The Microtel Inn, Lafayette, Louisiana: Great for Budget Travel
Remember the old saying…”You Get What You Pay For?” Well, that is exactly what you get at the Microtel Inn!
My husband and I were excited to see a new hotel go up on Ambassador Caffery Park Drive, Lafayette, LA several years ago. The hotel turned out to be a Microtel Inn. Since we have frequent visits to Lafayette, it wasn’t long before we booked a room here-after finding most locations in the city booked for the weekend, it was our last resort. The Microtel Inn is located at 301 Ambassador Caffery Park and is relatively close to the Heyman Center of Performing Arts, the location where we would be spending most of our time that weekend. After calling several hotels to find they were booked we decided to go check out the Microtel Inn. The Microtel Inn at this location has 3 floors with 82 guest rooms and 18 suites.
Check In
It turned out that the Microtel Inn had only one room available, a suite. Since we knew there was also a Home and Garden Show going on at the Cajun Dome, and other locations were booked we decided to take the suite without any hesitation. I asked my husband what the rate was expecting it to be at least $129 or more and he told me $69.95. I was really shocked and didn’t expect much as far as the room goes.
Lobby and Check-In
The lobby was quite compressed…the desk is situated off to the side facing a small area with tables and chairs to accommodate the morning “complimentary breakfast” guests (more on this later).
Check-In was uncomplicated and didn’t take more than 10 minutes. We grabbed our luggage and took the elevator to the third floor to our Suite.
Upon first entering the Suite, my first thoughts were “compact efficiency apartment”. It had that same look as the lobby…as if they were afraid that all the furniture would not fit, and it barely did! The nicest feature (to look at) was the lounge seat made as a window seat. I say nice because it was nice to look at–not much room to actually sit or lay and be comfortable on it! Apparently this was put in just to make use of wasted space along the wall where the air conditioner unit ended. The lounge measured about 14 inches wide, only big enough for a child to sit or lay down and be comfortable on.
Living Area
The living area consisted of a sofa and coffee table which is the normal. However, it is also normal to have a TV in the area to view. This Suite had a TV in the bedroom only and was on the wall and positioned only to be seen in the bedroom. I might add that this was also a non-smoking room and there was a cigarette burn on the sofa. There was also a small table with two chairs pushed against the wall which was really too small to try and eat on-not much larger than a TV tray.
Kitchen
The kitchen area consisted of a small bar with overhead cabinets with a built-in microwave. There was also an automatic coffee maker and compact refrigerator. I might add that the refrigerator was not stocked with over-priced soft drinks and the like to be charged to the room. This was a nice surprise to find the refrigerator totally empty and ready for use.
The bedroom onsisted of a double size bed (larger wouldn’t fit in the room), small dresser and table, the window lounge, and the a/c unit. There was enough room to barely walk around the bed. Night stands were a mere 12″ on each side of the bed and held a small clock/radio. To match the room–a small color TV (19″) was mounted on the wall with Cable. This room was really cramped and reminded me of a shared room at summer camp.
Bath
The bathroom was a comfortable size with a large mirror along the whole wall. I like this feature…enables more than one in the bathroom if necessary to do hair and/or makeup. What took me by surprise was there were no amenities…no hair dryer, no shampoo, no lotion, etc., just a small sign saying to please contact the front desk if you need anything. I immediately called “housekeeping” for extra towels, pillows and a disposable razor which I had forgot to pack. I had brought my own shampoo and conditioner so I didn’t worry with requesting that. The phone was answered by the front desk who told me to come down to the desk and they would have supplies waiting. Ok…so there is no housekeeping service here?? Apparently not! I went down to the front desk a few minutes later to notice the door behind the front desk open and yes, my friend…here are all the housekeeping supplies. I guess they figure if you really want it and need it, you will come and get it. What happened to customer service? If something is not in the room I expect it to be brought to the room, especially extra towels and pillows.
Microtel Inn offers a free continental breakfast that includes coffee and pastries. I was expecting fresh pastries from a local bakery but instead found wrapped muffins from the supermarket. Again, nothing special here-but better than nothing.
Checkout
Checkout at the Microtel Inn was flawless. We had paid cash upon arrival so the clerk just asked if we needed a receipt, which we had already gotten upon check-in.
Overall Comments
The Microtel Inn was clean. I wouldn’t recommend this place for anyone that doesn’t like cramped quarters or for long stays. It was an “ok” place to stay for one or maybe two nights but more than that would not have been enjoyable at all. Customer service at the front desk was adequate but then again, that was the limit of the amenities–it stopped at the front desk. Location was great, it is right off Interstate I-10 where there are several great places to dine in the area, as well as fast food. To sum it all up, “you get what you pay for” at the Microtel Inn.
