Room Service: Microtel Inn and Suites Baldwinsville Syracuse (Baldwinsville, New York)

Microtel Inn and Suites Baldwinsville Syracuse
Baldwinsville, New York

As one of the most heavily snowed in towns this side of Lake Ontario, this town is probably not the easiest to reach when it comes to destinations to visit. Baldwinsville is a charming quiet area which is beloved in two ways: its close proximity to Syracuse and a fairly important beer factory. Near the crossroads of the New York State Thruway with the lone expressway that connects Southeastern Ontario with Pennsylvania and other points south, this area is also a prime space to offer lodging options.

The Microtel Inn and Suites Baldwinsville Syracuse is a hotel that is not easy to spell (the telephone in my room incorrectly spelled Baldwinsville), but it certainly serves as a useful stop on long journeys or as a launching pad for attractions around Central New York State.

Immediately after stepping into the building for the first time I had stumbled upon an unnecessary, disappointing situation. The clerk, missing from the front desk, was busy munching on something on a couch around reception. With an unsavoury surly attitude, she promptly and concisely announced I could not check in until 3 pm. The room wasn't even ready by that standard, and upon my second arrival I had to wait another half an hour before I received even an update to the status of my room.

This wound up to be a farcical process as for a while, I felt like they didn't give two hoots about me as a guest with a reservation. And it would not be such a big deal apart from the following...

What really concerned me was how the message was relayed. I was already allocated a room based on the chatter between staff along with inquiries from me, but I left no identifying details as to who I was in those interactions. Not even a name! A couple of other guests who checked in after me did have rooms ready before my room, and I didn't know if it was my visible features, surname or type of room I booked that gave my identify away. How would they know who reserved which room just by looking at someone? I know this town is small, but that point unnerved me in ways that were totally separate from my identity as just another guest at a hotel.

Since there was indisputable demand for rooms at this property, the only type of room I could manage to reserve happens to be built to accessible standards. Not much different from a standard room apart from a stand up shower and a large floor plan to accommodate wheelchair access. You could call the room old or cozy by design. Housekeeping did well with upkeep, though there was some caulk around the faucet in the bathroom.

The TV was an old small tube that had awkward buttons on the remote control which actually looked like you could operate an old stereo or boom box with it. The dressers and walls were draped in a coral pink with veins that added a hint of blue cheese into the decor. I swear I ate a salmon salad sandwich once in Australia with filling that looked like this pattern.

The bed was comfortable with just enough pillows, while the vintage air conditioner did what it was supposed to do, so the stay was comfortable when left to my own initiative.

Included amenities include round the clock beverage service with hot and cold water dispensers which was very convenient, plus a continental breakfast and adequate wifi.

It's just a real shame to have such an uninterested staff at the front desk (I'm mincing my words calling them that). I felt like a child, not a guest, being dealt by them instead of being served.