Crossland Economy Studios: A Nice Cheap Extended Stay Hotel in Durham, NC

I remember fondly those many hours I trolled the major travel websites looking for a reasonably priced decent hotel for me and my husband to stay for our visit to Durham. We were looking to relocate in the near future and wanted to check out the local housing scene. I drove myself crazy trying to find this hotel and that one. I wasn't finding anything in my price range and was finding hotels with amenities we really didn't need. Then those travel sites always add extra fees. I kept checking the location of the hotel against where we would be traveling often. I had no idea how large Durham was, so looking on the internet was a shot in the dark for me. It was getting closer to our visit and I still didn't have my reservation.

Then, my husband's friend called and asked him about his upcoming trip. He told him that we were looking for a hotel. He said that he had a nice hotel he could recommend to us with for about $40 a night. (Note: That price was the going rate in April '05. Prices are in the $50 plus range at this time of publishing, which is probably reflective of new renovation and technology upgrades to the units). I was ecstatic. That was exactly what we were looking for, something nice and cheap. This hotel is called Crossland Economy Suites and it was located in a perfect spot on Highway 55 (near the intersection with Highway 54), which wasn't too far from where we needed to be going back and forth. Unfortunately, this nice and cheap hotel wasn't on any of those websites I went to. What a shame. Crossland is also in a prime location with a diverse supply of restaurants, a grocery store, dollar store, banks, gas stations, convenience stores, car repair shops, etc. Crossland is also easily accessible to route 40 and 147. Research Triangle Park (RTP), Cary, Apex, and N. Raleigh are also not too far away.

He gave my husband the phone number, and I quickly and easily made my reservation over the phone. That was such a relief after my eyes started glazing over after all the days of looking online for a hotel. I considered myself pretty internet savvy at the time and was rather puzzled that I wasn't able to find this great deal in my searching.

When we finally made our way into Durham and checked into our room we found it to be in good, clean condition and good service from the front desk. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that it was an 'extended stay' hotel. Actually, it is more correct that this place be classified as a 'motel' if you define a motel is a place you enter your room from the outside. This extended stay hotel includes a mini kitchen with a microwave, mini-fridge, mini-stovetop, pots, pans, silverware, dish rack, and sink in addition to a standard double bed, table with two chairs, data port for your laptop, and TV. I couldn't believe we were getting all this for about 40 bucks! They also provide discounted weekly rates and specials for corporate accounts. This was truly the no-frills hotel we were looking for, but with the surprise frill of allowing us to save more money on food expenses with the mini kitchen. Crossland also offers other perks like onsite laundry facilities and vending machines.

Also, the outside atmosphere seemed to be good. It is clean and nobody's loitering on the property. This isn't a seedy part of town with suspicious looking activity going on where I'd concerned about somebody breaking into my car or my room. Nor is this the type of place that caters to people looking for a place to rent for a few hours for certain 'activity' if you know what I mean. Back in NJ, where we're from, the only hotels in the price range of Crossland were those nasty type roach motels with hourly rates that catered to certain types of people that I didn't want to be around. In other words, this is a family friendly establishment with a family friendly environment. It was quiet and we didn't have any problems with other guests. One additional plus is that they do allow pets if that's what you need.

So, if you're looking to relocate, traveling on business, or visiting family and need a place to stay for a reasonable rate and simple accommodations, consider Crossland or other hotels apart of the Extended Stay Properties network. There are a few other choices in the Durham area if you'd like more amenities during your stay.