Quality In or Out?

I was about to write off Quality Inn hotels as grungy, cheap places that I don't recommend. Our hotel in downtown Cincinnati was in disrepair, with ice machines that did not work, a broken elevator and a continental breakfast that none of us could eat. I couldn't even finish my morning coffee because it tasted so bad. It did have some redeeming qualities, the reasons for which I chose it in the first place: It provided comfortable beds and pillows for a few overnight hours and it was near the Newport Aquarium, where we planned to visit the next morning. But I thought I would not again choose a Quality Inn.

Then we found the Quality Inn & Suites of Richfield, Ohio, off I-271 in the Cleveland region, on our way back to Vermont. This hotel is listed in the AAA tour book, and when I called within 30 minutes of our arrival at the exit, it provided a better rate than the only other hotel listed for Richfield, the Hampton Inn.

We were delightfully surprised to find that this Quality Inn is a great place to stay with kids. It is clean and kept up and has an on premises restaurant for dinner and breakfast. It features an indoor recreation area with adult and kids' swimming pools, complimentary putt-putt golf course, large climbing structure with steep slides and tunnels and an area with mellow climbing slides for toddlers. Our room was adjacent to this indoor rec center. The boys were very happy here. Adam said it was the best hotel of the trip. We stayed an extra few hours in the morning so the kids could enjoy the amenities.


Quality Inn & Suites, 4742 Brecksville Road, Richfield, Ohio. www.choicehotels.com