Extended Stay America

Elite '09

34

76

Michael W.

Austin, TX

8/5/2008

Don't expect homeyness at the Homestead Studio Suites in West Valley, Utah.

Situated in a tourist enclave at the edge of a neighborhood populated by check cashing businesses, Mexican fast food joints, discount furniture stores, and dumpy tire shops, this extended stay property will make you do just the opposite: leave as soon as you can. The general vicinity is thick with other hotels and chain restaurants like Chili's and Ruby Tuesday, but travel one block east of West and you are out of that zone.

Out of three floors, the top two are designated as smoking rooms, leaving those hapless "health nuts" who wish to stay in a non-smoking room relegated to the bottom floor. Beware: If you don't smoke, banish the thought that you might be able to endure the smoking rooms, if they are the only units available. I checked one out before I checked in and almost passed out from nicotine poisoning. The smell has permeated everything, including the staircases leading up to the top two floors. All I can say it that there must be a lot of smokers visiting this town! They should rename it Smoke Lake City.

Getting a good night's sleep IS possible at this urban homestead, as long as you have some good earplugs on hand and don't mind the thumping, clunking, and general cartwheeling noises from above well into the wee hours of the morning (smokers are a noisy bunch).

Pets are welcome here, too! During my stay, I saw numerous residents with canine companions, including one guy with two great danes (who were bigger than he was). That's all fine and dandy for pet lovers (who in the heck travels with two Great Danes?), save the flea bites I was treated to on my first night's stay. Speaking of fleas, many of the residents here look like they have all seen better times and it makes you wonder how they can afford the nightly rate. Maybe my expectations are too high, but it appears that $55 to $75 per day is not enough to filter out the riff-raff.

In the afternoon and evening, it's not unusual to encounter some of the toothless, happy-go-lucky residents hanging out in front of the lobby, making some inane complaint, enjoying the view from one of the benches, and downing a cold brew from a can. Well, at least some people are having a fun stay ...

The rooms are ok, with kitchenettes decorated in early Home Depot-style Melamine chic, but not too clean. Expect to see dirt running down the drain from the soles of your feet when you take a shower, since the carpets need a good shampooing. My easy chair had some sort of large, unidentifiable stain right in the middle, so I imposed a 3-foot "stay-out" zone around it. It appears that housekeeping just does the minimal to keep these rooms clean, expending the least amount of effort to do the job.

Should you stay at the Homestead Suites Hotel in West Valley, Utah? I would suggest not. Do yourself a favor and travel further out of this area to find better accommodations.

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