Home2Suites Huntsville – Research Park – Hotel Review
I cannot believe you could get a hotel room this big and not pay an arm and a leg. When you have a large family or you are traveling for a longer period of time, size does matter. Who would have known that I would have found one of my favourite properties in Rocket City, USA – Huntsville, Alabama that is? Welcome to the Home2Suites Huntsville by Hilton, Research Park – I promise you, you will love what you see and want to come back for more – for a weekend or a month.
There is a reason why this is a popular accommodation for business or extended stays in the Research Park area of Huntsville. It’s where you will find a rocket scientist on every block – well at least you might if you work for U.S. Space and Rocket Centre, NASA/Marshal Air Force Base, Boeing, Redstone Arsenal, Seimans or any number of other high tech and aeronautical engineering company in the US.
What luck. What sheer luck.
It happened by chance when I posted in a TBEX Huntsville Group that I was looking for accommodations close to Space Camp. I was crazy excited about being an astronaut for the day but I knew I would be getting in late in the day. Little did I know that delays in Toronto and Chicago would get me into Huntsville, Alabama really late. As luck would have it, (and with the help of the Huntsville Tourism Board – Thanks Again), I got an email from the management of Home2 Suites by Hilton in Huntsville, asking if I would like to stay and write a review.
I was happy to oblige (because that is what travel bloggers do, we travel and write about it). The Research Park area is close to the airport but not quite in downtown Huntsville. This did not matter to us as it is conveniently located off a major highway that gets you both to the airport and downtown Huntsville in a jiffy.
Tip # 1: Catch an Uber or Lyft from the airport. The Taxi to the hotel was a bit pricey at $25 (with a tip) but there is no airport shuttle to this hotel. It is, however, easy to access from the highway if you are renting a car (and parking is free).
It was my first time in a Home2Suites Huntsville property and I was taken by this new hotel because it was similar to the Hampton Inn (which is also in the Hilton chain) and other extended-stay properties. This property, however, clearly outshines them all. Why? It’s the room. I was not kidding when I said that size matters. This has to be one of the largest suites I have stayed in. The master bedroom with an attached bathroom was very spacious but it was the attached living area that was exceptional. There was a large pull out sofa, a small dining table a pull-out desk.
The room also had a 3/4 fridge (something akin to a small apartment fridge), a dishwasher, sink, fully stocked kitchen. By fully stocked I mean, serving dishes, plates, glassware, cutlery serving dishes.
You can request more dishes for large families
Tip # 2: There are groceries stores nearby. Pick up what you need and store it in the huge fridge (well, huge by hotel standards). You can also ask for a hot plate from the front desk to use in your unit. They do not have these in the rooms. It is a first come first serve so be sure and ask when you check in.
With a compact dishwasher and a coffee bar. Who could ask for anything more from Home2Suites Huntsville?
There are different configurations within the hotel. You can request a King Suite with a pull-out sofa like I had or you can have two queen beds with a privacy curtain like my friend Paula had. Depending on the size of your party, you may want to opt for either of these two room options. Her suite also included a full kitchen, desk, and TV. The bathroom was slightly smaller than mine but I wouldn’t complain as it was still spacious.
The configuration in my room had a separate room with a king-size bed and an ample seating area. It also had a desk that you could pull out for more room or you could even use it as a larger table. There were TVs in both the living room and the bedroom. There were air conditioners in each room and trust me in the summer in Alabama, you will need them.
The desk can double as an additional table for meals
The bathrooms in Home2Suites Huntsville had one feature that I really loved for environmental reasons. They had body wash and shampoo dispensers. They are not providing small plastic bottles to every guest. It is built into the shower and is easy to use. I’m pretty sure the housekeeping staff likes that too.
The hotel also provided a very large fitness area as well as an outdoor pool. The pool faced a man-made pond that was very large and faced away from the highway. I found it very peaceful, clean and had plenty of chairs. There are washrooms located close by so you don’t need to run to your room if nature calls.
The fitness centre also had laundry facilities so you can do your laundry and have a workout if you wanted! It also had an extensive free-weights section and a machine that looked pretty mysterious to me but apparently, it was the latest in resistance training equipement.
If you were in need of detergent, that is a small tack store in the lobby with basic amenities and snacks. If you don’t find what you need, you can walk down the hall to the Hampton Inn tack shop and pick other items up. These two properties are attached by a hall and you can also make your way down the hall for breakfast in the morning.
Tip # 3: There is a shopping area about 5 minutes away. They have plenty of shops, restaurants and bars. Make sure to walk over on a warm summer night. It’s close by and the shopping was wonderful. We went to the Kona Grill and we had a bottle of wine (that we got to take home – sweet!)
For the best tips and an in-depth tour of the property, have a look at my video. I have many tips from taking a taxi, shopping areas and what side of the hotel you should ask for!
Disclosure: I was a guest of Home2Suites Huntsville – Research Park as part of #TBEXHuntsville. No other compensation was received. All opinions are honest and genuine.
Margarita Ibbott is a travel and lifestyle blogger. She blogs about travel in Canada, the United States and Europe giving practical advice through restaurant, hotel and attraction reviews. She writes for DownshiftingPRO.com and other online media outlets.
Seems more than enough for me:) Thanks for a review, it’s always good to have some recognition in advance:)
Although I was unable to go to all of the attractions (it would be impossible with so much selection), I wanted to give my readers a good idea of what is offered. The variety of things to do is amazing. We skipped the ‘kid’ activities but took advantage of other things. Well worth it!