I stayed at the Princeton - West Windsor Extended Stay America regularly for months. You can't beat the price, which was the main factor in my decision to stay at this facility. However, if you're considering making a reservation you may want to be aware of the following things I experienced:
- The rooms smell. I'd read other reviews that mentioned odors and attributed them to overly sensitive noses (try finding any economy hotel review without a comment from someone about smell). Here are a few specifics from my experience -- "non-smoking" rooms with such strong tobacco smoke odor that my eyes literally watered upon entering; rooms with such strong chemical deodorizer smell that my wife asked why my shirt stunk when I got home five days later; rooms with ventilation systems that pull the cooking/smoking/meth manufacturing smells of nearby rooms into yours. It's never a strong "just cleaned" smell. More like a cacophony of malodors vying for the privilege of leading the assault against your nasal passages.
- The building is nosy. Pets are allowed, so be prepared for barking -- I had one room that was next to what sounded like two great danes that barked into the early morning hours when their owners returned and finally quieted them. Expect to overhear arguing, phone conversations, and doors slamming in addition to the regular nocturnal activities of hotels. If you stay in rooms at the front of the hotel (even numbers), you'll hear Highway 1. If adjacent (or upstairs/downstairs) rooms have their TV on, you'll hear it. Many refrigerators have such loud compressors that it sounds like an old car starting when they come on. I'm a heavy sleeper and rarely slept through the night while at the Extended Stay.
- Housekeeping is atrocious. Expect mildew in the bathroom, random hairs throughout the room, and only semi-clean dishes. Don't count on there being clothes hangers, towels, soap, or toilet paper (all things I found missing from my room at various check-ins). I never saw signs of bedbugs, which I assume couldn't handle the odors and moved elsewhere. If there was a negative rating category for cleanliness below I would have used it.
- Staff is mediocre at best. My "favorite" staff story is the night manager calling me as late as 11pm for three consecutive weeks to remind me that checkout was the next day at 11am. I'd been staying there for six months at that point and always checked out before 7:30am. The guy seemed genuinely surprised that I was unhappy being awakened to receive information I didn't need. If your room is near the lobby you'll hear employees talking LOUDLY on a regular basis. Front desk staff are generally acceptable.
- Loitering seems to be encouraged. Late-night adult beverage parties in the parking lot are not uncommon. People grill on the sixty square feet of grass near the side entrances. There is almost always someone sitting near the doors smoking.
- Facilities are outdated. At least half of the many rooms I stayed in had such low water pressure or such old shower heads that bathing was a chore. Be prepared for 18" televisions with shaky pictures in many rooms. Plan on stained, burnt, and discolored countertops, carpets, and walls. On the other hand, there's a newish rug in the lobby so that's nice.
Why did I bother to write all this after completing my time in lodging purgatory? The final straw was having my car broken into overnight in the Extended Stay America parking lot on the second to last of my many days staying there.
If you expect a "hotel" experience during your time at the Extended Stay, you will be disappointed. If you expect the same accommodations and service as a bad college dorm from the 1980s you should be okay.
- Extended Stay America Princeton
- Extended Stay Princeton
- Princeton Extended Stay
