OverviewLocated just off Highway 401, and about a 15-minute drive from downtown Raleigh, the Lodge America of Raleigh is popular with road travellers who require a hotel with extended kitchen amenities and easy highway access.
This hotel has 137 air-conditioned guest rooms, each offering free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a coffeemaker, a kitchenette with a stove, a dining area and a hair dryer.
The hotel also offers vending machines, guest laundry, free parking and complimentary access to a nearby fitness centre (please contact the hotel for details). Pets are permitted for $25 per pet, per night, and the hotel is not wheelchair accessible.
Outback Steakhouse and Capital Square Shopping Mall are both within a 5-minute walk south of the hotel, while NC State University can be found 12 minutes away by car. Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) is a 25-minute drive westward. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, pets permitted for $25/pet/night, not wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: August 1, 2013)
The GoodGuest reviews consulted for this analysis were mixed, and showed positive responses towards the hotel's location, staff and rates.
Several lodgers were pleased with the hotel's location. They described it as easy to find, and close to shopping, restaurants, highway access, attractions and a grocery store. A few guests did find the surrounding area to be sketchy, however.
The hotel's staff were praised by several reviewers. They were characterized as friendly, helpful and accommodating.
A few lodgers enjoyed the hotel's rates, describing them as cheap and inexpensive, and as offering good value for the money.
The Bad
Guest reviews sourced for this review were mixed, and showed negative responses to the hotel's rooms and noise transfer.
While some lodgers reported clean and spacious rooms, several guests had complaints about their accommodations. They reported a lack of cooking utensils in their kitchenettes, old TVs, poor Wi-Fi connectivity, cigarette odours in non-smoking rooms, cleaning issues, uncomfortable beds and worn fixtures and decor.
Noise disruptions were mentioned by a few guests, who reported noise from guests in adjacent rooms, the hallways and outside.
In addition, as noted above, a few people questioned the safety of the neighbourhood around the hotel, describing it as sketchy.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 3 out of 5 with a 57% recommendation rate from 321 reviews.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #69 of 80 Raleigh hotels with an average rating of 2 out of 5 from 33 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 6.4 out of 10 from 8 reviews.
The author called the hotel on August 1, 2013 to verify some information.
