For those looking for a good hotel room under $75 near Foxwoods Resort Casino, and Mohegan Sun Casino in southeastern Connecticut, the choices are rather limited.
Motel 6 in Niantic, Connecticut, proves to be a smart choice for the consumer who is looking for a place to sleep for the night without breaking the bank.
I and my girlfriend decided to head down to Foxwoods to play some bingo and stay the night at a local hotel to rest up before taking an hour trek the next day.
The Search
While expensive hotels are nice, we agreed that it would be better to find a cheap motel since we would only be staying one night and neither of us has lots of money.
After looking online through reviews from websites like Orbitz, , Hotels.com, and Trip Advisor, I saw several negative comments regarding cheap motels in the area from chains and independent motels I had originally thought might be good places to stay.
Some of the chains I was considering included Red Roof Inn, Quality Inn/Comfort Suites, Days Inn, America’s Best Value Inn and Suites, Super 8, Knight’s Inn, and Best Western.
I still think those motels in general provide good economy even though accommodations may be quite basic.
I have to admit that finding a motel near Interstate 95 was much more important than finding one closest to the casinos where prices tend to be higher.
I looked online and found a Motel 6 in Niantic off exit 74, near the junction of Interstate 95 and 395.
Ironically, I have driven past this motel thousands of times to and from work but have never set foot in the hotel or even seen the outside of it, I have only seen the large sign visible from the highway.
The motel is also known as “New London-Niantic” location #1063.
It got positive reviews by guests, photos of the hotel exterior and room looked nice, and prices were affordable.
While it is cheaper to stay during the week, work obligations prevented me from doing a Thursday night outing so I and my girlfriend decided to go on a Friday night.
Reservations
I made the reservation through the Motel 6 Web site and acquired a special “Click 6: Web Bargains”, exclusively for those making their reservations online.
Click 6 is only available at participating Motel 6 locations and these rates are cheaper by a few dollars than those found at Orbitz and Hotels.com.
The Niantic Motel 6 offers customers three options online, all at the same price: 1) Standard 2 Full Beds, Smoking, Table, 19″ Television, 2) Standard Queen Bed, Non-Smoking, Table, 19″ Television, and 3) Standard Queen Bed, Smoking, Table, 19″ Television.
As a non-smoker, I chose the second option which, according to the site, would cost $50.39 plus 10 percent in taxes.
You have the option to give comments or preferences if you have any requests for your room.
I found making reservations on the Web site quite easy after creating a My Motel 6 account where your personal information can be safely stored and available anytime you want to make a reservation.
The Motel 6 directory indicates that at the Niantic motel one-person rates vary seasonally.
From Jan. 1 to May 22 rates vary from $39 to $49.99 Sun. through Thurs. and $49 to $65.99 for Fri. and Sat.
From May 23 to Sept. 1, rates vary from $49 to $55.99 Sun. through Thurs. and Fri and Sat. vary from $85 to $95.99.
From Sept. 22 to Dec. 31, rates vary from $39 to $49.99 Sun. through Thurs. and Fri and Sat. vary from $69 to $79.99.
A $6 surcharge applies for a second person.
Walk-In Guests
The motel has a number of walk-in guests who see the chain’s name and red LED display with price clearly displayed on a large sign visible from I-95.
On the evening we stayed, the price showed $49.99 for one person while the next morning the price rose to $59.99 for one person.
Clearly, it is cheaper to make your reservations in advance online with the Click 6 Rate.
When entering the motel, we immediately saw that the enclosed lobby inside the building was closed and a sign directed people making reservations to go up to an interior window where a speaker was installed.
Check-In
An older female clerk immediately greeted me after walking into the motel’s main entrance.
After explaining to her I had reservations, she asked to see my driver’s license (which I had to put in a steel drawer similar to the setup at the state police barracks), and sign paperwork as well as give a description of my vehicle.
A monitor in the lobby showed four images of security cameras and we had mixed feelings whether this show of security made me feel safe or whether I was staying at a motel that was anything but safe. I’m not sure why this was the case since the motel is in a good neighborhood and I saw no undesirables, graffiti, or broken windows or doors.
It turned out the motel was quite safe and immediately after the check-in process I and my girlfriend found three vending machines with many choices for snacks and beverages.
While when I made my reservation, I had preferred a room on the first floor to eliminate having to carry bags up the stairs, the clerk politely told me that the only non-smoking first floor room was an upgraded deluxe room on first floor with a refrigerator for $3 more.
If not, I could get a room on the second floor; we opted to pay the extra $3.
Hotel Grounds
After walking outside, we noticed a banner stating “Brand New Rooms” and saw that most motel rooms had exterior corridors.
We saw the motel had an outdoor pool; it was covered up obviously because March weather in Connecticut is a bit cool for the pool.
Those who go in the summer should be aware that going to the pool requires walking across the parking lot where pool goers can enjoy a view of Interstate 95.
The motel also had truck parking and coin laundry.
Upon entering the room, we noticed a weird smell, first I thought it was must but later realized it wasn’t and could have been the cleaner housekeeping used.
It definitely was not smoke and having the bathroom fan on did help air out the room a little bit.
The room was bigger than we had expected and had a large desk with data ports, a small table, two fairly comfy chairs, a 19″ television with 18 cable channels and remote control, and a nightstand.
This motel recently went through a renovation, part of a program to update all the chain’s locations in the U.S. and Canada.
Since I enjoy watching late night television, I can tell you that they had all the broadcast networks as well as HBO, CNN, Cartoon Network, and the Weather Channel, which unfortunately was a national feed and did not give the local forecast which I normally get at home.
There was a channel called Mystv Studios Tourism Television, http://www.mystv.com/index.html, a 24-hour, 7-day channel with segments designed for tourists to get familiar with the Mystic region.
The room had a phone book but no Bible like most hotel rooms do.
A wall light mounted above the bed flickered and buzzed, the room failed to have a clock radio or a box of Kleenexes, but the bathroom and the shower was larger than we expected.
The small mini-refrigerator sat on the floor with a microwave with clock on top.
The fridge came to good use when we put the lemonade we bought from the vending machine into it.
A small unit features hangers to hang your clothes and a small collapsible unit allowed you to put your suitcase on it.
A small yellowish light is in the shower and the bathtub had no mildew and was quite clean and actually had a shine to it.
The shower seemed to be built for two people and had the capability to be used as a two-person tub.
The sink and counter, outside the room with the toilet and shower, were also quite large.
Both Friday night and the following Saturday morning, the room was very quiet void of the sounds of people talking, kids screaming, or vehicle doors slamming.
The room’s only window was one that you could not open but since it was cold outside, the only thing that mattered was the heat and the heat worked just fine.
While the mattress was a little hard and the pillows were quite thin and soft, we were able to sleep just fine.
Check Out
Check out was not until 11 a.m. and the process was quite smooth even though I and my girlfriend were running a few minutes late.
The lobby was open then, there was no line, and while there was no continental breakfast, free coffee was available.
The clerk, who was a nice young man, quickly processed my bill which totaled $66.07 with tax.
He asked me if I wanted a copy and I said yes and he made one while I secured a Motel 6 Directory with Motel 6 locations throughout the country.
He also asked me how my room was and I told him it was very good.
All in all, we were satisfied with the room and while it wasn’t perfect, it was clean, quiet, and spacious.
What Was Missing
Missing from the motel are obviously amenities seen only at larger hotels such as no hair dryers, no Pay-Per-View movies, and no exercise facility. There is a small fee for wireless Internet unlike some motels such as Super 8 which has the service for free. Obviously the motel has no conference facilities. If you want the amenities I mentioned, look elsewhere but expect to pay more. After all, nothing is truly free.
Nearby Businesses
While there is no on-site restaurant, I can tell you that nearby restaurants on Route 161, include an independently owned Italian restaurant, Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, Quizno’s Subs, The Shack Restaurant, Burger King, KFC, and McDonald’s.
Several convenience stores and gasoline stations are close by as well as supermarkets.
Nearby Attractions
The motel has extremely easy access to Interstate 95, Interstate 395, Route 161, and Route 1.
The 96-room two-level motel is located 12 miles from the Mohegan Sun Casino off I-395 exit 79A and 15 miles from Foxwoods Resort Casino off I-95 exit 92.
Those looking to enjoy other attractions should check out Rocky Neck State Park Public Beach, (along Long Island Sound) in Niantic, Garde Arts Center in New London, and Crystal Mall (anchored by Sears, J.C. Penney, Macy’s, Christmas Tree Shops, and Bed, Bath, and Beyond) in Waterford are five miles away.
The U.S. Coast Guard in New London is six miles away.
Harkness State Park Public Beach (along Long Island Sound) in Waterford and Eugene O’Neil Theater in New London are seven miles away.
Ocean Beach Park in New London and the U.S.S. Nautilus Submarine Museum in Groton are eight miles away while the Mystic Seaport, Mystic Aquarium, Olde Mystic Village, and Mystic Shopping are fourteen miles away.
Location
The motel is located at 269 Flanders Road, I-95 at Flanders Road, Exit 74. It is 6.9 miles northwest of downtown New London and 3 miles northwest of downtown Niantic.
Those traveling on I-95 North should Exit at Flanders Road, exit #74 and travel straight through the light at the end of the exit ramp. The property will be visible on the left side of the road.
Those traveling on I-95 South should exit at Flanders Road, exit #74 and turn right at the end of the exit ramp. Turn left at the next light and the property will be visible on the left side of the road.
Contact Information
The motel can be reached by calling 860-739-6991 or can be faxed at 860-691-1828.
To make reservations call 800-4-MOTEL6, 800-466-8356, or in Spanish at 877-467-7224.
