Hotel Ratings

Personal Notes by Christopher Rath

Introduction & Summary

This document lists hotels I have stayed in, and details what I thought of them. Of course, I’ve only listed the criteria that are important to me. The first table is simply a list of hotels followed by a recommended or not-recommended rating; details follow later in the page. The detailed ratings are grouped by the cities I typically visit.

Hotel Rating Summary by Location
Baltimore, MD
	Doubletree Inn on the Colonnade	Recommended
Chicago, IL
	Schaumburg Marriott	Recommended
Columbus, OH
	Hampton Inn, Columbus-North	Recommended
Dallas, TX
	Omni Richardson Hotel, Richardson	Recommended
	Homewood Suites Hotel, Las Colinas	Recommended
Denver, CO
	Renaissance Airport Hotel, Denver	Recommended
Fredericton, NB
	Sheraton Hotel, Fredericton, NB	Recommended
Fort Lauderdale, FL
	Westin Hotel, Fort Lauderdale, FL	Not Recommended
Harlow, UK
	Cheshunt Marriott Hotel, Harlow	Recommended
Houston, TX
	Marriott, Houston Bush Airport	Recommended
	The Woodlands Resort, The Woodlands	Recommended
Los Angeles, CA
	Glendale Hilton, Glendale	Recommended
	Disney's Grand Californian, Anaheim [new]	Recommended
	Marriott Courtyard, Burbank [new]	Recommended
	Marriott Los Angeles Airport [new]	Recommended
	Renaissance Hotel, Agoura Hills	Recommended
Maidenhead, UK
	Holiday Inn, Maidenhead, UK	Recommended
Montréal, QC
	Sheraton Four Points Centre-Ville	Recommended
Nashville, TN
	Doubletree Hotel, Nashville	Recommended
	Sheraton Music City Hotel, Nashville	Not Recommended
Newark, NJ
	Hilton Short Hills Hotel, Newark	Recommended
New Southgate, UK
	Royal Chase Hotel, New Southgate	Not Recommended
	West Lodge Park, New Southgate	Recommended
Orlando, FL
	Homewood Suites Orlando Disneyworld	Recommended w/Caveats
	Homewood Suites, Lake Buena Vista [new]	Recommended
	Marriott Courtyard, Marriott Village [new]	Recommended w/Caveats
	Marriott Courtyard, Vista Center [new]	Not Recommended
	Marriott Grande Vista, Orlando	Recommended
	Marriott World Center, Orlando	Recommended
Phoenix, AZ
	Hampton Inn, Scottsdale	Recommended
	Marriott Old Town Scottsdale, Scottsdale	Recommended
Pittsburgh, PA
	Hyatt-Regency, Pittsburgh Airport	Not Recommended
Raleigh, NC
	Doubletree Guest Suites, Raleigh/Durham	Recommended
	Embassy Suites, Cary	Recommended
	Hampton Inn, Cary I-40	Recommended
	Hilton Garden Inn, Morrisville, NC	Recommended
	Holiday Inn, Raleigh-Durham Airport	Not Recommended
	Homewood Suites, Raleigh-Durham Airport	Recommended
	Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Raleigh	Not Recommended
	Staybridge Suites, Airport Blvd.	Recommended w/Caveats
	Wingate Inn, Durham	Recommended w/Caveats
San Francisco, CA
	Westin Airport Hotel, San Francisco	Recommended
Santa Clara, CA
	Marriott Hotel, Santa Clara	Recommended
Toronto / Brampton, ON
	Delta Meadowvale Hotel, Toronto	Recommended
	Hilton Airport Hotel, Toronto	Recommended
	Sheraton Four Points Airport Hotel, Brampton	Not Recommended
	Sheraton Gateway Hotel, Toronto	Recommended
Washington, DC
	Crystal City Hilton, Washington	Recommended w/Caveats

Detailed Ratings/Reviews

Each of the reviews/ratings here are the result of my personal experience staying in the various hotels. As always, my opinions are subjective and your conclusions may not align with mine. In other words, this advice is worth every penny you paid for it.

Baltimore, MD

Doubletree Inn on the Colonnade
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	204
Shower water flow	Excellent
Smell of room	Not noticeably scented
Room layout	Average, with desk, but poor access to power at the desk
Comments	The hotel is located 6 km from the harbor, but the hotel runs a free shuttle to/from the National Aquarium 4 times a day (0900h -- 2100h)
Dialup access	38,600 bps
Bed	Good
Environmental controls	Average
Rate paid	Hilton HHonors points were used
Room Service	Yes
Date of last stay	September, 2003

Chicago, IL

Schaumburg Marriott
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	Various
Shower water flow	Excellent
Smell of room	Lightly scented
Room layout	Good
Comments
Dialup access	Didn't use it
Bed	Good
Environmental controls	Above Average
Rate paid	$115US
Room Service	Yes
Date of last stay	March, 2004

Columbus, OH

Hampton Inn, Columbus-North
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	403
Shower water flow	Good
Smell of room	Lightly scented
Room layout	Acceptable
Comments	The room was marked with a permanent door label as a non-smoking room; however, there was a heavy smell of smoke in the corridor, and a lingering cigarette smell in the room (although not overly objectionable).
Dialup access	26,400 bps
Bed	Good
Environmental controls	Average
Rate paid	$75US
Room Service	None
Date of last stay	May, 2002

Dallas, TX

Omni Richardson Hotel
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	Various
Shower water flow	Good
Smell of room	Not noticeably scented
Room layout	Better than average, with desk
Comments
Dialup access	26,600 – 46,600 bps
Bed	Good
Environmental controls	Average.
Rate paid	$99 US
Room Service	Only available 0630h–2300h.
Date of last stay	May, 1999

Homewood Suites Hotel, Wingren Dr.
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	a 2nd floor room
Shower water flow	Good
Smell of room	Not noticeably scented
Room layout	Average, with table
Comments
Dialup access	26,600 bps
Bed	Good
Environmental controls	Average.
Rate paid	$137 US
Room Service	None
Date of last stay	March, 2003

Denver, CO

Renaissance Airport Hotel, Denver
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	408
Shower water flow	OK
Smell of room	Lightly scented
Room layout	Good, with desk
Comments	The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful, and the hotel restaurant's food was well prepared & not over-priced.
Dialup access	High speed Internet access included with room
Bed	Very Good
Environmental controls	Average
Rate paid	$134
Room Service	None
Date of last stay	May, 2004

Fredericton, NB

Sheraton Hotel, Fredericton
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	Various
Shower water flow	OK
Smell of room	Unscented, but slightly musty
Room layout	Good, with desk
Comments	The hotel is in need of refurbishing; although it is clean. The carpet on the way into the room is significantly warn. The air conditioning unit had a lot of trouble keeping the room cool.
Dialup access	The rooms have two phone lines, but I used the free high speed dial-up; which worked very well.
Bed	Very Good
Environmental controls	In room controls with a thermostat, but the unit was under-powered (it had trouble keeping the room cool)
Rate paid	Starwood points were used
Room Service	Available 0600. - 2300h
Date of last stay	August, 2003

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Westin Hotel, Ft. Lauderdale
Hotel website
Recommended	No
Room I stayed in	916
Shower water flow	OK
Smell of room	Unscented
Room layout	Good, with desk
Comments	The hotel is in need of refurbishing; although it is clean. The carpet on the way into the room is significantly warn. The air conditioning unit had a lot of trouble keeping the room cool. Although I had specifically made a reservation for a non-smoking room, even calling the hotel myself to ensure the reservation was properly made, I had to argue with the clerk at check-in time in order to obtain a non-smoking room. Non-smoking rooms are not externally marked as such, and there do not appear to be non-smoking “floors”.
Dialup access	26,400 bps (the rooms have two phone lines)
Bed	Very Good
Environmental controls	In room controls with a thermostat, but the unit was under-powered for the Florida climate (it had trouble keeping the room cool)
Rate paid	145 $US
Room Service	Available 24h
Date of last stay	February, 2000

Harlow, UK

Cheshunt Marriott Hotel, Cheshunt
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	012
Shower water flow	Good (for UK)
Smell of room	Unscented
Room layout	Good, with desk
Comments	The hotel restaurant’s service was excellent, however the food was only OK. Nice Australian Red wine.
Dialup access	26,400 bps (the rooms have two phone lines)
Bed	Good
Environmental controls	Better than average
Rate paid	£85 Sterling
Room Service	Available 24h
Date of last stay	June, 1999

Houston, TX

Marriott, Houston Bush Airport
Hotel website	http://marriott.com/property/propertyPage/IAHAP
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	210
Shower water flow	Good
Smell of room	Unscented
Room layout	Good, with desk
Comments
Dialup access	Didn't try it
Bed	Good
Environmental controls	Better than average
Rate paid	$130
Room Service	Yes
Date of last stay	August, 2004

The Woodlands Resort, The Woodlands
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	7013
Shower water flow	Good
Smell of room	Unscented
Room layout	Good, with desk
Comments	The resort's food and service was excellent
Dialup access	34,400 bps (the rooms have two phone lines)
Bed	Good
Environmental controls	Better than average
Rate paid
Room Service	Available 24h
Date of last stay	December, 2003

Los Angeles, CA

Glendale Hilton, Glendale
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	Various
Shower water flow	Excellent
Smell of room	Not noticeably scented
Room layout	Above average, with desk
Comments	Hotel restaurants are very good
Dialup access	Didn't try it; used high speed connection
Bed	Very good
Environmental controls	Above average
Rate paid	$152 US
Room Service	Yes
Date of last stay	April, 2004

Disney's Grand Californian, Anaheim
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	4362
Shower water flow	Below average
Smell of room	Lightly scented
Room layout	Above average, with desk
Comments	Hotel restaurants are very good. The hotel is not prepared for business travellers; e.g., the gym doesn't open for early morning access, there is no high speed available.
Dialup access	Didn't try it
Bed	Very good
Environmental controls	Above average
Rate paid	$220 US
Room Service	Yes
Date of last stay	August, 2004

Marriott Courtyard, Burbank
Hotel website	http://marriott.com/property/propertyPage/BURCY
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	Various
Shower water flow	Average
Smell of room	Lightly scented
Room layout	Average, with desk
Comments	The room thermostat turns itself off and on based upon a sensor that detects the presence of an occupant; unfortunately, halfway through the night it comes to the conclusion that the room is unoccupied and turns off the heating/cooling. Unless you wake up midway through the night to pee, the room ends up too hot/cold in the morning. This fact has not deterred me from staying in the hotel a number of times this year.
Dialup access	Didn't try it
Bed	Very good
Environmental controls	Above average
Rate paid	$110 US
Room Service	Yes
Date of last stay	August, 2004

Marriott Los Angeles Airport
Hotel website	http://marriott.com/property/propertyPage/LAXAP
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	Various
Shower water flow	Average
Smell of room	Lightly scented
Room layout	Average, with desk
Comments	The rooms are smaller than average, but otherwise very nice.
Dialup access	Didn't try it
Bed	Very good
Environmental controls	Above average
Rate paid	$119 US
Room Service	Yes
Date of last stay	September, 2004

Renaissance Hotel, Agoura Hills
Hotel website	http://marriott.com/LAXAG
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	Various
Shower water flow	Very Good
Smell of room	Not noticeably scented
Room layout	Average, with desk
Comments	Air conditioning / heating unit is very noisy; although it is controlled with a real wall-mounted thermostat
Dialup access	26,600 – 46,600 bps
Bed	Good
Environmental controls	Average
Rate paid	$134 US
Room Service	Available 0630h–2230h.
Date of last stay	March, 2004

Maidenhead, UK

Holiday Inn, Maidenhead
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	Various
Shower water flow	OK (for UK)
Smell of room	Lightly scented
Room layout	Good, with desk
Comments	I have stayed at this hotel so often that my perspective is no longer objective; it has become a home away from home. In North America this hotel barely make my recommended list; however, here in the UK, it is above average. The bar has Caffery’s on tap, which I highly recommend. The restaurant has very nice Australian wine.
Dialup access	33,600 bps
Bed	Good
Environmental controls	Hot water based heat register (but the window opens); no air conditioning.
Rate paid	£95 Sterling
Room Service	Available 24h
Date of last stay	June, 1999

Montréal, QC

Sheraton Fourpoints Centre-Ville
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	1004
Shower water flow	OK
Smell of room	Lightly scented
Room layout	Good, with desk
Comments	The hotel is looking a little long in the tooth, but it was clean and the staff were friendly and helpful
Dialup access	33,600 bps
Bed	Good
Environmental controls	Average
Rate paid	$99
Room Service	Yes
Date of last stay	December, 2003

Nashville, TN

Doubletree Hotel, Nashville
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	541
Shower water flow	Good
Smell of room	Not noticeably scented
Room layout	Better than average, with desk
Comments
Dialup access	44,000 bps
Bed	Good
Environmental controls	Average.
Rate paid	$99 US
Room Service	Only available 0630h–2230h
Date of last stay	April, 1999

Sheraton Music City Hotel, Nashville
Hotel website
Recommended	No
Room I stayed in	3026
Shower water flow	Excellent
Smell of room	Not noticeably scented
Room layout	Better than average, with desk
Comments	The room was fine and things appeared clean; however, the inside of the in-room coffee maker had algae growing in it. I complained about the state of the coffee maker, and they did attempt to clean it by wiping out the reservoir, but the machine was never clean enough that I used it. The restaurant had excellent food.
Dialup access	24,000 bps
Bed	Good
Environmental controls	Better than average, with a thermostat
Rate paid	$119 US
Room Service	Only available 0600h–Midnight
Date of last stay	March, 1999

Newark, NJ

Hilton Short Hills Hotel, Newark
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	324
Shower water flow	Very good
Smell of room	Not noticeably scented
Room layout	Much better than average, with desk (a suite)
Comments	Expensive, but fabulous hotel; I was attending a conference in the hotel.
Dialup access	Didn't note speed
Bed	Excellent
Environmental controls	Better than average
Rate paid	$240
Room Service	Didn't try it
Date of last stay	September, 2000

New Southgate, UK

Royal Chase Hotel, New Southgate
Hotel website
Recommended	No
Room I stayed in	2^nd floor looking out over pool
Shower water flow	Don’t recall
Smell of room	Unscented
Room layout	OK, but very small; however, a small desk was provided
Comments	The hotel does not have non-smoking rooms. The hotel restaurant/bar looked smoky, so I didn’t try it.
Dialup access
Bed	OK
Environmental controls	Hot water based heat register, but window opens; no air conditioning.
Rate paid	£90 UK
Room Service	Mediocre service and food
Date of last stay	March, 1998

West Lodge Park, New Southgate
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	Various
Shower water flow	OK (for Europe)
Smell of room	Lightly scented
Room layout	Good, small desk provided
Comments	There is a very nice Haute Cuisine restaurant in the hotel; the food is excellent, but pricey (even for Europe). The hotel is very popular with business travelers.
Dialup access	28,800 bps
Bed	Very good
Environmental controls	Hot water based heat register, but the window opens; no air conditioning.
Rate paid	£90 UK
Room Service	Very good service & food
Date of last stay	July, 1999

Orlando, FL

Homewood Suites Orlando Disneyworld
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes, w/Caveats
Room I stayed in	620
Shower water flow	Poor
Smell of room	Heavily scented
Room layout	Very good
Comments	This property does not appear to be very old (i.e., less than 15 years old); however, is it well-worn. The room was clean and everything worked, but it was evident that the room had been stayed in by many, many guests; most of whom well-used the room. There is a sign up in the lobby stating that renovations are underway, but I didn't see any evidence of such work. Also, although I had booked a non-smoking room, as the week progressed the room's scent began to wear off and the smell of cigarette smoke began to be evident.
Dialup access	Didn't use it
Bed	OK
Environmental controls	Above average
Rate paid	$139
Room Service	None; the menus for 8 or 10 local restaurants that deliver are provided in the room.
Date of last stay	May, 2004

Homewood Suites , Lake Buena Vista
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	208
Shower water flow	Below average
Smell of room	Unscented
Room layout	Very good
Comments	The exercise room was so heavily scented that I was unable to use it.
Dialup access	Didn't use it
Bed	OK
Environmental controls	Above average
Rate paid	$119
Room Service	None.
Date of last stay	September, 2004

Marriott Courtyard, Marriott Village
Hotel website	http://marriott.com/property/propertyPage/MCOLY
Recommended	Yes, w/caveats
Room I stayed in	Various
Shower water flow	Good
Smell of room	Lightly scented.
Room layout	Very good
Comments	When I first stayed in this hotel, in March 2004, everything was fine; however, as the summer heat and very high humidity arrived a mouldy smell began to be strongly evident in the air blown from the room's air conditioner. As a result, I am only able to recommend this hotel in the winter months.
Dialup access	Didn't use it
Bed	OK
Environmental controls	Average
Rate paid	$119
Room Service	No
Date of last stay	May, 2004

Marriott Courtyard, Vista Center
Hotel website	http://marriott.com/property/propertyPage/MCOBN
Recommended	No
Room I stayed in	5215
Shower water flow	Average
Smell of room	Lightly scented
Room layout	Average, with desk
Comments	The air conditioning unit blew mouldy smelling air. I complained to the front desk, but they were unable to do anything about it.
Dialup access	Didn't try it
Bed	Very good
Environmental controls	Below average
Rate paid	$99 US
Room Service	No
Date of last stay	August, 2004

Marriott Grande Vista, Orlando
Hotel website	http://marriott.com/property/propertyPage/MCOGV
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	7313
Shower water flow	Good
Smell of room	Unscented
Room layout	Very good
Comments	This is really a holiday resort facility and not a hotel; however, it was an acceptable alternative to a normal hotel.
Dialup access	Didn't use it
Bed	OK
Environmental controls	Above average
Rate paid	$139
Room Service	Limited
Date of last stay	April, 2004

Marriott World Center, Orlando
Hotel website	http://marriott.com/property/propertyPage/MCOWC
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	Various
Shower water flow	Good
Smell of room	Unscented
Room layout	Very good
Comments	The hotel is very family friendly and service was excellent. The air conditioning unit had trouble keeping up with the room size, but was acceptable.
Dialup access	Didn't use it
Bed	OK
Environmental controls	Above average
Rate paid	$189
Room Service	Yes
Date of last stay	June, 2004

Phoenix, AZ

Hampton Inn, Scottsdale
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	302
Shower water flow	Very poor
Smell of room	Unscented
Room layout	OK
Comments	For the location in Phoenix, the hotel is very well priced; it offers clean rooms in a recently built hotel
Dialup access	26,600
Bed	OK
Environmental controls	Very basic
Rate paid	$109
Room Service	None
Date of last stay	January, 2004

Marriot Suites Old Town Scottsdale, Scottsdale
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	412
Shower water flow	OK
Smell of room	Lightly scented
Room layout	Very good
Comments	Very nice hotel
Dialup access	34,400 bps
Bed	Very good
Environmental controls	Above average
Rate paid	$175
Room Service	Very good service & food
Date of last stay	January, 2004

Pittsburgh, PA

Hyatt-Regency Hotel, Pittsburgh Airport
Hotel website
Recommended	No
Room I stayed in	1035
Shower water flow	Poor
Smell of room	Not noticeably scented
Room layout	Better than average, with desk
Comments	The service was friendly, and the hotel is conveniently located next to the Pittsburgh airport, but I was unable to get my room temperature below 75°F., which made sleeping was difficult. Also, the lighting in the bathroom was very, very poor---I found it difficult to shave, I don't believe a woman would be able to properly apply makeup given the low light level.
Dialup access	Didn't use it
Bed	Good
Environmental controls	Worse that average; air conditioning is disabled during non-summer months
Rate paid	$159 US
Room Service	Available 0630h–2300h.
Date of last stay	March, 2004

Raleigh, NC

Doubletree Guest Suites, Raleigh/Durham
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	Various
Shower water flow	Excellent
Smell of room	Lightly scented
Room layout	Suite, above average.
Comments	The hotel is showing its age and although it has recently been renovated it is still a bit shabby in appearance; however, it is clean and the staff are helpful and friendly.
Dialup access	26,000 bps
Bed	Good
Environmental controls	Better than average, with thermostat.
Rate paid	$99 US
Room Service	Yes.
Date of last stay	December, 2001

Embassy Suites, Cary
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	Various
Shower water flow	OK
Smell of room	Lightly scented
Room layout	Suite, above average.
Comments	Has 10meg access from each room ($10/day). A hot breakfast is included with the room, but the breakfast kitchen staff are almost incompetent (asking for anything other than the daily breakfast special results in an adventure); however, dinner in the hotel restaurant is excellent!
Dialup access	26,000 bps
Bed	Good
Environmental controls	Better than average, with thermostat.
Rate paid	$127 US
Room Service	Yes.
Date of last stay	October, 2001

Holiday Inn, Raleigh-Durham Airport
Hotel website
Recommended	No
Room I stayed in	Various
Shower water flow	Good
Smell of room	Heavily scented
Room layout	Average, no desk
Comments	This hotel has deteriorated to the point that I can no longer recommend it (based upon the rate they charge). The rooms are very heavily scented, which is a change since my previous stay in January, 2000. The staff were very polite, and they tried their best to make my stay pleasant; however, the hotel itself is showing its age. Non-smoking rooms are not on a separate floor so some smoke smell bleeds under the door, but the window opens allowing the occupant access to fresh air.
Dialup access	26,400 bps
Bed	Excellent, very comfortable
Environmental controls	Worse than average, just your standard, noisy heat/cool unit set in the wall, no thermostat
Rate paid	$120 US
Room Service	Available 0630h–0930h, and 1100h–2300h.
Date of last stay	September, 2002

Hampton Inn, Cary I-40
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	501
Shower water flow	OK
Smell of room	Lightly scented
Room layout	Average, with desk
Comments	Although my room was next to the ice machine I couldn't hear it running. Very good sound suppression. Continental breakfast included with the room.
Dialup access	26,000 bps
Bed	Good
Environmental controls	Average
Rate paid	$70 US
Room Service	No
Date of last stay	November, 2001

Hilton Garden Inn, Raleigh
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	Various
Shower water flow	Good
Smell of room	Lightly scented
Room layout	Better than average, with desk
Comments	The window opens. The food in the restaurant is not fancy, but is well prepared and not too expensive.
Dialup access	26,400 bps
Bed	Excellent
Environmental controls	Better than average, with thermostat
Rate paid	$100–$140 US
Room Service	Yes
Date of last stay	September, 2002

Homewood Suites, Durham
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	Various
Shower water flow	Poor
Smell of room	Lightly scented
Room layout	Suite, above average.
Comments	Breakfast and evening snacks are included in the room rate.
Internet access	Dialup: 26,000 bps Hi-Speed: use of in-room Ethernet port included in room rate; however, it doesn't work well enough to make it usable for anything except casual web-surfing (and my IP phone will not function)
Bed	Excellent, very comfortable
Environmental controls	Better than average, with thermostat.
Rate paid	$99 US
Room Service	No.
Date of last stay	January, 2003

Staybridge Suites, Airport Blvd.
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes, with caveats
Room I stayed in	Various
Shower water flow	Poor
Smell of room	No noticeable scent
Room layout	Suite, above average.
Comments	This hotel will not honour non-smoking reservations; on my last stay at this hotel there were no non-smoking rooms available when I arrived (at 1800h) and the attitude of the staff was that I could lump it or leave it. I chose to leave it. If you are not concerned with being guaranteed a non-smoking room, then this hotel is acceptable. Breakfast is included in the room rate, as is an evening snack on Tuesday through Thursday evenings.
Dialup access	Dialup: didn't try it Ethernet in room: included in room rate, worked well (including my IP phone)
Bed	Excellent, very comfortable
Environmental controls	Better than average, with thermostat.
Rate paid	$65 US
Room Service	No.
Date of last stay	September, 2002

Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Durham
Hotel website
Recommended	No
Room I stayed in	417
Shower water flow	Poor
Smell of room	Heavily scented
Room layout	Better than average, with desk
Comments	Two times that I have been booked into this hotel I have not had a "non-smoking" room assigned to me at check-in. The first time, they did not give me one when I asked, and the second time they did; although both times I was left with the impression that it was my fault they had not give me what I had asked for (in other words, poor customer service). There is a coffee bar in the lobby that serves Starbucks coffee. If it wasn’t for the poor customer service and heavy scenting of the rooms, I would recommend this hotel—there is something about the scenting of the rooms that I react to; on two extended stays in this hotel I became ill.
Dialup access	24,000 bps
Bed	Excellent
Environmental controls	Better than average, with a thermostat
Rate paid	$102 US
Room Service	Only available 0630h–2300h. (they don’t server ice cream)
Date of last stay	February, 1999

Wingate Inn, Durham
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes, with a caveat
Room I stayed in	222
Shower water flow	Acceptable
Smell of room	Not scented
Room layout	Better than average, with desk
Comments	Their PBX blocks access to some Corporate VNET 800 access points; so, don’t stay here unless you have another method of dialing ESN calls. Has high speed internet access in room (included in daily rate) and a speaker phone. Connection to my Corporate WAN tracert shows 9 hops to Dallas and 11 hops to Ottawa.
Dialup access	26,400 bps (two phone lines)
Bed	Average
Environmental controls	Average; window opens.
Rate paid	$87 US
Room Service	None, but a very nice complementary continental breakfast is included in the daily rate.
Date of last stay	March, 2000

San Francisco, CA

Westin Airport Hotel, San Francisco
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes (caveat: dialup connectivity is poor).
Room I stayed in	736
Shower water flow	Very good.
Smell of room	Scented
Room layout	Better than average, with desk
Comments
Dialup access	24,400 bps
Bed	Excellent
Environmental controls	Better than average, with a thermostat
Rate paid	$146 US
Room Service	Yes
Date of last stay	April, 1999

Santa Clara, CA

Marriott Hotel, Santa Clara
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	2144
Shower water flow	OK
Smell of room	Unscented
Room layout	Better than average, with desk
Comments
Dialup access	44,000 bps
Bed	Average
Environmental controls	Average, and window opens.
Rate paid	$156 US
Room Service	Yes
Date of last stay	April, 1999

Toronto / Brampton, ON

Delta Meadowvale Hotel
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	1307
Shower water flow	Acceptable
Smell of room	Lightly scented
Room layout	Average, has a small desk and easy chair.
Comments	Customer Service in this hotel was excellent; much better than average. E.g., there was a power outage and the maid came by within a few minutes to reset the time on the clock.
Dialup access	28,800 bps
Bed	OK
Environmental controls	Better than average, with a thermostat.
Rate paid	$120 CAN
Room Service
Date of last stay	August, 1999

Hilton Airport Hotel, Toronto
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	731
Shower water flow	Acceptable
Smell of room	Not noticeably scented
Room layout	Average, has a small desk and easy chair.
Comments	This hotel looks rather shabby from the outside, but is very nice inside.
Dialup access	Didn’t try it.
Bed	OK
Environmental controls	Better than average, with a thermostat.
Rate paid	$120 CAN
Room Service
Date of last stay	December, 2000

Sheraton Four Points Airport Hotel, Brampton
Hotel website
Recommended	No
Room I stayed in	912
Shower water flow	OK but not great
Smell of room	No noticeably scented
Room layout	Better than average, has a small desk and easy chair.
Comments	Service was mediocre; front desk staff had an “attitude”.
Dialup access	46,600 bps
Bed	OK
Environmental controls	Worse than average.
Rate paid	$102 CAN
Room Service	Good food and service
Date of last stay	April, 2000

Sheraton Gateway Hotel, Toronto
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	Various
Shower water flow	Acceptable
Smell of room	Lightly scented
Room layout	Better than average, has a small desk and easy chair.
Comments	I always stay in this hotel when visiting the Brampton site, and also when returning to Ottawa from England (I layover here on flights which get into Toronto near mid-night). Rooms have a small snack/mini-bar.
Dialup access	44,000 bps
Bed	OK
Environmental controls	Better than average, with a thermostat.
Rate paid	$110 CAN
Room Service	Excellent food and service
Date of last stay	January, 1999

Washington, DC

Crystal City Hilton, Washington
Hotel website
Recommended	Yes
Room I stayed in	737
Shower water flow
Smell of room	Not noticeably scented
Room layout	Better than average, has a small desk, easy chair and couch.
Comments	Hotel is not one I would try again until I had something else in the area too compare with. For what I paid to stay, the hotel should have been more upscale. The hotel restaurant’s selection was basic, but tasty, and not too expensive. The bar had skunky beer on tap. The hotel is 10 minutes from the Washington Reagan airport.
Dialup access	24,000 bps
Bed	OK
Environmental controls	Worse than average.
Rate paid	$189 US
Room Service	Yes
Date of last stay	July, 2000

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