First stop on this summer itinerary, with this hotel immersed in the mountains of New Hampshire.
Booking
I booked this property about 2 months before our stay. Traveling with our dog, I booked a suite directly so that we would have enough room. The establishment charges a $50 cleaning fee when traveling with a pet, which is still reasonable compared to other places.
The price isn’t cheap, close to $300 a night, but with a dog and in the middle of summer we don’t have much choice, so off we went for 5 nights.
Arrival
I completed the arrival formalities 2 days before the start of our stay using the Marriott Bonvoy app. I indicated in the app our expected arrival time of around 2.30pm and request a late check-out at 3pm on the day of our departure.
We arrived at the hotel by car in mid-afternoon, and after parking and unloading our cargo, I checked in. These were completed without a hitch, and we were on our way to our room once filled in the necessary form to accommodate our dog.
Room
Our suite was located on the 4th and top floor, at one end of the hotel corridor.
The entrance leads directly, on the left, to the bathroom, which is fairly basic but has a large shower rather than a bathtub, which I particularly appreciate. On the other hand, the pressure in the shower was very low, which was rather unpleasant.
There was a king-size bed in the hallway extension, whose bedding was rather uncomfortable. On the other hand, the decoration is quite nice. The bed faces a storage bench and a large TV. However, closet and storage space was limited for a long stay.
Following on from the sleeping area is the suite’s living room, equipped with a convertible sofa, coffee table and desk, also topped by a TV.
All in all, the space is very pleasant, and we spent a nice little week here. It’s worth noting, however, that as is the case with most half-service hotels in the USA, the soundproofing was poor and we heard everything from our neighbors.
To finish, a virtual visit in video:
Hotel facilities
The hotel is equipped with a fitness room and indoor pool, as well as an outdoor Jacuzzi.
We won’t have the opportunity to use these facilities during our stay, but I did take a few photos.
The fitness room is surprisingly well equipped for such a hotel, and always well maintained with “fresh” towels prepared on each piece of equipment.
The swimming pool and jacuzzi was alsways occupied by families.
Catering
The hotel’s food and beverage offer is fairly limited, with of course the traditional breakfast offered near the lobby, and a bar open in the evening.
A flavored water fountain and coffee thermos are available at all times.
Breakfast service
As is customary in most half-service hotels, breakfast is offered at Fairfield hotels.
Apart from the fact that the crowds are massive whatever the time of day we were there, the quality of the buffet and its general upkeep during breakfast hours leaves much to be desired, with shortages even of utensils ! I will share this feedback in the survey that will be sent to me and the hotel manager will do the follow-up afterwards.
Dinner service – Lobby bar
On one of the evenings of our stay, we dined at the hotel lobby bar. The waiter is alone to take orders, prepare food and drinks and serve them, so expect a bit of a wait (not catastrophic).
You have to order your food and drinks at the bar, and they are brought to your table.
I ordered a chicken pot pie, which was good without being exceptional, and a very good glass of Californian red wine.
Dessert, a cheesecake that my wife and I will be sharing, will be excellent.
Service
The service in this hotel is really excellent, the staff are always smiling and quick to help.
The housekeepers are pleasant and smiling.
Departure
Check-out formalities were straightforward, carried out without a hitch shortly before my scheduled check-out time.
Bottom line
A very good stay. Despite a few problems with breakfast and shower pressure, I’m very satisfied with this stay and will probably return for another “nature” stay.
Itinerary
As a reminder, here is the itinerary followed:
