My first time at an Extended Stay America, and I'm pleased to say that it was just what I needed. Accessed off of a service road that runs parallel to Route 59, it's easy to get to as long as you know what exit to take. I was there 2 nights for a business seminar I was conducting at University of Houston.

The hotel was clean and presentable, nothing pretentious, but not in any way a dump. Hotel has a small but neatly appointed lobby space. There is not really anything in the way of amenities here, but the rooms themselves were fine and covered the basics pretty well. If you need extra frills, like a pool, sauna, exercise room, business center, or continental breakfast, you should look elsewhere.

I entered the lobby to the sounds of laughter coming from behind the front desk. I made the comment that I must have come to the fun part of town, with more laughter erupting. The front desk staff were very warm and friendly, and clearly enjoyed being there and helping their customers. The only awkward moment occurred about 15 minutes before checkout, when housekeeping knocked on the door to ask when I would be leaving. I said that I would be leaving in about 5 minutes, but instead of moving on to the next room, she asked if she could come in & change the sheets, to which I consented. No big deal to me, but after the high-profile Dominique Strauss-Kahn scandal involving a hotel cleaning woman, I would think the hospitality industry would get smart and instruct their workers to take no obvious risks.

The room I stayed in was on the third floor, facing the parking garage on the north side (away from the highway), so it was quiet. My neighbors were quiet...no disturbances other than the smell of steak cooking one evening, and that is going to happen in any apartment situation with kitchens. The suite itself was roomy, clean, and otherwise odor-free, offering 2 separate writing tables, a full bathroom and small kitchen with the basics covered (including a full-size fridge). The room had no enclosed closet, but there was an open closet space in the corner with a couple of built-in wire shelves w/ hangers for clothes, plus an iron & ironing board. Didn't watch any TV, so I can't comment on that, but it was an older CRT TV, not a newer flat-screen. The bed seemed fine to me…firm, but comfortable enough for a good night's sleep. Wireless high-speed internet was a one-time fee of $5…sort of average speed, not great, but not horrible.

This was my first visit to Houston. The area around the hotel has tons of great restaurants and shopping, and seems to be a reasonably decent part of town. About a 10-minute drive to Main Street, where there are some hip hangouts (Continental Club, Sig's Lagoon, Tacos a Go-Go, etc.). About a 5-minute drive to the Menil Collection, a free art museum definitely worth visiting. Also located 5-10 minutes from the Anvil Bar & Refuge, with a fabulous selection of cocktails. Had I had more time, I would have enjoyed visiting many of the other great-looking places nearby.

Overall, I have no complaints. Great price, decent place, fantastic location. Would definitely stay here again.

We were booked into this hotel by our insurance company after our house was nearly destroyed. We had the misfortune of staying here for nearly three months. Apparently lots of other people are there for similar reasons, all of us suffering together.

To begin with, there is absolutely nothing to do in this hotel. There is no restaurant, no pool, no gym, no game room, no lobby... There aren't even any public spaces to sit outside. It's just you and your room that was last refurbished when the first Bush was in the White House. You don't even get decent cable channels: You get maybe a dozen (if you're lucky; it depends on your room), and you don't even get all the local channels. My husband was prompted to exclaim, "What kind of hotel doesn't even have ESPN?!?" Don't bother asking for a DVD player or a video game player. They don't have those either. Your only option for entertainment is trying to run across the freeway to the Hooters.

Maid service is sketchy. They come when they want and do as much as they want. One week you might get soap, the next week not. Don't bother asking for anything; Nobody speaks English. Our room was supposed to be cleaned weekly but it usually only happened after I went to the manager and complained. Once the manager said, "You room was already cleaned today!" The maid had lied on the daily list of jobs to do, either that or she was too stupid to know which rooms she'd been in. So if you're staying for the long haul, buy your own cleaning supplies and do it yourself.

There is a laundry room but it costs TWO DOLLARS per load, and the machines are small and dirty and likely to be broken. So do your own laundry, too.

All the supplies in your room will be old and look like rejects from Goodwill. You'll be lucky if everything works properly. Our kitchen sink shot water into the air like a fountain even after they sent someone to repair it.

Also, if cigarette smoke makes you sick avoid this place! Smokers are everywhere, and even if you're in a non-smoking room you can smell the smoke. The third floor is like sucking on the tail pipe of Al Bundy's old Dodge.

What's good about this place? The staff at the front desk is very friendly and they don't bother you at all. Another long-timer was always wandering the halls letting her Chihuahua poop on the carpet and no one seemed to care. You can sit in your car and blast the stereo and smoke pot all night and no one cares.

The location is convenient to just about anything in SW Houston, including Greenway Plaza, the Galleria and the Museum District. Make sure you have a car so you can get out and about. We brought our dogs with us and the hotel staff treated them kindly (which meant the world to us). There is a nice neighborhood behind the hotel where we could walk the dogs in peace.

Bottom line: You get what you pay for. This place is fine for a night or two if all you're using it for is to sleep. But if you're planning an "extended stay," this place will have you contemplating suicide.

Nice and affordable hotel. Jami in the reception was very helpful and greeted us when we arrived. The room was big and had a kingsize bed, kitchen with all appliances, tv, two desks and AC. The AC was a bit noisy but we didn't care that much. The room appeared clean! Did not see any bed bugs! The nice girl in the reception called us after an hour to check if everything was fine in our room. Good service! We are only staying for one night, but would definitely stay here again. Affordable, big rooms, nice staff!

This hotel was located in walking distance to Rice Village and Montrose. It was quite a distance from downtown but we were easily able to get to the downtown via public transit. Rooms were what you would expect for the price. Clean and comfortable, but nothing special. Room was a bit dated in terms of decorations and bed was a double which is tough for two people to sleep in, but overall it was fine. Staff were friendly and helpful. Try to get a room that is not on the same side as the freeway because it is right next to one side of the hotel. You have to pay extra if you want your room cleaned each day, but it's only $5 on top of an already good price.