Everything I like about a motel; everything I hate about a motel. I think that I must be seriously conflicted! I am… and part of it was through the reservation process. I made my reservations through my favourite website a month and a half before I arrived, asking for a king bed/non-smoking room. This was the first time that I’ve encountered a problem; I was told that I could have king bed smoking or the two double beds non-smoking to which I was assigned. I settled for the latter. I was given, however, the choice of first or second floor and I chose first rather than haul the luggage up the stairs. (This motel features two floors, exterior corridors and no elevators.) As it turned out, every footstep upstairs was transmitted to the room below, and the people upstairs were up all night pacing about... I fear to think what they were doing.
So what is the score so far… fumbled reservation, all-night noise and exterior corridors. Hmmm.
On the other hand, the room was clean and well-maintained. It featured a mini-fridge, microwave, TV , Internet access and an iron and ironing board. A complementary breakfast was available in the morning… essentially a continental breakfast but it included cereals and cold boiled eggs.
The location of the motel is in just off Riva Road in an area inhabited by office buildings and other hotels. Nearby is the Festival at Riva, a shopping area, and historic Annapolis is easily accessible via Riva and West Street. The area also contains a great many restaurants, so it’s ideal for the traveler who doesn’t want to venture into town. Going into town, on the other hand, isn’t difficult as the tourist trolley stops at the entrance of the motel.
If I were ever to come back to this particular motel, I would make my reservation directly with the establishment and make it crystal clear what I wanted… and part of that would be a second floor room. (To find the motel: Take exit 22 from I-97 South. At the bottom of the ramp, turn left and left again at the next light into Hearn Road.)