Reviews of country inn and suites Elizabeth NJ

Fellow cruise critics, I need your honest opinions about the country inn and suites in Elizabeth NJ (Newark area). I am looking to book a hotel for next feb and can get a decent price at the country inn but the recent reviews in yelp are terrible. People claim it us run down and several call it filthy. Has anyone recently stayed there that can give me a honest cruise critic review of the hotel? I know it's an airport hotel and it's not a Marriott but is it clean and would you stay there again?

Thanks, mike

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Fellow cruise critics, I need your honest opinions about the country inn and suites in Elizabeth NJ (Newark area). I am looking to book a hotel for next feb and can get a decent price at the country inn but the recent reviews in yelp are terrible. People claim it us run down and several call it filthy. Has anyone recently stayed there that can give me a honest cruise critic review of the hotel? I know it's an airport hotel and it's not a Marriott but is it clean and would you stay there again?

 

Thanks, mike

 

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Following...I have it booked for our one night pre-cruise in October.

Fellow cruise critics, I need your honest opinions about the country inn and suites in Elizabeth NJ (Newark area). I am looking to book a hotel for next feb and can get a decent price at the country inn but the recent reviews in yelp are terrible. People claim it us run down and several call it filthy. Has anyone recently stayed there that can give me a honest cruise critic review of the hotel? I know it's an airport hotel and it's not a Marriott but is it clean and would you stay there again?

 

Thanks, mike

 

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What exact date do you need a hotel, how many people, and what is your budget? How are you planning to get to Cape Liberty?

I've been doing a bit of research...and everything is getting bad reviews regardless of hotel for pre-cruise nights out of Cape Liberty :eek:.

This is certainly looking harder than the Fort Lauderdale hotels I'm used to booking.

I've been doing a bit of research...and everything is getting bad reviews regardless of hotel for pre-cruise nights out of Cape Liberty :eek:.

 

This is certainly looking harder than the Fort Lauderdale hotels I'm used to booking.

What hotels have you eliminated from your list? How much are you willing to spend? What are your exact dates and how many people? Are you planning to sightsee in Manhattan?

Newark is not a vacation destination - it's a major airport in a highly urban industrial area that services a transient clientele with almost daily room turnover. Port transportation is expensive. The pool of hotels at EWR is actually nice compared to LGA and JFK. The JFK hotels are used by social services for emergency housing.

I've actually stayed at Country Inns and it was fine, but the public space was limited. Over the years I've stayed at the Courtyard Newark, Fairfield Inn, the Ramada, and the Doubletree property when it was a Sheraton.

What hotels have you eliminated from your list? How much are you willing to spend? What are your exact dates and how many people? Are you planning to sightsee in Manhattan?

 

 

Newark is not a vacation destination - it's a major airport in a highly urban industrial area that services a transient clientele with almost daily room turnover. Port transportation is expensive. The pool of hotels at EWR is actually nice compared to LGA and JFK. The JFK hotels are used by social services for emergency housing.

 

 

I've actually stayed at Country Inns and it was fine, but the public space was limited. Over the years I've stayed at the Courtyard Newark, Fairfield Inn, the Ramada, and the Doubletree property when it was a Sheraton.

I used points to book Country Inn for October 11th pre-cruise...one night..two of us....price wasn't a factor...just saw this hotel discussed on my rollcall so went for it.

Not going into the city this trip as we were just recently there and out to Quogue to see family.

I used points to book Country Inn for October 11th pre-cruise...one night..two of us....price wasn't a factor...just saw this hotel discussed on my rollcall so went for it.

 

Not going into the city this trip as we were just recently there and out to Quogue to see family.

IMO you will be fine. It's a free hotel. Call the hotel the day you arrive, tell them you're coming, and ask them to block you out a room.

My feeling is that many of the bad reviews for any EWR hotel are made by folks whose travel plans are interrupted in some way - flights are super late, flights are cancelled, etc etc and they end up last minute in a hotel that is not expecting them and not ready for them. If you arrive and there is a problem with the room, have them remedy it. I've stayed there twice without problems and been very satisfied with the room. This area is the best to stay in at EWR because it is the only place that has some restaurant and shopping choices.

IMO you will be fine. It's a free hotel. Call the hotel the day you arrive, tell them you're coming, and ask them to block you out a room.

 

My feeling is that many of the bad reviews for any EWR hotel are made by folks whose travel plans are interrupted in some way - flights are super late, flights are cancelled, etc etc and they end up last minute in a hotel that is not expecting them and not ready for them. If you arrive and there is a problem with the room, have them remedy it. I've stayed there twice without problems and been very satisfied with the room. This area is the best to stay in at EWR because it is the only place that has some restaurant and shopping choices.

Thanks so much for your advice and experience....very helpful.

We arrive fairly early (4:30pm) and will more than likely try the hotel shuttle to get us from EWR. However getting to the port and getting back to EWR (12:30pm flight) from the port I guess we'll play it by ear unless you have some suggestions for a shuttle or taxi...private car service would cost more I assume, and at times we've found the wait for the car wasn't worth it vs hopping into a waiting taxi. Any idea (of course you have) for the cost of these options? Many thanks again.

Thanks so much for your advice and experience....very helpful.

 

We arrive fairly early (4:30pm) and will more than likely try the hotel shuttle to get us from EWR. However getting to the port and getting back to EWR (12:30pm flight) from the port I guess we'll play it by ear unless you have some suggestions for a shuttle or taxi...private car service would cost more I assume, and at times we've found the wait for the car wasn't worth it vs hopping into a waiting taxi. Any idea (of course you have) for the cost of these options? Many thanks again.

You can buy port shuttle transportation from Country

Inns for $17.50/pp each way. Taxi or private car service will cost you $55-70. Call the hotel to ask how they handle the airport drop offs on the way back. Coming back shared shuttles are offered by the taxi dispatcher at Cape Liberty for $20/pp.

To get the free hotel shuttle at the airport, you have to take yourselves and your luggage on the Airtrain to the P4 stop, which is the central pickup point for all hotel shuttles.

We stayed at Country Inn Nov. 2016, room was clean, breakfast very good, had dinner both nights at Ruby Tuesdays and pleased with their food/service as well. Personnel at hotel were very pleasant and helpful. Hotel has an area where you can buy snacks or frozen "dinner" to eat. If you take Country Inn shuttle to port, I suggest you book at check in to get the leave time you want. You can walk over to the Jersey Gardens Mall, VERY large mall. Took shuttle to Cape Liberty day of cruise with no problem. I always take reviews of others "with a grain of salt" as some just like to complain. It is not like hotels in FLL or Mia, as it is an industrial area, but we found it to be very pleasant. Staying there again this May, 2 nights. Will take shuttle to port again.

Good Luck

NewJersey222

Marie

We stayed at Country Inn Nov. 2016, room was clean, breakfast very good, had dinner both nights at Ruby Tuesdays and pleased with their food/service as well. Personnel at hotel were very pleasant and helpful. Hotel has an area where you can buy snacks or frozen "dinner" to eat. If you take Country Inn shuttle to port, I suggest you book at check in to get the leave time you want. You can walk over to the Jersey Gardens Mall, VERY large mall. Took shuttle to Cape Liberty day of cruise with no problem. I always take reviews of others "with a grain of salt" as some just like to complain. It is not like hotels in FLL or Mia, as it is an industrial area, but we found it to be very pleasant. Staying there again this May, 2 nights. Will take shuttle to port again.

 

Good Luck

NewJersey222

Marie

Thanks, I appreciate your comments, mike

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