After a tragic house fire this summer left me, my husband, our two children, and two dogs homeless, we called Staybridge Suites looking for a place to stay. Although technically "sold out" the helpful front desk staff transferred me to Suzanne Sagullo, the Director of Sales and Marketing. After explaining our situation, she suggested I come take a look at the hotel and she would see what she could do. At our meeting she was very apologetic that she could not get our family into a 2 bedroom unit, however, they could accomodate us in adjoining rooms (one studio and one 1-bedroom unit). We were so grateful! That was just the beginning of the exceptional service and caring attention we received.
Like most suite hotels, the rooms are nicely appointed and the hotel offers many amenities like a hot buffet breakfast, sundowner hour several nights a week, a pool, complimentary computer use and internet, workout and laundry facilities. The latter are connected rooms, which was awesome as I could pop a load of wash in and then go do my workout in the morning. Perfect! But what really sets this facility apart is the staff. As mentioned, Suzanne went above and beyond to make sure our family had what we needed. She even stopped by the next day with a basket filled with pool toys for the kids, a bottle of wine and lovely plant for my husband and I and some treats for our dogs! After losing everything, those thoughtful touches really made us feel at home.
Our favorite mornings or sundowner hours were those when Barb worked. She is a true gem of a human being. She got to know our names, the likes and dislikes of the kids and went out of her way to make sure we always had what we needed. She is so hardworking and pleasant and her caring ways made us feel like we were dining in her home, rather than at a hotel. Another example of outstanding service is my son celebrated his 8th birthday while we were there and the staff went above and beyond to make it special with balloons and a cake! It was so amazing and thoughtful and made him feel very special.
Another touch of personal service was that most mornings I was awake before breakfast began to take the dogs for a walk and Pedro, one of the night auditors, always made sure there was fresh coffee and the creamers I preferred out and ready. One morning I went for an early run and it started to POUR rain! I was drenched when I returned and Pedro had put aside a dry towel for me. It was so sweet! (Btw, this is not the best area for runners, but there is an industrial park you can circle through and a good route for longer runs is down Britton Lake road to Mill road to Thornton Road then through the industrial park. Both options have you navigate some steep hills, but it's doable for those who want to avoid the treadmill).
I really cannot stress enough that this is not your typical hotel because it is not staffed by typical people but rather exceptional people. Our only issue was coordinating housekeeping because many of the housekeeping staff were afraid of our dogs. Given the length of our stay, we would have liked to have seen this issue get resolved a bit more pro-actively. This is something to think about if you are traveling with a pet. The grounds are nice for walking a dog(s) and otherwise we found the rest of the staff to be very pet-friendly.
As other reviewers have mentioned, if you don't have transportation and plan to travel beyond the shuttle radius, renting a car will be necessary. This is a bustling surburban area, but public transportation and taxi service is not convenient. The shopping center that is by the hotel offers nice shops, several good restaurants, and an upscale grocery store. It is a simple walk, less than 5 minutes.There is additional shopping (major chains like Target and Home Depot) and restaurants close by, but you have to cross a major highway to get there. You could walk, but might feel like you are in a game of Frogger! For families with kids under 12, Oasis Family Fun Center is only minutes away by car or the shuttle. There is also an AMC movie theatre about 5 minutes away by car/shuttle.
Whether you are in need of a nice, friendly, clean place to stay for a night or a month, I highly recommend this hotel. I would especially think they would be wonderful to work with for groups or those who need an extended stay. Thank you, Staybridge Suites staff for taking such good care of us and making a very trying time in our families life positive! We are forever grateful!
Room Tip: If you have storage needs, they do offer closets you can rent for an additional fee.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
30 November 2011
Hi Mle519,
We miss you and we hope that you are all doing well! Our entire team was inspired by the strength and resolve that your family demonstrated every day after losing your home. We were all in awe of your positive attitude when most people in your situation would see the world in a different light. You gave us all perspective and we enjoyed being here for your family every day! Thank you for sharing, with the world, your experience with our hotel. More importantly, thank you for inspiring us all with your incredible spirit and great smiles (doggies too!)!
Sincerely,
~ Staybridge Suites
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC