We stayed here one night in August of 2011 on the way back from a Hilton Head vacation. We stayed here to get a good night sleep before we battled the NY/NJ traffic on the way home. We got a great rate and wanted to try a Residence Inn because of the suite configurations.

Overall, there's a lot of positives with this hotel but for me, one glaring negative: No Sleep. The design of the bedroom included a very loud air handler for the room's central A/C. Every time it kicked on, it was like an airplane taking off. Just as you were ready to doze off, this thing kicked on, which at night was VERY LOUD. The device was in a locked closet so it couldn't be shut off. We couldn't shut the overall A/C off because it was August and somewhat hot. We even tried to move it up to 80 degrees but it would still come on frequently (i.e. every 20-30 mins) and rattle the room for 15 mins while it was running. Why this device is in the bedroom where you want it to be quiet and not in the suite area is beyond me. It's possible that this design was just in our room or the entire design of the hotel is this way. Nevertheless, we ended up leaving for home at 4:30am really tired because we couldn't take it anymore. But, if you can sleep through anything than this may not be an issue for you.

On the plus side, the hotel is brand new. It's easy access from I-95. The staff is super friendly and accommodating. We asked for a roll away bed and it was in our suite in less than 10 minutes after check in. We asked for food suggestions, they had menus. The front desk was excellent, A+. Outside, there's a nice BBQ/Sitting area and a decent pool with tables/chairs and a tennis/basketball court. Inside, there's a sitting/lobby area that doubles as the breakfast area and pool tables. Next door, there's a Courtyard and in the complex, several restaurants and gas stations.

We were put on a high floor away from any action. It was somewhat empty and quiet on our side. The room has a suite area with a kitchen and the bedroom area. It appears to be recently updated with the new Marriott look: lots of colorful reds, browns, yellows, etc. There's a couch (that doubles as a pull out bed) and a chair. There's two flat screen TVs in the suite area and the bedroom with all the cable channels. The bathroom is in the bedroom area with a separate sink area and toilet/shower area. Both were very clean and updated. There's a small kitchen area and a work table area. The hotel has free wi-fi which was very fast. There was even a notice saying that they would get your groceries for you if you were there on an extended stay. Beds are Marriott style which are very comfortable.

It's unfortunate for the A/C issue because overall this is a pretty good hotel. It's brand new, the front staff is excellent and the rooms recently updated. But, you need to get a good night's sleep in addition to having a great location/facility in order to get my higher ratings.

During Hurricane Irene I needed to evacuate as my home town was right in the projected path. I am the wife of a Fire Fighter who no matter the category of the storm must stick around for Emergency Services, so if I leave I am leaving on my own, which is scary during these times and being alone does not help. So on this particular weekend, I was accompanied by my 4 kids (ages 13, 11, 8 and 9 months) and my 2 dogs. I was not leaving home without my dogs during this storm because they are my family as well, so it was so nice to find a place that was as nice as the Residence Inn and accepted pets. I was having a hard time evacuating and actually cancelled my reservations (that I made the minute I heard Irene was headed my way) at 3:50 the day of check-in and by 4:45 once I was on the road I called to get them back and they were booked and I was in tears. Here I was with 4 kids, 2 dogs and no where to go. James at the front desk was AMAZING he calmed me down and he said he would do everything he could to get me a room. I called back in 20 mins (as he advised) and he had a room for that ONE night (the storm was due to hit Saturday). James said I could take that night and PRAY for an opening before check out Saturday. So I took my chances and checked in Friday and James assured me he would do everything he could to make sure I got another night. By 9:00 that night James called my room to tell me they got me another NIGHT. (Bless that mans heart). I was so relieved as I had heard from neighbors that we lost power 7:00 Friday night and it never came back until 6:00 Sunday morning. The staff at Residence Inn were so amazing in making sure that my kids and I were happy and had everything we needed. Friday night my sister in law and two young nephews joined me (making for a crowded situation) because their home town was being evacuated as well and she had no where to go. So, on Saturday we had 6 kids, 2 adults and 2 dogs riding out the hurricane. I expected everyone to be friendly and understanding because majority of the hotel was there to escape IRENE. The guest were sooooo rude it was unbelievable. Even during the short power outage we had around 1:00 Saturday afternoon people were yelling at my kids for playing "spy" in the dark hallways but the employees who came to check on us during the outage found humor in the kids imagination in the hallway. They weren't doing anything wrong but trying to get through the boring times of a power outage. After all it was 1:00 in the afternoon not 1:00 in the morning. The rooms were so nice as they have all the essentials you need for a short stay away from home. I would totally recommend this hotel to others and again want to extend a HUGE thank you to James at the front desk.

As for the other occupants of the hotel I wish they were as nice as the employees. I had people talking about me and saying false statements about my dog being vicious and attacking other guest and how I was a poor pet owner and had no control of my animal. The only reason people said this about my dog is because she appears to be part pitt bull because of her brindle coloring and she would get "excited" and pull a little harder on her lease when she saw another dog, but she is by far the sweetest dog you will ever meet when given a chance. Although my sister-in-laws 2 year old son did find it funny to let my dogs out when we were not paying attention, but they were always quickly retrieved . The one incidence I did have was, I had a lady who happened to be in the hallway during one of these escapes and she FREAKED out and started screaming when she saw my dog which scared my dog (back into the room) after she paused and dropped to the ground in defense stance because of the ladies screaming. I quickly retrieved my dog back into my room, apologized to the woman and the listened as she told her friend that my "big, mean, vicious dog tried to attack her and if it happened again she would call the police". Needless to say we found away to keep the toddlers from opening the door but nothing stopped these women from harrassing my sister-in-law, my kids and myself. The friend even was warning new guest about my "mean" dog and how I was a bad pet owner and had no control of her (right in front of my face) and was offended when I confronted her. My feelings were extremely hurt and I could not escape that place fast enough on Sunday just because of rude guest. So, my advice to guest please be aware this is a "pet friendly" establishment and that the animals are welcome there too. We were all there that weekend for the same reasons and I have never felt more hated by the other guest, the ones yelling at my kids and the ones hating on my dogs. That made for a VERY long, stressful weekend. But leave it to James to calm me down and talk me through my frustrations and assure me that I had done nothing wrong and had nothing to worry about! :)

Again, thanks to the employees for such a wonderful stay and to the guest who don't like dogs...maybe consider a NO PETS ALLOWED place when choosing somewhere to stay especially during a hurricane evacuation.

Sorry this is so long but I really wanted to share my experience to the fullest.

Evacuated to this hotel last year and had a positive experience~ this year has been the same......very helpful staff and the rooms are comfy with the kitchens being an added bonus....
The residence inn is definitely my fist choice for the Rocky Mount area.

My family of 6 stayed here during our evacuation from the Outer Banks for hurricane Irene. Despite a full occupancy of frazzled guests and pets, the staff was outstanding -- friendly, courteous, compassionate, helpful, and professional. During our stay we had repeated power outages and the staff was prepared with flashlights and kept everything running smoothly. The breakfast was very good everyday and the friendly housekeeping staff did their best to ensure our comfort at all times even in the dark. An outstanding group of people that made a challenging time bearable for all!!