Sleep Inn State College - State College, PA Review

Bottom-Line: The Sleep Inn, State College MD is an okay hotel in the middle of renovation; beware the smell, and the high cost compared to other area hotels.

I am traveling once again, but this time I am on vacation, sans the spouse (I miss her already), but toting a 13-year-old on a two-day car ride to Rhode Island to visit family for a week.  I have come to loath air travel, a pastime I used to adore, but the world's political situation has made air travel, even national travel, more of a hassle than it's worth.   And expensive!  So I decide to drive to the East Coast from Chicago, and needed a waypoint rest stop; I chose the Sleep Inn in State College, Pennsylvania along Interstate 80 a little more than half way to our destination. 

Our Room

Since my youngest daughter was with me this time around I booked a room non-smoking room with two double-sized beds, at a rate of $85.99 a night, plus tax, which surprisingly was only 5%. 

The outside façade of the hotel is fairly new, but new carpeting is being laid.  Though the room was non-smoking there was a very noticeable foul cigarette smoke odor in the lobby and the room that never dissipated.

The room was of decent size outfitted with the usual.  In one corner sat a nice sized desk and wardrobe, house phone, and desk lamp.  Underneath the large window was a standard air conditioner/heating unit.  An office chair, a small night stand between the beds, along with a 27 inch television on a swivel base on top of the dresser, a small refrigerator and microwave completed the furniture ensemble.   

The bathroom was rather small and in ill repair; e.g. the wallpaper was already peeling from the ceiling and around the edge of the standing shower.  Speaking of the shower, it was of decent size, the shower head was nice and strong, but it located at (my) eye level; about 5.9".  Sorry, those of you 5'10" and over! The towels were standard issue white and hard, not unlike a multitude of other hotels I have stayed in; honestly, why can't they use fabric softener?    

The bed was comfortable, but of course the pillows were far too soft and flat for my liking.  The room was also equipped with hairdryer, coffeepot and iron, as well as one hideously white unstylish speakerphone.   An alarm clock/radio is on the nightstand   

Free High Speed Internet access is available for right hours, but for some reason my connection speed never went over 11Mbps.     

My Viewpoint       

All and all, I would rate my stay at the Sleep Inn, State College as favorable, but just barely so, mostly due to the smoke smell that never went away. This made it extremely difficult to get decent night's sleep.  It doesn't help that the room had absolutely no ventilation to speak of!

And there was the noise.  The walls in the Sleep Inn are very thin allowing all manner of sound to seep into the room from the room(s) next door and up and down the hallways.

But overall the room itself was comfortable, had cable and free Internet access; a must in this day-and-age and the bed was decent.  I do believe I will start traveling with a decent can of air freshener!