Review of the Comfort Inn of Ballston, Virginia

Comfort Inn Ballston
1211 North Glebe Rd.
Arlington, VA 22201
Phone: 800.787.6598
Fax: 703.524.8739
Email: sales@comfortinnarlington.com
Online: www.comfortinnarlington.com/

When our daughter moved into her dorm we needed a room that would be close to Washington, D.C. Our choice was the Comfort Inn of Ballston. It was only a few minutes from the school. Although it delivered one of the most comfortable room I've ever stayed in, other aspects were less than stellar.

What I liked at the Comfort Inn of Ballston
Charity shopping
Choice Hotels usually delivers and has an agreement with iGive. This partnership makes is possible to donate to charity with my purchase. (See this article on cause shopping).

Search engine
When I travel, most of the time I have to be close to a meeting location. The Choice Hotel search feature makes choosing the most convenient location easy. All I have to do is input the address into the search feature. In a flash you have a listing of hotels properties, distance from your needed location and price.

Parking at the Comfort Inn of Ballston
Free onsite parking added to the value of our stay. If the street level parking lot full there is a below ground garage. The street level lot is surrounded by the hotel. There was adequate lighting in both of the lots, no debris and the landscaping was nicely done.

Check-in at the Comfort Inn of Ballston
Although the staff was professional and efficient, check in did not go well.

As always, a credit card was used to hold the room for late arrival. We paid for the room in cash but the card was authorized anyway. The staff person said that this was for "incidentals." He was nice about it but said this was standard policy. I wasn't happy. Being told as I was handed change from paying for the room made me less happy.

All hotels do not do this. During my drive to Alaska in 2009 not one hotel authorized my credit card when I paid cash.

Check in went downhill a little further when we told him about my daughter's service dog. He removed the room keys from the counter. He then said he would have to see verification saying it is "policy."

He doesn't. Service dogs don't have to be registered. The U.S. Department of Justice is specific on that. After the card was copied he handed me they keys.

Room and amenities at the Comfort Inn of Ballston
The room itself was perfect. There was plenty of room. We appreciated the coffee maker and supplies. The wireless had a strong steady signal. Comfortable beds and pillows gave a great night of sleep!

Other things that we liked included:

100% non-smoking rooms
Free USA Today
Business center
Continental breakfast
In-room hair dryers
Abundant hot water
Steady shower stream
Gift shop
Convenience to D.C. and other attractions.

A restaurant is available on the ground floor of the hotel.

What's not to like about the Comfort Inn of Ballston
The negative experience at check in detracted from our stay. The hotel has interior rooms. Access for much of the hotel is controlled by key access.

Bottom line of our stay at the Comfort Inn of Ballston:
I will probably stay elsewhere if traveling by myself or with my daughter and her dog.

Price paid at the Comfort Inn of Ballston
We paid $109.14 for two adults in a room with one bed. This was after the AAA discount was deducted. Free onsite parking was a plus but it's not enough to put this hotel back on my stay list.

Sources:
Personal experience
Choice Hotels
Comfort Inn of Ballston
U.S. Department of Justice