Hello. I am looking into hotels in South Norwalk where I will be close to my friend's home. So far the closest are the Doubletree Norwalk and the Norwalk Inn and Conference Center. Which one is better? Is the Doubletree worth an extra $60/night? Any other suggestions in the same price range and close by?

Thanks!

I stayed in what is now the Doubletree (but was a different name) a few years ago for a job interview. Unexciting location on a local highway filled with fast food, and strip malls. I think that Priceline's corporate offices are just across the road.The Norwalk inn looks like it's closer to "downtown" Norwalk, but I haven't been there. Neither one is in SoNo (South Norwalk)which is a funky small walkable area with good shops and restaurants

How close do you need to be to your friend's house, are you traveling alone, weekend or midweek, how much do you want to spend?

There are some nearby inns or b&bs that are more atmospheric. Silver Mine Tavern (which has rooms at the inn)is pretty close by, and is ina nice quiet area. The much more upscale town of New Canaan has a couple of fairly pricey inns, but this is a slow season and there may be some deals, especially if it;s midweek

Thanks for the input. I will be taking the train into NYC every morning, so location isn't that important in terms of being around good sites. I am more concerned about the inside of the hotel as I want to stay close enough to my friend to make it easy for her to pick me up. At the Doubletree or Novotel Inn, I can walk to her place.

I had my high school reunion at the Norwalk Inn a few years ago and it was pretty gross. Very cheesy, looked extremely mediocre. I'd pick the other options.

Thanks, Abby. Were you talking about the Norwalk Inn or the Doubletree?

unejam, I don't think you can walk to anyplace from the Doubletree--and the Norwalk Inn is 3 or 4 miles from the Doubletree(and across railroad tracks...) so it sounds funny that you could walk from either place to someones house.
Did you mean to say that you can walk from your friend's place (maybe in SoNo? ) to the train. That makes more sense.

Like I said, the Doubletree should be your everyday standard chain hotel. I think has been renovated fairly recently.

Just as an FYI, if you can stand a little unceratinty, you could try Priceline's "Name your own price" option and get a hotel in that area for much less than the listed prices. You pick a geographic area according to Priceline's maps, and if you win your bid, the hotel is guaranteed to be within those boundaries. While prices vary depending on hotel and dates of travel, according to biddingfortravel, (a site that helps people with Priceline bidding) someone got the Four Points Sheraton-Norwalk for $49 per night.

Yes, my friend lives in South Norwalk. According to the website it is 1.3 miles from the Doubletree. As I live in Europe, 1.3 miles is considered within walking distance for me.

I checked it out on a local map for you, and it looks like you can get there by going on Flax Hill Road. I'm just not sure how walkable that road is, and how easy it will be to follow it without getting lost. I've been on it, but am having trouble picturing it from that perspective.

Maybe someone else can chime in on that.

The Doubletree is on a very busy section of road, as it is right by Costco and alot of other "big box"stores.

The Doubletree is probably your best bet. Note that the walk to Washington Street in So. Norwalk is closer to 2.3 miles than 1.3. The first part of the walk is on Rt 1, a very busy local highway lined with shopping centers. Once you turn off, you'll be on suburban streets. Some parts have sidewalks, but there are not many walkers. You will climb and descend Flax Hill, which is a steep climb leaving So. Norwalk.

It's a shorter walk to the Rowayton train station than to So. Norwalk. You could join your friend on the train.

Another possibility would be to stay in Stamford and do the same. Hotels there are closer to the station and there are plenty of taxis.

Afraid there's no real ideal solution.

Norwalk Inn, like I said in my posting! It's a dump.

unejam1, Americans walk too! at least we New Yorkers do

I just want to make sure you realize that this would involve walking along a highway or road, not city streets or a country lane. The 1.3 miles(and BTW, Google maps shows the distance from that hotel to a restaurant on Washington street, the big street in SoNo, to be 2.4 miles) you see may be a driving distance, and pedestrians may not be allowed to or advised to walk that route. I would assume you would have to cross train tracks--extemely dangerous, even if possible--to get from one point to the other.

I agree that the Norwalk Inn looks awful -- even from the outside. I would choose the Doubletree as it was just renovated this past year. It will not be charming and the location is nothing special, but you know it will be clean and fresh. You will not be able to walk to S Norwalk from there as you'd have to cross the highway!

Unejam, if you want to be able to walk to the train, then you should forget about Norwalk entirely and stay in Stamford. The Marriott is right off the highway and about a 5-minute walk to the train, and about a 15-minute ride to SoNo. If you want to make things easier on your friend, you can take the train back to South Norwalk and walk to her place from there. There is no place to walk around the Doubletree except for the Costco in the rear.

Just FYI -- you can walk to S Norwalk from the Doubletree. There are numerous over and underpasses crossing the highway on the larger north/South roads. Also think Stamford is the better choice in your situation.

Thanks, everyone! Sorry for the generalization about walking. I'm from L.A. and you know the saying/song: nobody walks in L.A. I think I will stay at the Doubletree. Location is not important to me. My friend has a car and will be picking me up, but I want to make things as easy as possible and want a nice, clean room/hotel.