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| - I stayed at this hotel twice last year when traveling to and from Champaign on a weekly basis. While there was nothing outwardly wrong with the hotel, there were a few things that, in the end, led to me choosing other hotels in the area.
1. The "Vibe." This one is hard to define exactly what went wrong. One factor, I guess, is that the hotel has a number of external entrances, which is normal for hotels spread across large areas. On my first stay at the hotel, there were some other guests lurking around the doors and, as a young woman traveling on my own, I didn't feel exactly safe entering the closest door to my room. I ended up parking near a different entrance and walking through the dim hallways to get where I needed to go. I also felt like, although the hotel's website says it's "100% Smoke Free", the hallways are still vaguely smoky. I smelled some smoke inside my room on the second stay, although it wasn't strong. Both of these things put me off, although I'm not sure what the management might have been able to do differently aside from placing me in a separate room.
2. The Breakfast. I've said in other reviews that my goal for hotel breakfasts is to get enough to satisfy me so I won't have to purchase anything once I check out. I also don't mind sparse pickings at economy hotels where you're paying $50 for a place to rest your head - in essence, you get what you pay for. This was not the case at La Quinta. The only hot items provided for breakfast are oatmeal, toast/bagels, and waffles. If you want eggs, you get 'em hard-boiled. Other protein options come from either milk or yogurt. Not ideal, and if you want to eat in the breakfast area, it's a squeeze with only 6 tables or so. At least there's an Einstein Bros. close by.
3. The Price. This was the biggest factor in my choosing other hotels. La Quinta is a hotel chain I'd put in the same camp as your Sleep Inn/Best Western/Quality Inn hotels. But frequently when I've compared prices, this La Quinta prices its rooms $20-40 more per night than its competitors, and I just wasn't seeing the value. I often ended up paying the same amount to stay at the Home2 Suites across town, which had far more amenities (and better breakfast) for the price.
Now, the good things: the staff was always courteous, from start to finish. The furnishings are nicely chosen for the room and the beds are quite comfortable. The lighting, while not plentiful, is well-placed so you don't feel like you're sleeping in a cave, and the rooms are large enough to spread out a bit.
If you're a La Quinta rewards member and travel frequently enough that you're going to get some use out of the points/discounts you earn, you're not going to go wrong (per se) by staying here. If you love Belgian waffles and don't need anything else for breakfast, you'll be happy. If you need a place that's pet-friendly, this one will welcome them. And if you can get this place at a low price (I'd consider staying again for less than $70 after tax), go for it. But like I said above, I just got better value for my money at some other hotels.
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