Thanks to all for your replies. To clarify...not staying 2 consecutive nights there. Arriving late one night and meeting family on incoming red-eye next am, then off to New Eng. for a week. Then back late day before our flight out, which is early next morning. Thought staying on property would be convenient and would facilitate rental car pick/drop--but shuttles abound for that purpose. NYC not really an option, but Elizabeth sounds like a good recommendation. Will check that out. thanks again.

I know you are new to posting on this site, but you didn't have to open up another thread to respond on your original one. Just click on "post a reply to this message" to add your response.

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The Airport Hilton is where I park my car when I fly out of EWR, and they have a shuttle to/from the airport. It's a safe, clean 3*

Payless Car Rental is at the Newark Airport Ramada. The hotel was okay, nothing special, but nothing awful either. I picked it because of the ease of returning the car. I find it somewhat daunting to drive around that area, so this worked well for us. The Ramada and Payless share a shuttle, so getting to and from the airport was no problem.

I'd pointedly not recommend either that Rmada or Payless, having had bad experiences with both. The location is not all that easy to get to from the airport unless you know the area, and the shuttle is neither frequent nor reliable. The rooms are no more than basic and upkeep is questionable. As for Payless there, both times I rented they tried to talk me into a more expensive vehicle using the "we're all out of that car class" routine. I sympathized and insisted they provide me with a vehicle at least as good as the one for which I had a confirmed reservation (printed copy in hand.) The supposedly upgraded vehicle was a piece of crap. Hoping the first experience was a fluke I tried again several months later, had the same experience and avoid them like the plague since. Go with a tried and true like Marriott.

Well, that's a relief. We were worried that you were planting your family at a Newark Airport hotel for two days. Check www.tripadvisor.com. If I were traveling with family, I'd probably pick Spring Hill Suites #3 on the list in popularity.