full kitchen but only enough utensils for a family of 4 and not too many things like pots and pans which we usually find in extended stay hotels. Some days the housekeeping cleaned really well but others not so much. Although the hotel staff was terrific, the housekeeping was a bit sketchy. Once one of them tried to enter the room when we had a "don't disturb" sign on the door, and another time one entered and looked flustered when she saw us and said "you're still here?!". Both times the rooms had already been cleaned so why are they coming back into the rooms with no cleaning supplies or anything later in the afternoon when they think we are not in the room? But we didn't notice anything missing.
In short, I think a lot of families or individuals would be thrilled to stay in this kind of residential facility especially if you're staying for an extended time, and it has a safe and fun environment to it... but it just wasn't the place for us.
- Residence Inn Madison Heights
- Madison Heights Residence Inn
