hotel off i95?

[Kerlynne]

My sister is driving down to Disney, and will need a hotel off i95 that they can stop and sleep before heading down. Normally we always just drive straight through and crash early that night we arrive. However this trip when we arrive we will want to do late night at AK, so we need to have energy, we thought we stop for a few hours to get some Zzz's.
We are thinking of the last exit in Georgia which is Exit 3-Kingsland. There is a Best Western, Comfort Inn, Days Inn, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, Kingsland Inn, Ramada Inn, and a Super 8 Motel.
Or should she wait to get into FL? Are the lodgings off exit 373 better? There is a Holiday Inn, Microtel(never heard of these!), Nassau Inn.


It will be just two people and just to sleep, so doesn't have to have great amenities. She would like it to be as cheap as possible, without being gross or have bugs! lol

We did look online, but sometimes the pictures don't give it justice. And they don't show you each places rooms looks like if it's a chain Hotel, like these are. So that's what I was hoping maybe someone has tried one of these and can either give a thumbs up or ones to stay away from!

Thanks!

 

[ardig123]

Wow- I was just coming on here to post almost the exact same question. I am curious to hear what people say. I am looking for a place with either 2 rooms or even a suite somewhere in the same area... southern Ga or Jacksonville. We are also looking for somewhere nice, but also affordable. Sorry to post another question on top of yours op... I just figured there was no point in having 2 of the same posts/questions.

 

[pbharris4]

What is up with these servers??? Anyway, in Kingsland there's also a Country Inn & Suites. We were going to stay there but decided to fly instead. My sister has stayed there and said it's a decent place to stay. It's right by an Applebees, has Free Breakfast and indoor pool and 2 queen beds instead of doubles. There's also a cracker barrel down the street. Make sure to gas up before you leave Kingsland..gas is much cheaper in GA!

 

[Tink's Pixieduster]

I referred someone on another thread to this website http://www.usastar.com/i95/homepage.htm It looks like it has quite a bit of information about what places are at what exits along I-95.

Also, if you have a AAA membership you should go online or to your nearest office and ask for guidebooks for all the States you'll be driving through. AAA rates hotels/motels, and generally I think they've been pretty accurate. It will also tell you what to expect for a AAA rate. They also list restaurants, and although you would probably be more interested in fast food than a review of a place, at least you would know whether a hotel/motel has an attached restaurant, whether a restaurant is nearby, and what kind of food is offered. I always take my guidebooks on a road trip.

Have a fun and safe trip!

 

[kimbac3]

We stayed at the Ecno Lodge in Pooler GA. We had a 4 hour drive the next morning. Nice,not fancy but acceptable. Try tripadvisor.com and read the reviews. You'd be surprised how much info you can find out from that!
Also if you do a google search for the hotel you are interested in you will also come up with some sites with reviews.
Hope this helps,
Kimba

 

[C.Ann]

I'm going 88 to 81 - then 64 to the 295 bypass around Richmond - and from that point on, I95.. I've been scouting hotels the entire length of the trip and while everything "looks" good on-line, reading the reviews on tripadvisor.com will give you a better idea of what they're really like.. Also pay close attention to when the review was written.. A review from 2004 isn't going to give you an accurate assessment of what that particular motel/hotel is like in 2006.. I will not eliminate a hotel based on "one" bad review - if all of the rest are good - because quite frankly, there are some people that you simply can't please no matter what..

I'm looking for hotels with indoor corridors only (due to the fact that I'm traveling alone) and although they are a bit more expensive, most of the reviews of such hotels are good..

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

I'm going 88 to 81 - then 64 to the 295 bypass around Richmond - and from that point on, I95..

Coming off topic for a moment -- I'd highly recommend taking Route 288 over I-295. Not only will 295 take you way out of the way, roadwork at the 64/295 intersection has started so there may be delays.

Okay, back on topic.

Microtel(never heard of these!),

It's been years but I've stayed at a few of these. They're actually pretty comfortable and inexpensive. Don't expect a lot in the way of amenities -- IIRC, there wasn't a continental breakfast and I seem to remember one of them didn't even have the little shampoo bottles available, but for the price it was very decent.

 

[C.Ann]

Coming off topic for a moment -- I'd highly recommend taking Route 288 over I-295. Not only will 295 take you way out of the way, roadwork at the 64/295 intersection has started so there may be delays..

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Thanks! I had been looking at 288, but wasn't quite sure which would be best.. I'll be heading down right after C'mas, so I assume the roadwork will not be completed by then?

Toyed with the idea of I95 all the way (I'm from upstate NY) but I'm too chicken to attempt that all alone - LOL..

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

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Thanks! I had been looking at 288, but wasn't quite sure which would be best.. I'll be heading down right after C'mas, so I assume the roadwork will not be completed by then?

Toyed with the idea of I95 all the way (I'm from upstate NY) but I'm too chicken to attempt that all alone - LOL..

Here's a link to VDOT's website about the work. It's a fairly major rebuilding of the interchange, adding a flyover, and some other work. Not on the scale of the Springfield Interchange project, but something to avoid if you can.

 

[C.Ann]

Here's a link to VDOT's website about the work. It's a fairly major rebuilding of the interchange, adding a flyover, and some other work. Not on the scale of the Springfield Interchange project, but something to avoid if you can.

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Thanks! Several people are trying to convince me to go I95 all the way - due to it being winter and a lot of mountain driving if I go 81 - but if I do go I95 it would bring me right through that mess - wouldn't it?

Waiting for maps and info right now that I ordered from AAA, but any "real life" experiences would be appreciated..

As to the OP - definitely check out tripadvisor.com and read the reviews.. I have seen 3 star motels/hotels that turned out to be absolute dumps.. Nothing more reliable than reading the reviews from people who have recently stayed at the motels'hotels..

 

[ducklite]

There are a lot of great Hampton Inn's. We really like the ones at Richmond Hill, GA; Rocky Mount, NC; Stoney Creek, VA; and Florence, SC to name a few.

The only ones we would probably not stay at again were in Fayetteville, NC. We've stayed at both and weren't terribly thrilled with the area at either--Cedar Creek has exterior corridors and is next to a hospital so you hear the ambulances all night, and the other location has a run down motel next to it that looks like it houses a lot of transients, and we were concerned leaving our car in the lot all night.

Anne

 

[pbharris4]

Ducklite.....

Thanks for that info on the Fayetteville, NC Hampton Inns! We were thinking of staying at one on the way back. Personally, most of the hotels right off I-95 in Fayetteville aren't that great (I'm putting it nicely). Last time, we drove 10-15 miles into Fayetteville to stay at the Wingate Inn which was nice, but who wants to drive that far off every time? Once again, thanks, I'll make sure to cross Hampton off my list.