The Days Inn Lake George-It's a Place To Sleep...
Written: Jul 23 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: nice pool, close (but not too close) to the village and the Great Escape
Cons: rude, impatient greeting, stairwells need vaccuming, too expensive for what it is
The Bottom Line: The Days Inn Lake George is ok, but I bet you can find something that offers the same thing for cheaper dough.
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| MattA75's Full Review: Days Inn Lake George Queensbury |
As my girlfriend and I tried to come up with a vacation spot for this summer, we struggled. Since money was tight, it had to be somewhere we could drive to, but not something that seemed predictable, like Maine or New Hampshire. Been there, done that more times than I can count. We originally planned to go to NYC, but when we found out Conan O'Brien tickets weren't available until November, we decided to hold off on NYC. It was then that I had a brainstrom: Lake George, NY.
I'll write more about my trip in the coming days, but the first thing I did was book a hotel. I didn't want something too close to the village, since I'm sure the village is still hopping pretty late at night and didn't want to have to deal with noise. I did want something within a reasonable driving distance to the village though, and something close to The Great Escape, the amusement park that's been doing blockbuster business for 50 years and is now owned by Six Flags. I also wanted an indoor pool, a AAA discount, and discounted tickets to the Great Escape. The Days Inn Lake George, actually located 3 miles south of the village, and 1 mile north of the amusement park, seemed to be a perfect fit.
I booked it in March for my July trip. Staying for four nights, my stay came to just over $500 after all the taxes were added. I guess I should also say that me and my girlfriend were basically looking for a place to sleep, shower, and relax for an hour here and an hour there. So, at face, it would seem we didn't do too bad, especially considering the jaw dropping $179 a night rate that is in effect right now if you book for the next month out. But now for my complaints:
No one watches over the pool, meaning the pool is on an "honor" system with regards to the posted rules. With no true "deep end" (the deepest is five feet), there always seemed to be little kids around you. There were four people trying to play a game of pool volleyball who had no regard for other people. There was four 15 year olds one night repeatedly diving into the pool, making swimming in it a nightmare for everyone else. Even if someone just came down every 20-30 minutes, it would have helped a lot. On the bright side of this coin, we eventually figured out the best time to go and get the pool almost to ourselves (around 5:30-7:00, while everyone else was at dinner).
Upon my arrival, I was asked how I was going to pay. I pulled out some traveler's cheques, only to find the clerk getting irritated since I had to make them out and sign them. If there was a line or something, I would understand his gettinga little impatient. But no one was behind me, in fact, the hotel seemed dead until the last day and a half we were there.
There is no elevator, which isn't a big deal. However, the staircases desparately needed to be vaccumed. I actually went out and bought a pair of sandals just for the walk back to the room from the pool. The staircases were just gross.
The hotel did provide us with a good amount of towels each day, and housekeeping did a good job of getting the room turned over early. Also provided is the usual sundry items, as well as a hairdryer. Room temperature was easily adjusted by playing with the AC/Heater, and the bed was pretty comfortable. They also provided a good amount of cable channels to watch (unlike the Sheraton chain), as well as HBO. No pay-per-view though. The bed spread was perhaps the most hideous looking thing I've ever seen: it looked like someone barfed up some Fruit Loops and an onlooker decided to make the color of the vomit into a bedspread. Talk about an eyesore! There was a small deck for us to sit out on and look out at lovely Route 9. Let me tell you, the pictures on the website can be very deceiving: they take them at such an angle that make you think you have a really nice courtyard, but 1/2 of your "courtyard" is the parking lot for the outlet stores that share the strip of land with you.
Of course, the fact that the outlet stores are right there isn't a bad thing, especially if you like shopping. But they do take away a bit from the atmosphere. The hotel did offer discounted tickets to the Great Escape; at $24 a piece, a couple like us was able to get in for under $50, not a bad take! We were also provided with a card to get a discount book at the Outlets, as well as a 10% breakfast savings card for the hotel's restaurant, dubbed The Meeting Place.
We ate at the Meeting Place twice, once for breakfast, and once for dinner. The breakfast buffet was a great deal, as for $7.95 you can eat all you desire, from eggs to ham to pancakes. They'll even make a specific omelet just for you as you watch! Dinner was ok, though a bit on the pricey side.
All in all, I can't say that I wasn't satisfied with my stay, just that I feel I could've gotten something similar for less than the $110 rate a night I received (before taxes of course), especially if I were to book early again. With that being said, this isn't a a bad hotel, and its location and its restaurant are probably its strongest points. 3 stars.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
MattA75
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Member: Matt Aucoin
Location: South Berwick, ME
Reviews written: 1162
Trusted by: 465 members
About Me:
Gonna be a daddy, April 2010!
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