Hotel Review: Homewood Suites in Lansdale, PA
As the name implies, each room in a Homewood is a suite consisting of a kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom. The kitchen, although small and efficient, including all the requisite appliances: A full-sized refrigerator and freezer (not the dorm-room size from your college days), a stove-top oven, a dishwasher, and a microwave oven. Multiple place settings of dishes, flatware, and glasses were present, and a small table with chairs created the partition between kitchen and living room. The living room includes all the basic furniture but separates itself with a large work desk at just the right height, not too short causing one to hunch over my laptop as I have had to do numerous times before.
Speaking of my laptop, wireless high-speed internet is standard in all rooms, and I had no issues maintaining a fast connection. The bedroom is separated by two wooden, French-style doors that close completely and add to the feeling that one could actually live here – not just “stay”. With televisions in both the living room and bedroom, families will not have to argue over who gets to watch their favorite show. The bathroom is among the more spacious I have experienced, with a tub an average-sized adult could actually use comfortably and a shower rod that curves outward slightly, preventing the claustrophobic feeling other hotel curtains sometimes cause.
While the room alone is enough reason to choose the Homewood Suites over other comparable brands, the amenities offered by the rest of the facility really stand out. Although the outdoor pool was not open during my stay, its large size and secluded location was very appealing – as were the plethora of chairs established for sunbathing during summer months. Inside the hotel offers three spacious meeting rooms, each can be configured to your group’s requirements upon reservation.
The Homewood offers a grocery store-like pantry, stocking everything from essentials such as name-brand toiletries to a variety of beverages, snack, and frozen entrees. The fitness center was open 24 hours and features several up-to-date treadmills, elliptical machines, and a free weight rack. The business center, also open 24 hours, provides all the technology essentials: PCs, high-speed internet, fax, and printing / photocopying.
What really put this hotel in a class by itself, though, was its attention to guests. The highlight of my stay was the Manager’s reception, which began each evening at 5pm and featured three draft beers, two wines, and heavy hors d’oeuvres. During my stay, the available meals included lasagna, chicken and beef fajitas, and lobster bisque. During the receptions, multiple servers were present in the lobby, warmly greeting guests and keeping the area fully stocked. A very similar scenario occurred each morning, where a hot breakfast is offered.
In addition to the standard fare of coffee, juice, and breads, the Homewood Suites of Lansdale offers a self-serve island of sausage, bacon, eggs, and hash browns as well as a cooked-to-order omelette station. All the staff I encountered were engaging, friendly, and eager to help in any way they could. When I asked for a dinner recommendation, I received a listing of all local restaurants (with driving directions beginning at the hotel) as well as a few highlighted recommendations from the manager based on our conversation.
What’s not to like about the Homewood Suites? Well, although my overall stay was excellent I did have a couple small issues. In my room, one of the remote controls was rather difficult to operate (some buttons had to be pressed quite hard to work). On one evening, the draft beer was limited to only one offering (and it was not my new favorite, Yuengling). Although I did not voice complaints over these issues when they occurred, I feel confident that if I had they would have been attended to in a timely manner.
Rates for the Homewood Suites brand fall in general fall slightly below that of Embassy Suites (also a Hilton brand) in the same region, making it an attractive option for business travelers or families who are away from home, but do not want to feel like they are.
