January 10th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
This week in Bakersfield I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on the south side of town.
I got a nicely spacious room with a vaulted ceiling and a king bed. There was enough room to stretch and do in-room calisthenics. The refrigerator and mini microwave were tucked inside the TV entertainment center, which housed a 20″ TV, a little on the small side. The TV had just over 30 channels, including two Encore and three Starz! channels, Fox News, and ESPN/2/News/Classic. The batteries in the remote were weak.
The bed had the standard HIE bedding. The mattress was comfortable, but the trademark Firm and Soft pillows were replaced with king-size pillows that were mushy and uncomfortable.
The air conditioner/heater was a window unit with a digital thermostat. Both heater and A/C worked fine.
There was no counter space outside the bathroom, but there was good room inside. I didn’t feel cramped in the bathroom, and the shower was at a decent height. The temperature control worked fine, but the hotel’s water heaters must have been cranked lower that usual. The bathtub was of normal size. The toilet made a loud noise as it was refilling, like a valve seal was vibrating.
I didn’t get to check out the laundry service. I was a little shocked by the fact that there was no fitness room. I tried to run around the hotel for lack of a treadmill, but the area’s farm smell prevented that. Not as bad as Liberal or Brighton, but still pesky. The farm smell was not in the hotel itself.
Internet access was provided with Ethernet and with WiFi. The Ethernet had no problems at all, and there was no pesky login screen. The desk was nice and large, with enough outlets for electronics.
The breakfast buffet was standard for HIE and provided a good selection to go with the cinnamon rolls.
Parking at the hotel was a little cramped due to the outdoor pool and the several islands with their palm trees. The hotel was two turns from the highway, and the signs were easy to miss. Coming from the north, one has to nearly pass the hotel and enter in the only entrance.
HAL’s corporate rate is $85, but I would like to try out some of the other hotels in the Bakersfield area that are similar in price and closer to attractions.
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