By Lori Bosworth
A friend of mine wanted to visit the Southwestern Ontario town where she was born so she asked me if I wanted to join her on a road trip with a one night’s stay in London, Ontario. We decided on the Staybridge Suites Hotel, which is just off Exeter Road in London, just off Hwy 401. As the name implies, all hotel rooms are suites, providing more than enough room for two people.
Upon arrival in London, a fierce thunderstorm with hail descended upon the city. Although we were an hour early for check-in time, we decided to venture over to the hotel to see if they would allow us refuge from the stormy weather to check in early. Lucky for us, they did and we entered a tastefully-appointed living area and kitchen in a separate room from the bedroom. There were French doors between the two rooms that could be closed for privacy.
We were absolutely delighted with the kitchen, which was equipped with a full refrigerator, stovetop, microwave, dishwasher, toaster, coffeemaker, pots, pans, plates, mugs, glasses and silverware. There was also a built-in table and two chairs for small meals. We really did not require a full kitchen since we were going out for dinner and we would be enjoying a complimentary breakfast buffet served the next morning in the lobby. It was, however, nice to be able to make tea and coffee in our suite and store some food that we had packed for the road in the refrigerator. I love the homey touch of the gourmet Wolfgang Puck Estate Grown coffee and Orville Redenbacher Smart Pop Microwave Popcorn that were left in the kitchen for us.
The living room featured a super comfortable loveseat, a desk with an ergonomic chair, an LG TV with cable and a phone. You could adjust the air conditioning in the living room, separate from the air conditioning in the bedroom.
The bedroom featured two queen beds, an over-sized easy chair, another LG TV with cable and a second phone. The beds were quite comfortable, not too hard, not too soft.
The bathroom was cleverly designed with the bathtub and toilet separated from the sink so that one person could brush her teeth while the other took a shower. The bedroom closet also contained an iron, ironing board, hamper and extra pillows.
The air conditioning unit, which provided sufficient cooling, was a bit noisy at night, as the fan continued to go on and off. Another minor issue was our clock radio, which did not work (or perhaps was not plugged in!)
The Staybridge Suites Hotel is designed for the travelling businessperson since there is a 24-7 business centre, a complimentary laundry room with washers and dryers (no coins required), an indoor swimming pool, a fitness centre and a putting green. I almost regretted not bringing my putter. We enjoyed a swim in the pool after dinner and had the pool to ourselves for a good hour.
A complimentary breakfast buffet was served from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the lobby. There was a fairly good selection of hot and cold breakfast items including fresh fruit, toast, waffles (make your own), hash browns, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, peameal bacon, 100% fruit juices, coffee and tea. My friend guessed that the scrambled eggs were made from a powder so I decided to pass on those, but the other items I had were fresh and cooked well. It was definitely convenient not to have to rush out to a restaurant for breakfast.
I definitely recommend Staybridge Suites Hotel if you are visiting London, Ontario. We paid $127.68 including taxes for one night during a long weekend and I thought this was a great deal for what we got. Do keep in mind that the hotel, whose address is 824 Exeter Road, is actually on Bessemer Road. Turn on to Bessemer Road from Exeter Road and you will find Staybridges Suite Hotel tucked behind the Homewood Suites by Hilton hotel.
Staybridge Suites Hotel, 824 Exeter Road, London, 1-877-660-8550
