Affordable "suite" hotel chains with separate sleeping/sitting rooms
 

It's been awhile since we've traveled locally and the first time ever with a child.

What we're hoping for is a hotel that has a separate bedroom (a door that closes) from the seating area while hopefully spending as little as possible. This is so we can put down the baby earlier than we'd go to bed. So many of the "suite" hotels turn out to be one room, with a couch along with the bed. Not helpful in our case.

I have no idea which hotel chains usually have such a layout. Embassy is running a little pricey for us right now. So I'm looking for chains to investigate, but don't know where to start.

Specifically, we're going to Nashville, TN, but didn't want to end the conversation there if no one here had info that specific.

Thanks.

Marriott Residence Inn is the chain we like for what you are talking about.

Embassy suites. One room is a bedroom, and the other is a sitting room with TV, with a door between the two.

Homewood Suites might be what you are looking for if Embassy Suites is a little pricey. Homewood and Embassy are both run by Hilton but Homewood is the more budget/family brand.

I just took a look at Hilton properties in Nashville for July 3. The Homewood Suites downtown is a bit pricey ($139) - actually a bit more than the Embassy Suites at Vanderbilt ($126).

But if you look at the airport properties then the Homewood is $71 and the Embassy is $87. Also a Doubletree Suites for $84. Those would be about 6 miles from downtown.

Hilton Suites Brentwood is 9 miles from city center for $89.

Also consider that Residence and Embassy includes breakfast. Embassy typically has a free cocktail hour. I don't know for sure about Homewood. Doubletree typically does not include.

Thanks everyone, for the help. I'll check those out, mrwunrfl - appreciate the search. Promising options in that list.

I'd forgetten Homewood, had a dodgy experience at one once, but that was a while ago.

Anyone know anything about Candlewood Suites? They appear to be an IC brand. They're due south of the city, which is a good direction for why we're in town, and the price is reasonable.

I stayed at a Candlewood in Indianapolis a couple of months ago and was very pleased. Another woman and I were attending a conference. We had a suite with 2 bedrooms, kitchen & living area. We thought it was very nice at a reasonable price. Breakfast is not included.

You sound like you're already aware of this, but realize that most "suite" hotel chains mainly have rooms which do not really separate the bedroom from the living area with a full wall and door. Make sure you specify such, or you're likely to find the bedroom is really just a sort of "alcove" open to the rest. I've found that at Marriott's Springhill Suites (which I do like overall), Residence Inns, and Homewood. Again, I assume all those have some suites with a separate bedroom, but I really don't think it's the norm.

NeoPatrick, at Residence Inn at least you can tell from the room description, a one bedroom suite WILL have a separate room but the ones they call "studios" don't.

DH and I were traveling with my mom and stayed at Residence Inn and loved it. Like Monica said, make sure you book a 'suite' not a 'studio'. They might be on the higher end price wise, but it was so nice to have a decent sized room. Ours was 2 bedrooms and a kitchen/living room in between the two. Breakfast was really good and was free. Having the kitchen and dining room table might mean having a take out meal in your room and saving some $$.

mlm59, thanks for the feedback on the Candlewood Chain. Tripadvisor is a mixed bag for the one we're looking at, but it's not a long stay. At least they had the 360 views of the room types

Thanks for the added feedback to all. Patrick, that's what I was looking at. The "studio" suite designation on some hotel's sites, but not all. That seems like a recent trend. Still not often clear how a room is really configured.

Wouldn't mind a place like Residence, but we're really pinching pennies these days and the trip's a must at a tight time. Just trying to make sure the baby gets her rest mostly.

Courtyard by Marriott always has a few suites in each hotel. They always have a separate bedroom and a larger living room with microwave, fridge, etc. You might want to look at this possibility

You might also think about maybe older motels. They usually have at least one "housekeeping" unit, and if they're well maintained would work for you.

Monica, that's for the heads up. In all these years, I've never heard of a housekeeping unit. I may have to ask around about that.

We're finding out now that some of what we're seeing in rates, is the weekend this all shaping up. It's a GTG before we leave the region and a lot of people behind, but getting everyone together is tricky. And turns out the weekend most people can make it is also some sort of big country music awards. In Nashville. Not something I'd know much about, but it's got prices up and our standards sliding because of it. Isn't it always something??

Another option is to get two adjacent rooms with an interconnecting door between the rooms.

I've found rates at Country Inn and Suites by Carlson to be reasonable.

Other reasonable hotels would be Springhill, Townplace (both from Marriott), Summerfield (Hyatt) and other lower end hotels from the big chains.

Have you tried Priceline? On biddingfortravel.com, it looks like 3* rooms in Nashville are in the $45-$60 range. You should be able to get two adjoining rooms with an interconnecting door for these rates.

Clifton, don't be afraid to be creative, too!

(how is the wonderful little one ?!?)

We were at Portofino Bay in Orlando with ours - although she was younger, I think, than your dd. Her pack and play fit in the bathroom b/c we had one of the larger bathrooms. We stuck it in there and she had her privacy to fall asleep! We made sure we emptied our bladder first and once she was asleep, she would sleep through a truck driving through her bedroom.

Another time, we were staying in Old Key West in Orlando and the pack & play (this was sibling #2) fit in the laundry room. Again, the door could shut, so she had her privacy.

good luck! (do you have points anywhere that it would be worth it ?)

Embassy Suites has always been good for us. Their full hot breakfast makes up for their slightly higher prices, if that's the case.

Sounds like it would be a good idea to think outside the box, at least to make sure we're not missing a deal on something like and adjoining room. Interesting idea et.

I don't have points anywhere surfmom, unfortunately. I hate to say this, but the only place we've gone together in the US since we've been married was to New York several times. And even there, we have a habit of picking independent hotels (Belvedere, Washington Sq hotel). Overseas, it's almost always small places - guesthouses, converted monasteries, old castles and the like. So we never signed up for a program with one of the big chains.

I can float the bathroom idea past Ms. C, but I think I'm going to get a funny look. hehe. Ok, the look won't be very, very funny if I know what's good for me.... but it'll be memorable.

The little one's doing good. Getting too smart for her britches and depending on being a cutie as a survival mechanism. She's 19months old today. She's been with us now for not quite 6 months and she's grown about 4 inches since then. She just barely fits lengthwise in her pack and play already. It's crazy but a good crazy. Really enjoying being a family.

Oh, and et - sorry I forgot to address your question about priceline.

No, I hadn't checked on that. I've never actually done the bidding thing for travel (or anything else for that matter). I have read the biddingfortravel site, and it seemed useful, but also one of those things where people were really into the mechanics and their own sort of world (kind of like FlyerTalk, with all the jargon and people who know a ton of stuff about very obscure facets of things most of us don't think about).

Which is impressive, but more than I ever had the time to absorb. I did kind of wonder after reading your PL question whether one could be as specific as to bid just on adjoining rooms?

Clifton, you can request adjoining rooms after you've "won" your rooms on PL, but they are under no obligation to accommodate you. Might be a little risky.

I've had several enjoyable stays at Homewood Suites, always in actual suites with separate bedrooms and kitchen/living areas. The ones I've been in also provided full breakfast and an evening snacks/drinks reception.