April 3rd, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Wanting a change from the normal hotel routine, I stayed at the Residence Inn Bakersfield, a Marriott property. The Residence Inn is an extended stay chain, and general comments about extended stays have been posted previously.
Rooms are organized in buildings of two floors, four rooms per floor. My room was twice the size of a standard room; half for couch, TV, and bed, and the other half for the half-kitchen and bathroom.
I had trouble sleeping on the very firm bed with its very soft pillows. The railroad is also pretty close and quite loud. The central air conditioner worked very well and easy to control with the digital thermostat on the wall.
The couch, padded chair, and rolling desk chair were reasonably comfortable. At the desk five power outlets are available at the wall and two more at the lamp. One is given a choice of wire or wireless internet. The wireless signal was a little weak, 3/5 bars, but the wired Ethernet worked fine. There is a simple “I agree to terms” login screen.
The bathroom had a shower and toilet that were a little cramped but good counter space outside. The water had decent pressure and good warmth, but maintenance had to shut the water off twice during my stay to effect repairs on the premises.
The kitchen had four place settings and silverware, two pans, a skillet, and a good knife and spatula selection. The half-size dishwasher was louder than mine at home but worked well. The full refrigerator/freezer and oven had basic features and worked fine. The kitchen sink even had a garbage disposal.
Laundry service was quite good, if a little pricey. All clothing was washed as specified, and staff hung the finished clothes in the closet, a nice touch.
The lobby had a good free breakfast, including heated items like pancakes and sausage in catering bins. There was a good selection of rolls, cereals, and beverages.
The Inn has its pool outside, with a combination tennis and basketball court. The fitness room had two treadmills, a bike, and a stair climber. One treadmill didn’t work, and the other treadmill had no place to store a hotel key or a water bottle.
There are only two entrances to the Inn despite its large frontage. The parking lot has wide drainage ditches through the lot which can test the shocks of large cars. There is plenty of parking. The hotel is easy to find from California Avenue, but the Hertz NeverLost system put it on the wrong side of the road.
The Residence Inn has a normal rate of $95 a room, a little more expensive than a hotel room but can pay out if the refrigerator is stocked. I wouldn’t want to cook my food all the time, but it was a nice change. This stay kept me a Marriott silver member for another year.
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
Loading ...
