We stayed for 3 nights during the 2009 CWS. Overall, the stay was fine and I would not want the shortcomings I mention below to take away from the overall conclusion that this is a decent place to stay. Having said all of that, my impression of this hotel is less positive than some of the other posts so I want to provide another perspective.
Relative to other hotels of this class (we have stayed in a number of them in Omaha, as this is our 3rd trip to the CWS), this property is tired (e.g. sheets were worn, TV's are old, paint/carpets are at the end of their useful lives, our room had a few light fixtures with bulbs out, several rooms had AC issues, one of our rooms got skipped by housekeeping, etc.). I see this as deferred maintenance (ownership issue) and a lack of attention to detail (management issue).
While the front desk staff was extremely nice and well-intentioned, they were not as well-trained or as empowered as in other properties of this type. Ownership should give these folks more training and then give them the authority to fix routine problems. As an example, a front desk staffer told me they had to check with the boss first or they would get in trouble. I was asking for extra pillows.
On the positive side, the free internet access (both Cat-5 and wireless) was super and the breakfast was above average. The hotel is in a quiet location. The cookies are indeed very good! The free passes the the 24 hr. Fitness accross the parking lot is a very nice feature.
If quiet is more important than access, then be sure to ask for a room on the third floor. The first floor rooms get noise from the lobby/pool/laundry facilities and the second floor (which has an open stairway into the lobby) also gets noise and foot traffic. The third floor can only be accessed by the elevator, so it is much quieter.
I'm not sure how this hotel is normally priced (CWS prices are crazy), but I think this property would be a decent value choice if it is priced at the low end of comparable properties. Relative to hotels of this caliber, this is a good, but average, place to stay.
- Country Inn Omaha
- Omaha Country Inn
