Staybridge Suites “extended-stay” property near Baltimore Washington Airport (all photos courtesy Staybridge Suites/IHG
Staybridge Suites, an extended-stay property brand of the InterContinental Hotel Group, seems to “get it” when it comes to servicing their target market, mostly out-of-town business travelers and utility engineers during the mid-week periods, and weekend leisure travelers and families who want a safe and convenient airport property for early morning departures or late night arrivals.
During a recent four-night visit to the Baltimore area I checked into the Staybridge Suites property at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). The 104-room property, which opened in 2007, is located 2.5 miles from the airport terminal, just seven minutes using the hotel’s free shuttle bus, and only 15-20 minutes by car from downtown Baltimore. The affordable one- and two-bedroom suites are large, and every suite comes with a fully equipped kitchen, free Wi-Fi, a 32” HD flat-screen TV, a work desk with good lighting and plenty of outlets, and very comfortable, if not elaborate, furnishings.
Guest bedroom (not showing living room or fully equipped kitchen).
The basic room amenities described above can be found at many other extended stay properties, but Staybridge Suites has elected to include some nice perks that are part of the room rate, like offering not only a daily complimentary hot breakfast, but an “Evening Social” as well, with complimentary hot hors d’oeuvres, salad, wine, beer and soft drinks, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 5:30-7:30 pm, a time when many business guests are returning from their day’s appointments, or leisure guests are checking in. The dining area near the lobby has a fireplace for winter use and an outdoor terrace for summer evenings, and is a great venue for meeting other travelers or relaxing with complimentary magazines and newspapers.
Full kitchens are standard at Staybridge Suites BWI.
Inside each guest room closet is a plastic laundry basket for guests wishing to use the complimentary washer/dryer facilities on the first floor, and the hotel’s airport shuttle will also take guests to/from nearby corporate offices (Northrop Grumman, Verizon, BAE, Lockheed Martin, AeroTek, and Westinghouse) or to the light rail station a few minutes away where new, modern trains run directly into downtown Baltimore’s Convention Center, Camden Yards and Inner Harbor districts.
The “Great Room” includes a sitting area with fireplace and TV, dining area for complimentary breakfast and evening hors d’oeuvres, and “mini-cinema” room for complimentary film screenings.
The property offers a small but nicely equipped workout room with treadmills, cardio machines and weights. During summer months the outdoor swimming pool is another good way to get exercise, or for giving the kids some play time. Adjacent to the lobby is a mini-cinema, with comfortable theatre-style seats and a large screen, and the property offers dozens of complimentary DVD’s for film watching in the theatre or on your guest room DVD player.
The StayBridge brand is, of course, a popular choice for multi-week stays. During my visit I met a husband, wife and a daughter who were staying for three weeks, in a two-bedroom suite, until their new house in a Baltimore suburb was available for move-in, and a telecommunications manager who was spending almost a month at the property while working in his firm’s nearby corporate headquarters. With all the services and amenities you could ask for, including a little grocery market for sundries and a packaged food items, StayBridge Suites BWI is a real home-away-from-home for both leisure travelers and the business road warriors.
Review by Ron Bernthal
Contact:
Staybridge Suites BWI
1301 Winterson Road
Linthicum, MD 21090
Phone: 410-850-5666
www.ihg.com/hotels
