A Review of the Homestead Studio Suites at Cleveland Airport in North Olmsted, Ohio

The Homestead Studio Suites Cleveland Airport in North Olmsted, Ohio is aimed at travelers on extended stays. All rooms feature a kitchenette in addition to the usual hotel essentials. It is located near I-480, several chain restaurants, Great Northern Mall, a Target and a Wal-Mart. Hotels.com rates it as a 2-star establishment and it is moderately priced. A room for two adults booked through the Homestead website will run anywhere between $65 and $95 per night depending on options. While it does have some of the features found in the more expensive hotels, it is not worth the price. Dirty rooms, limited assistance from staff, unreliable key card locks and halls stinking of cigarette smoke are just some of the problems with this hotel.

The Homestead Studio Suites chain offers amenities to meet the business traveler's needs. Guests have free personalized voicemail and incoming faxes. Mail, faxes and packages are delivered to each room at the end of the business day. Outgoing faxes and a copy service are available for a small fee. All rooms are equipped with a WiFi network but it costs $4.99 per stay to access it. Housekeeping service is provided once a week for guests staying more than seven nights. Guests can request additional housekeeping visits for $10 each or a refresh service for $5 each. Towels can be exchanged at the front desk. While there is no fitness room in the building, guests can go to an off-site gym. A small grill and picnic table are at the rear of the parking lot for cookouts. One pet per room is welcome for $25 per day (non-refundable), with a maximum charge of $150.

The lobby is basic with a very small seating area. Check-in is slow but the elevator is prompt. Finding guest rooms can be confusing because of the building's layout. Dimly lit hallways also complicate the search. Every floor has at least one room specifically designed for guests in wheelchairs or who are hearing impaired. Each room has a kitchenette with a microwave, two-burner stove, refrigerator, toaster and place settings for two. An iron and ironing board are found in the closet and guests can wash their clothes in the on-site laundry room. A coffee maker with one serving of coffee and condiments can be found in the bathroom. Two small bars of soap are in there as well but there is no complimentary shampoo, conditioner or hand lotion. Guests can borrow a hair dryer and request shampoo, conditioner and dish soap at the front desk. A seating area with two armchairs and an ottoman, a desk and chair, and a breakfast bar with bar chairs are pleasant additions to the rooms.

Recent guests were dissatisfied and disappointed with their stay. When checking in, they asked about alternate entrances closer to their room. The woman at the desk advised them that the key card locks on those doors are unreliable. The hallway carpets were stained and there was a smell of cigarette smoke in the air. The room initially appeared clean but a not-so-close inspection revealed dried food on the stove, cobwebs, dirt and dead bugs on the window sill, cobwebs under the table in the seating area and evidence of lax carpet vacuuming under the bed. The bathroom was clean but the toilet would clog very easily. Luckily the room came with a plunger. The bathroom door could only be locked from the inside which made childproofing the room difficult. There were no trash cans in the hallway so they had to walk halfway across the building to the trash room near the front desk.

The television channel lineup was pitiful, mostly news and several ESPNs. The remote was out of range if they were in bed or sitting in the arm chairs, so they had to sit up and lean forward to change the channel. The breakfast bar counter extends out from the cabinets and is a hazard for small children because they can bump their heads on it. While the dishes were nice, there was no soap or sponge with which to clean them and no dishwasher. The sink lacked a garbage disposal. The guests noted a strong smell of cigarette smoke in the halls for most of their stay even though they were nowhere near smoking rooms. Soundproofing was poor. The bed was not uncomfortable but it was not comfortable either. Extra pillows had to be signed out at the front desk. The guests reported that the neighborhood felt safe and it is a bit tricky to navigate if you have never been to the area. They expressed frustration at the fact that there are no fast food restaurants nearby. Gas stations are also some distance away.

When asked to rate their experience as terrible, bad, fair, good or excellent, they said it was fair. Though in the next breath they said they were being somewhat generous. The 2-star rating is accurate in terms of amenities, but not in overall quality of the establishment or the service. The amenities are barebones, especially compared to other extended stay establishments in the area. The price is a little high for the quality of the room. The guests said they would not stay at this Homestead Suites again unless they had to. After filling out the post-stay survey, they were immediately contacted by the hotel's manager. She was profusely apologetic and assured the guests that the issues had been addressed with the staff. She offered them a one-night free stay at any Homestead Studio Suites to give the chain another chance. The guests feel it is an amiable gesture and are very appreciative of the manager's apology and generous offer.

The Homestead Suites Cleveland Airport is a passable 2-star choice when looking for an extended stay hotel west of Cleveland. Dirty rooms, unreliable key card locks, and lack of fast food restaurants in the vicinity are just a few reasons to avoid this hotel. There are far better options literally right next door for about the same price.