Jun 25 2007
The Rodeway Inn in Portland
I reported last week that She and I were headed to Portland this past weekend to find a place to live, so you may have wondered why I didn’t post anything from Maine while we were there, like I did last time. Well, we still went (and we did find a place–but that’s a story for a later post), so I figured I’d start with a review of our accommodations, as they were the reason I didn’t post anything.
We stayed at the Rodeway Inn, just off I-95 exit 47 or 48 in Portland. Moving is expensive, so we were looking to save some cash and I went with the cheapest hotel I could find. The Rodeway Inn, at $64 a night for a room with two double beds, was the winner. I found this one through PriceLine.com. HotWire.com, where I got a reservation at Extended Stay America last time, wasn’t listing anything under $89 a night. $50 savings for a two night stay was nothing to sneeze at, so we went cheap. I’ll not do that again. Rodeway was passable as a place to sleep, but we spent as little time there as possible.
The office is out by Rt. 25 (Brighton Ave) and the rooms are in blocks behind a boarded-up group of retail stores–not the most promising first impression. No internet access was available (either for free or for a fee), so bringing my laptop was pretty much a waste. There was a strong smell of detergent in the air. It wasn’t patently offensive, but it certainly wasn’t pleasant either. The beds were not great, but they were clean, so we were satisfied. The shower was fine, and there was decent cable. This was a discount hotel, and you definitely don’t get more than you pay for here.
PriceLine somehow rated this hotel as two stars. I disagree, and I’m not alone. This is a one star hotel at best. It’s probably just barely worth $60 a night, and it should be used for utilitarian trips only. If you want to go sightseeing or enjoy the night life in Portland, the location is far from ideal. You can catch a bus down to the Metro PULSE for $1.25, but it’s $15-$20 for a taxi, and the last bus runs at like 10:45. The convenience to I-95 is nice, but that’s about it. I won’t tell you not to stay here–the place was safe and the staff were pleasant and helpful, but if you’re vacationing in Portland, please pony up the extra money for a better experience.