Holiday Inn at Newark International Airport: A Welcoming Place to Stay

Being the spontaneous person that I am, I decided to take a last minute road trip to New York City for my birthday. Keep in mind that this was my first trip to the Big Apple. I had no set plans. I didn't even reserve a room ahead of time. I threw my suitcase into the backseat of my car and started on my way. The New York City skyline was in view when my excitement was defeated by nerves. I really didn't want to drive into the city. I needed to find a place to stay. Luck was with me as I eyed a welcoming sign. A Holiday Inn was located at the next exit.

The Frontage Road exit led me to the Holiday Inn. Later I find out that this Holiday Inn is at the Newark International Airport in Newark, NJ. I walked into the lobby hoping that a room was available since I had no reservation. I got a room right away and it was on the first floor! I couldn't believe my luck. As soon as I got into the room I knew that I couldn't have picked a better spot. I surveyed the room. Not only was it clean but the bathroom had all of the necessities that I didn't bother to bring along. Shampoo, soap, hair dryer, and even a curling iron. I was in a double bedroom. The closet was small but for a single person like myself, it was all that I needed. The closet was filled with the usual hangers, and laundry bags. An ironing board was also available. For those are spending a lot of the time inside the hotel, there is television with cable. At the time of my visit the Holiday Inn didn't have wireless internet. They did have a computer room down the hall from my room. You fed the computer $1.00 for every five minutes. Now, looking at the website I see that they have added wireless internet to their accommodation's. That is a good thing since the paid computers can add up to be expensive, especially if you are on the computer a lot.

The Holiday Inn at the Newark International Airport is near the runway. I could see the planes take off and fly over the Holiday Inn from my first floor window. I thought this would be a problem at night with noise but it didn't really bother me. This is coming from a person that has a fear of flying.

The staff was kind and on top of things as I made my plans to venture into New York City. They had a map of the city handy for me to keep and they gave specific instructions on how to get around in the city. There is bus service at the Holiday Inn. The buses run every fifteen minues. The bus takes you to Newark International Airport. You take a monrail to the train station. Tickets are $14 for the train. It takes about 20 minutes to get to New York City by train. It drops you off at Penn Station in New York City. If you decide to stay after midnight in New York City, be prepared to wait on the buses. I stayed until one in the morning and had to wait at least a half hour for a bus to arrive to pick me up from the train station to take me back to the hotel. Also, don't be surprised if people are willing to sit on your lap on the ride home. The buses can get pretty crowded.

I didn't spend much time eating at the Holiday Inn. They have a cafe, as well as a restaurant. There is Teddy's for those who want to enjoy happy hour. My advice is to spend your money in the city and not at the Holiday Inn. I would much rather spend $2 for a chicken on a stick from a vendor than pay $2 for a glazed donut that they serve at the cafe. If you do decide to have one of those donuts, the Holiday Inn also has a work out room to burn all of those expensive calories.

If I ever get spontaneous again and take another joy ride to New York City, at least I'll have a place to stay next time: The Holiday Inn at the Newark International Airport.