Escape to Upstate NY: Fairfield Inn & Suites Cortland Awaits!
Escape to Upstate NY: Fairfield Inn & Suites Cortland Awaits! - A Reviewer's Ramblings
Alright, alright, buckle up buttercups! I just got back from a little upstate jaunt to Cortland, NY, and let me tell you, the Fairfield Inn & Suites… ahem… awaits. And yeah, this ain't gonna be your dry, corporate-speak review. Prepare for some real talk, some questionable opinions, and maybe a dash of existential dread mixed in with my musings on fluffy towels.
Accessibility - The Good & The… Less Good…
Okay, let's get the serious stuff out of the way first. The Fairfield, bless its heart, tried when it comes to accessibility. They've got elevators, which is always a win. And they say they have facilities for disabled guests. But honestly? I didn't see a ton of super obvious, knock-your-socks-off accessibility features. I did, however, appreciate the general ease of navigating the lobby and hallways. But listen, I'm not in a wheelchair, so I'm not the best judge. Someone who actually needs that level of accessibility should definitely do their homework and call ahead. Google reviews might be more helpful than these ramblings.
**(Metadata Keyword Alert: **Accessibility, Wheelchair Accessible, Facilities for disabled guests)
Check-in/out [Express] & the Human Factor
The hotel boasts contactless check-in/out, which is great in theory. But the real test? The awkward, rushed conversations with the staff. The staff made a genuinely warm first impression, I did it. I'm not one for awkward small talk, and I want to get to that room already!
**(Metadata Keyword Alert: **Contactless check-in/out, Check-in/out [express], Front desk [24-hour])
Rooms: Cozy Chaos & the Quest for the Perfect Pillow
Alright, the rooms. They’re… fine. Clean-ish. The carpets… well, let's just say I wouldn't eat off them. The bed was decently comfy, but I, the self-proclaimed pillow connoisseur, found the pillows a bit… meh. Like they’d seen better days. The air conditioning was a lifesaver in the summer heat, and the blackout curtains? A godsend for my sleep-in tendencies. The rooms had the usual suspects: coffee maker, mini-fridge (always appreciated!), and a TV. I ended up using the window open, cause the smell of chemicals in the air was rather annoying.
**(Metadata Keyword Alert: **Air conditioning, Blackout curtains, Coffee/tea maker, Refrigerator, Non-smoking, Soundproof rooms, Wi-Fi [free], Available in all rooms, Amenities: Towels, Slippers, Daily housekeeping)
Internet: Yay for Free Wifi! (But Did I Really Need Another Device?)
Free Wi-Fi? Praise the heavens! No more fumbling with paid hotspots or those ancient LAN cables. This is a modern hotel! The connection was generally reliable for streaming my favorite shows and doomscrolling on my phone. But honestly? I spent half my trip trying to escape screens, so the free wifi was a double-edged sword. I'm just saying - in a world of constant connectivity, sometimes a little digital detox is just what the doctor ordered.
**(Metadata Keyword Alert: **Free Wi-Fi in all rooms!, Internet access – wireless, Internet)
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: The Breakfast Buffet Blues
The breakfast buffet was included with the stay, which is nice. I'm not going to lie, I'm a sucker for a free breakfast. The usual suspects were there: toast, sugary cereals, and a sad little waffle maker. The coffee, well, it was coffee. I can't say it was world-class, but it got the job done. The fruit selection was… limited. It was a decent start to the day, providing convenient fuel, but nothing that screamed "culinary masterpiece.”
**(Metadata Keyword Alert: **Breakfast [buffet], Coffee/tea in restaurant, Restaurants, Breakfast service)
Cleanliness & Safety: The Sanitize-Everything Era
This is one area where the Fairfield really shined. Post-COVID, obviously, they're all over the sanitization game. You could practically smell the anti-viral cleaning products. The staff seemed genuinely committed to keeping things clean, which is a huge comfort. My room appeared to be thoroughly sanitized between stays. You could tell the staff was trained.
**(Metadata Keyword Alert: **Anti-viral cleaning products, Daily disinfection in common areas, Hand sanitizer, Hygiene certification, Room sanitization opt-out available, Rooms sanitized between stays, Individually-wrapped food options, Staff trained in safety protocol, Sterilizing equipment.)
Things to Do (Or Not Do): Relaxation, Not Relaxation
Okay, here’s the kicker. The Fairfield advertises a fitness center. Well, let's call it what it is: a tiny room with some outdated equipment. Don’t expect the Ritz-Carlton gym; expect a slightly sweaty treadmill and a rusty weight bench. I chose to do nothing. The sauna, spa, steamroom, swimming pool: nope. Those were the big features I skipped. If you like that, then this hotel is not for you.
**(Metadata Keyword Alert: **Fitness center, Gym/fitness, Swimming pool [outdoor], Sauna, Spa, Steamroom, Ways to relax)
Services & Conveniences: The Hotel’s Swiss Army Knife
They had a shuttle service to the airport. There was a business center available to me. The hotel offered dry cleaning and laundry services. There was a convenience store.
**(Metadata Keyword Alert: **Business facilities, Concierge, Convenience store, Daily housekeeping, Elevator, Laundry service, Luggage storage, Valet parking, Internet services)
For the Kids: Babysitters and Boredom
They advertise that they are family/child-friendly. They do have babysitting services. I think I would be bored here as a kid.
**(Metadata Keyword Alert: **Family/child friendly, Babysitting service)
The Verdict: A Solid, If Unremarkable, Stay
Look, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Cortland isn't going to change your life. It’s not the pinnacle of luxury. But it is a perfectly serviceable, clean, and relatively affordable place to crash while you're exploring Upstate NY. It's fine, it's adequate, and it gets the job done. My stay was fine. If you're looking for a no-frills, convenient base camp with free Wi-Fi and a decent breakfast, you could do a lot worse. Just don't expect a spa experience.
**(Metadata Keyword Alert: **Hotel chain, Non-smoking rooms, Exterior corridor, Smoke alarms, Safety/security feature, First aid kit)
Luxury Katy Escape: Courtyard Houston Katy Mills Hotel
Okay, buckle up, buttercups, because this isn't your average Travelocity itinerary. This is going to be a chaotic, maybe slightly unhinged, account of… well, my visit to the Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Cortland in Cortland, New York. Let's see if I can keep it together long enough to tell you about it. (Spoiler alert: probably not.)
Day 1: Arrival & (Almost) Immediate Regret
- 15:00 - Arrival & First Impressions: Okay, so Cortland. Let's be honest, it's not exactly the Seychelles. Rolled into the parking lot, and I will say, the Fairfield looked… fine? Clean, beige… you know, the standard hotel aesthetic. The lobby, though… the lobby had the distinct scent of lukewarm coffee and… anticipation? (Mostly because I was about to be incredibly bored.) The front desk person was nice, bless her heart, but I swear she sounded vaguely robotic. "Welcome to the Fairfield. Do you have your Marriott Bonvoy number?" Ugh, yes, I do. And no, I didn't memorize it. Five minutes of fumbling later, I had my key card.
- 15:30 - Room Exploration & Immediate Panic: My room was… a room. King bed, slightly lumpy. Tiny TV. A "workspace", which was essentially a desk that looked like it had seen some things. I immediately tested the Wi-Fi. Slow. Brutally slow. Okay, deep breaths. "You're in Cortland, kid, embrace the offline life," I told myself. (This was, of course, a lie.) The bathroom? Small. The showerhead looked like it belonged on a WWII submarine.
- 16:00 - The Ice Machine Incident & Existential Dread: Wandered down the hall for ice. Found the ice machine. Or, rather, the near-empty ice machine. Two lonely cubes clinging to life. I stared at them, contemplating the absurdity of my existence. "Is this it? Is this the peak of the thrilling life I've built?" I muttered to myself, filling my lukewarm water mug with the sliver of ice. Feeling a pang of something… maybe regret… that I didn't hit the drive-thru for a coke on the way in.
- 16:30 - The Bed, the TV, and the Temptation to Netflix: Okay, I have to admit, the bed was okay. Decent. Comfortable enough to contemplate a nap. The TV, though… the selection was questionable. I flicked through the channels for 10 minutes before eventually giving up and going to Netflux.
- 18:00 - Dinner Adventure (Or Lack Thereof): Ugh. Dinner. I'd scouted the area on Google Maps. The options were… limited. There was a certain local establishment called "Deli" a couple of blocks away, and then… the usual chain restaurants. Decision fatigue hit hard. Settled for the former because a deli just sounded more adventurous. My food? Well… let's just say that my salad was… a disappointment. And the potato salad? I think it was older than me. I have to admit, the deli employee, a very chatty man named Marty, perked me up. We talked about the snowstorm coming the next day. He seemed genuinely excited about it. I was not.
- 20:00 - The Great Pillow Debacle: This is where things got real. I realized my pillow was… a very sad pillow. Flat. Unsupportive. Basically, the embodiment of my dwindling hopes and dreams. I called down to the front desk. Another robotic voice. "I will see if we have any additional pillows available." An hour and a half later, still no pillows.
Day 2: Snowmageddon & Mild Mania
- 07:00 - The Storm Arrives (and So Does My Crummy Breakfast): Woke up to… snow. Lots of it. Marty was right! The view from my window was a pure, white, icy wasteland. Breakfast was the "complimentary" variety. (They're always complimentary, aren't they? They're obligated to be.) The "scrambled eggs" looked suspiciously like a yellow-ish brick. The coffee tasted… like sadness.
- 09:00 - The Quest for Caffeine & Sanity: Needed caffeine. Needed it badly. Brave the elements. Tried to find a Starbucks. No luck. The snow had shut everything down. This is where the panic really set in. My sanity was hanging by a thread.
- 10:00 - The Room Repercussions & the Bathroom of Doom: Spent the morning staring out the window, watching the snow fall and falling deeper and deeper into existential ennui. The lack of pillows was still buggin' me. And then, I realized the bathroom was not properly draining. The tub was filling up as I showered. I have to admit, I let out a little scream, not just a scream of frustration, but a scream of "oh-my-God-what-is-happening-to-my-life."
- 12:00 - Lunch at the Deli II: The Marty Redemption Arc: Despite the snow, I made my way over to the Deli. I knew there was a chance the place might be closed, but I had to go because Marty the deli man brought a smile to my face. He was there. The place was open. The soup, a steaming bowl of comfort, was an absolute revelation. Marty told me stories of the blizzard of whatever year and reminded me that, hey, there was worse. The sandwich was amazing. Maybe the sandwich made up for the the previous day's poor food adventure.
- 14:00 - Indoor Time What else to do, but try to get some reading in. The room was slightly better, and I actually got a few chapters in.
- 16:00 - The Front Desk, the Pillows (Finally!), and a Moment of Triumph (Almost): Finally, finally, finally, the front desk delivered pillows. Real pillows! Fluffy pillows! I almost wept with joy. My small, sad life was, for a fleeting moment, perfect.
- 17:00 - Snowball Fight (Against Myself): I was so hyped by the snow that I decided to have a snowball fight… alone. I wandered outside, made snowballs, and lobbed them at the building. This activity was completely ridiculous. I enjoyed myself. Was I a little bit unhinged? Maybe.
- 19:00 - Final Dinner: Chain Restaurant. And a Reflection: Back at the chain restaurant for a final dinner. Did I have more of a reaction? The meal went okay, but honestly, I was exhausted. Exhausted by the place, by the experience, by everything.
Day 3: Departure & a Faint Hope of Sanity
- 08:00 - Last Breakfast & the Escape: The eggs - still brick-like. But I ate them. I needed energy for escape. Checked out. Escaped. Free! Finally!
- 08:30 - The Drive Home & the Aftermath: The drive was uneventful. Just the road, the car, and the faint taste of… freedom? As I drove, I couldn’t help but smile and chuckle. Even with all the small annoyances, the bland food, and the underwhelming environment, I realized… it wasn’t the worst. In fact, it was… an experience. A slightly depressing, oddly hilarious, and mostly unremarkable experience. But it was mine. Would I go back to the Fairfield in Cortland? Probably not. But would I ever forget it? Absolutely not. The memory of ice machines, the Deli, and the blizzard will stay with me forever. And you know what? Maybe that's the point. Life, and travel, isn't always perfect. And sometimes, it's the imperfections that make it memorable.
Escape to Upstate NY: Fairfield Inn & Suites Cortland Awaits! (And... Does it REALLY Though?)
(Disclaimer: I'm writing this *after* my stay, and let's just say... memories are a funny thing. Buckle up.)
Okay, So... Why Cortland? Why the Fairfield? And, Honestly, Was It Worth It?
Alright, deep breath. Cortland. Pop quiz: What do you *think* of when you think of Cortland, New York? Exactly. (Unless you're from there, in which case, hi! Sorry if my brain feels a little... judgy.) I ended up there because... *long story*. Let's just say family drama, a wedding I RSVP'd "yes" to when I should have said "hard no," and a sudden, desperate need for a non-city-bound escape. The Fairfield? Well, it was the best of a mediocre bunch of options. Clean-ish, they offered a free breakfast (a major selling point, trust me, I’m the QUEEN of free breakfast!), and, hey, at least it wasn't a *motel* motel, you know?
Worth it? Hmmm… Depends on what you mean. Did it deliver the idyllic Upstate escape dreams I’d concocted in my head? Nope. But did it provide a safe(ish) place to sleep and fuel my frantic drive-in-the-opposite-direction-of-city-people anxieties? Yeah. So, a qualified maybe. I’m still a little bitter about the wedding, though… the dance floor was *sticky*.
The Pool: Did You Brave the Waters? (And, Seriously, What Was the Vibe?)
The POOL. Oh, the pool. This is where things get… interesting. I'm a pool person. I used to *live* in the pool as a kid! But this? This was an experience. Picture: Dimly lit, chlorine-scented air. The kind of pool area that screams "we've seen better days." The water *looked* clean, but… you know how you can just *sense* things? Yeah. I kept expecting to see a tiny, rogue rubber ducky floating by. Or worse.
The vibe? A mix of tired vacationers and determined kids. I saw a couple of determined lap-swimmers, a family where the dad was clearly regretting his life choices (I felt you, buddy!), and a group of teenagers huddled in a corner, probably plotting some sort of aquatic mischief. There was an undeniable air of… *expectation*. Like, everyone was HOPING the place was at least mildly enjoyable. I dipped a toe in. It wasn't *freezing*, which was a bonus, I guess. I spent maybe 15 minutes in total, mostly just people-watching and trying not to think about the potential microbial life thriving in that warm, inviting water. Long story short? I survived. My skin is intact. Don't ask about the hair.
Breakfast Buffet: The Make-or-Break Moment. What Treasures Awaited?
AH, the buffet. This… this is where the Fairfield *tried*. Look, I’m easily pleased when it comes to free breakfast. I’m a sucker for a waffle. And the Fairfield had a waffle maker! (Which, honestly, is half the battle.) There was the usual suspects: Scrambled eggs that looked like they’d been through a war (but tasted… okay?), rubbery sausage links, some sad-looking bagels, and enough cold cereal to feed a small army of sugar-crazed toddlers.
The real victory? The coffee. It was... drinkable. Not amazing coffee, mind you. But warm, caffeinated, and got the job done. I also managed to snag a decent yogurt with some sad, rubbery fruit. Overall, the breakfast experience was decidedly mediocre. But, hey, *it filled the hole*. It fuelled my escape. And sometimes, that's all you need. Pro-tip: Go early. Things get… messier later in the morning. And by messier, I mean, depleted of anything vaguely appealing by hungry hordes.
The Room Itself: Expectations vs. Reality. Share the Dirt!
The room. Okay, so, it was… a room. It had a bed. A fairly comfortable (or at least, clean-looking) bed. A TV. A desk. A bathroom that, thankfully, proved fully functional (phew). The décor? Let's just say it leaned heavily into the "beige and brown" palette. Think: Slightly depressing office cubicle meets slightly-too-warm motel room. I’m not saying it was *ugly*, but it wasn’t exactly inspiring.
The biggest surprise? The sheer volume of pillows. Seriously, like, an army of pillows. Fluffy, nonfluffy... It was a pillow PARADE! I tried stacking them, building a pillow fort, even sleeping with three. (Didn't work - woke up with a stiff neck.) It gave me the impression the room was designed solely for pillow activities. I actually spent a surprising amount of time just... staring at the pillows. (Don't judge me. Escape is hard. And pillows are… pillows.) The actual *cleanliness* of the room was acceptable. I didn’t find any surprising critters or questionable stains. So, a win? I’ll chalk it up as a win.
Location, Location, Location: Cortland Itself. What’s the Verdict?
Cortland… hmm. This is where my inner tourist went into a state of quiet contemplation. Not entirely sure what I expected. Maybe the ghost of Norman Rockwell? It felt… quiet. Very quiet. I mean, the Fairfield is conveniently located near a bunch of fast-food joints (always a bonus for a weary traveler!), strip malls, and… well, not a *ton* else, from my initial drive-bys. There might be hidden gems. I just didn't find them. I wasn't really *looking*, to be fair… I was, let's just say, emotionally occupied.
I drove around for an hour on the Saturday afternoon I was there, and I felt like the primary excitement came from a very crowded Walmart and the line at a local ice cream shop. I went to a diner and the experience *was* very nice. The food actually was really decent. But... it felt like a sleepy town. A nice enough sleepy town, but not exactly overflowing with the kind of excitement I'm usually after. I'm probably missing a lot. There’s probably charming bookstores and incredible artisanal cheese shops I simply overlooked in my fugue state. Probably.
Would You Go Back? The Million-Dollar Question.
Okay, the million-dollar question. Would I go *back* to the Fairfield in Cortland? Hmmm... Probably not. Unless, and I mean, *unless*, I find myself in another epic family-wedding-forced-escape situation. In which case… maybe. But next time, I’m bringing my own pillow, some industrialHospitality Trails
Post a Comment for "Escape to Upstate NY: Fairfield Inn & Suites Cortland Awaits!"