TownePlace Suites, Latham Albany Airport: Very good but could do better on cleanliness

For this first night of our vacation, we chose, rather belatedly, to add this extra stopover before arriving at Niagara Falls to cut the trip in half from Boston.

Booking

I booked this hotel about 2 weeks before our planned arrival.

To choose the hotel, I used the Road Trip features of the Marriott Bonvoy app to find an establishment that was both pet-friendly with reasonable cleaning costs, and with good enough reviews. So I turned to this hotel, which combines both.

I would have the presence of a crib confirmed by my Marriott Ambassador, who would tell me that the hotel did not have one, but that cots were available.

Arrival

Two days before our arrival, I check in via the Marriott Bonvoy app, indicating our estimated arrival time of 4pm and our estimated departure time of 1pm.

We arrive at the hotel in the late afternoon, after a long drive from Boston.

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We are greeted very well at the reception desk and proceed with the arrival formalities.

I ask the receptionist to confirm that we’ll have an umbrella bed in our room, which she does.

As in all the brand’s hotels, breakfast is included and available in buffet form from 7:30 to 10:30 every morning near reception. The hotel has a gym and indoor swimming pool right next to reception.

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A few snacks and drinks are also available at a slightly prohibitive price near reception.

Note that the hotel is located next to a Target supermarket, so you’ll want to do some shopping at Target rather than use this Minimarket.

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Suite

Our suite was located on the 2nd floor of the hotel.

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I immediately note that this is an accessible suite, which is not my preference at all.

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The entrance leads directly into the well-equipped kitchenette, which faces the bathroom, which is a little too large, since it complies with PMR standards.

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The shower and its sticky curtain will be rather unpleasant, and the room as a whole doesn’t give off an impression of cleanliness.

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The first room is the sitting area, with a sofa and coffee table facing a desk and TV.

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Contrary to what we were told at reception, the umbrella bed was not included in the room, and I would have to ask for it to be brought to us.

Then a second area devoted to sleeping, with a king-size bed, moderately comfortable, and with a TV whose layout made it difficult to watch at night.

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Surprisingly, the bathroom is not located on the bedroom side, but on the living room side, which isn’t necessarily practical since our son will be sleeping in the living room.

Finally, the virtual tour:

Hotel facilities

The hotel is equipped with a fitness room and swimming pool, located on the first floor.

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I wouldn’t have used these facilities, but I did take a few photos for your viewing pleasure!

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Catering

It’s not really possible to talk about food and beverage outlets at this hotel. There are a number of options within walking distance of the hotel for dining in the surrounding area.

Breakfast service

Breakfast is served every morning from 7:30 to 10:30 in the lobby area.

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A buffet is offered to guests free of charge, and unlike last year’s trip to New Hampshire, is of rather good quality this time. All in all, it’s a great way to wake up on the right foot.

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As in the Residence Inn we visited last year, the quality of the filter coffee is quite acceptable.

In fact, coffee is available at all hours of the day and night near the elevators.

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Service

It’s hard to assess service at a hotel with such limited facilities. Reception staff are pleasant, but not overly enthusiastic, but the breakfast buffet is very well run and the tables cleared.

Departure

Check-out formalities were simplicity itself, as I would use the mobile check-out from the Marriott Bonvoy app.

Bottom line

An acceptable stay, without being exceptional. Cleanliness is nevertheless the point to improve in the room, which did not give a clean impression.

Itinerary

As a reminder, here is the itinerary followed:

#TypePost
1DiaryAmerican Summer Holidays: Road Trip and Beach
2HotelTownePlace Suites, Latham Albany Airport
3HotelReikart House, Buffalo, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel
4RestaurantGrezi Buffalo
5LoungeAmerican Airlines Admirals Club, Boston Logan
6FlightAmerican Airlines Domestic First, Boston Logan – Miami International, Airbus A321neo
7HotelThe Miami Beach EDITION
8RestaurantHell’s Kitchen, Miami
9LoungeAmerican Airlines Flagship Lounge, Miami International
10FlightAmerican Airlines Domestic First, Miami International – Boston Logan, Boeing 737 MAX 8
Today’s itinerary
Olivier Delestre-Levai
Olivier Delestre-Levai
Olivier has been into airline blogging since 2010. First a major contributor to the FlyerTalk forum, he created the FlyerPlan website in July 2012, and writes articles with a major echo among airline specialists. He now co-runs the TravelGuys blog with Bertrand, focusing on travel experience and loyalty programs.
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