Necessary Roughness

The Holiday Inn Rock Springs has improved significantly from the first time I was there several years ago. I had dreaded going there almost as much as the Econo Lodge, but the latest improvements make it a decent hotel.

The room was a little cramped, with not much room for exercise around the king-size bed. The bed felt pretty new, but it was uncomfortable. The pillows could have used some more packing in them.

The television had around 40 channels, including HBO, Hallmark, History, Cartoon Network, ESPN/2/Classic, but no SciFi. There were plenty of power outlets, as the wall on the side of the TV and desk had a 10′ power strip with outlets every foot. The desk lamp also sported two outlets. Wireless networking connected easily and quickly, but if you downloaded things too fast for too long, they shut you down. Don’t install programs over the network here.

The bathroom was small but usable. The sink counter extended over the toilet for more surface. The shower was a little narrow. Temperature control and water pressure were good.

My room happened to be right across from the ice machine, which was very loud. Servicemen worked on it from time to time. The outside lever that opened my door failed if pressed on too quickly. A fix was attempted, but apparently it was unsuccessful.

Room service was provided by Winger’s restaurant, which served good potato skins. They prided themselves on their wings: while the wings were good-sized and cooked well, their choice of just two sauces was a little weak. Their wing sauces had honey in it which gave their hot sauce an unwelcome stickiness. One of the waitresses said that their really-hot sauce was discontinued because some kid drank a bottle of it and later successfully sued the restaurant.

I didn’t get to visit the pool, but the exercise room was adequate. The treadmill, recombinant bicycle, nautilus, and recombinant bicycle all functioned well. There was a TV on the wall, but there didn’t seem to be a remote. The movable fan was a welcome feature.

Platinum Club members get a token good for a free adult beverage from the bar. The staff was quite friendly. Access to the hotel is easy getting on and off the property, but it might take a new customer some time to find it from Highway 80. It looks like it is near the highway but requires driving away from the hotel for a little bit to get there.

Because of the oil boom it has been difficult to secure rooms. They consistently oversell, and the web site always reports the hotel full unless you reserve 3 months in advance. Fortunately, Platinum Club members are guaranteed their reservation. The $99/night would get a better room in Houston, but it’s worth it not to have to stay at the Econo Lodge. New hotels have been built like a Hampton Inn and a Wingate, but they are pricier.