Dover's BEST Kept Secret? This Comfort Suites Will SHOCK You!
Dover's Best Kept Secret? Comfort Suites? REALLY? Let's Dive IN! (Brace Yourself)
Okay, so I just got back from testing the waters – or rather, the pool – at the Comfort Suites in Dover, Delaware. And the clickbait title… "SHOCK YOU!"… well, after this chaotic, honest review, you'll see why. Let's face it, I went in with skepticism. Comfort Suites? Dover? Sigh. But, I'm here to spill the tea, warts and all.
Accessibility: Mostly There, Folks.
First off, accessibility. This matters. They say they're doing it, folks, but the devil's in the details, right? I didn't have a wheelchair with me, thank goodness (it's a comfort suites, not a full-on luxury spa), but from what I could see, they seem to have the basics covered. Elevators, ramps… but I didn't get to peek into every single room to check for, you know, grab bars and all that jazz. So, call it a tentative thumbs up. Need specifics? CALL THEM. Don't trust me!
On-Site Grub & Booze: The Hunger Games Begin…
Alright, the food situation. Here’s where things get… messy.
- Restaurants/Lounges: No dedicated, fancy-pants restaurants per se. They sort of claim a breakfast area. (More on that trauma later). The "lounge" or bar area? Let's just say it exists. It's more of a… “drinks by the pool” situation, if you catch my drift.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: The Breakfast Debacle.
Breakfast [Buffet]: Oh. My. God. The breakfast. This is where my "shock" truly began. Imagine a chaotic buffet, a Hunger Games of scrambled eggs and questionable pastries. It wasn't horrible, but it was… an experience. Forget “Asian breakfast” or “Western cuisine!” This was… "Survival of the Fittest Breakfast." I witnessed a small child snatching a bagel from the buffet with a ferocity usually reserved for a Black Friday sale. The coffee? Lukewarm. The juice? Sugary. But hey, at least there was food. And, to their credit, they did have individual wrapped options for some of the breakfast items.
Coffee/Tea in Restaurant: Present, but not memorable. Think of it like the sad little brother of a barista's latte.
Snack Bar: Nope. Not really.
Poolside Bar: The best part of "dining," if there was any. While the pool offered refreshing water to enjoy, it did not offer much when it comes to relaxing and drinking.
Cleanliness and Safety: Hoping for the Best
- Anti-viral cleaning products: HOPEFULLY they used them. You know, the whole COVID thing? Yeah. Fingers crossed.
- Daily disinfection in common areas: Seemed like it. The lobby looked clean. Doesn't guarantee anything, of course!
- Rooms sanitized between stays: Another hopefully situation. They say they do. Let's just leave it at that.
- Hand sanitizer: Everywhere! Which is a good sign.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: They seemed to know the drill. Masked up, etc. But who knows, right?
Internet: The Eternal Struggle
- Free Wi-Fi in all rooms! YES. Finally! A win. And reasonably fast. Though, let's be real, it cut in and out a few times like my ex-boyfriend's calls.
- Internet [LAN] & Internet services: Don't remember seeing a LAN port. Probably not a priority in 2024, am I right?
Things to Do & Relax: The Spa… or Lack Thereof
- Fitness center: Basic. Treadmills, some weights. Nothing to write home about, but it’ll do in a pinch.
- Swimming pool [outdoor]: Actually pretty nice! Decent size, clean, and open.
- Spa/sauna, Body scrub, Body wrap: LOL. No. Unless your "spa" is a quick shower and a pep talk in your room. Not happening, people.
Services and Conveniences: A Mixed Bag
- Concierge, Doorman: Nope, definitely not that kind of place.
- Daily housekeeping: Yes! And the room service was great. The housekeepers actually did a FANTASTIC job I must say.
- Elevator: Yep. Necessary.
- Laundry service: I did not use it, but I am sure they had one.
- Parking – Free and on-site, A MUST for Dover!
- Cashless payment service: YES.
For the Kids: The Babysitting Myth
- Babysitting service: HA! Not that I saw. Good luck!
Rooms: The Real Test
- Air conditioning: Worked. Thankfully.
- Wi-Fi [free]: See above. Amen.
- Coffee/tea maker: Yep. Essential.
- Bed: Comfy enough. Not the best bed ever, but I slept.
- The room was overall decent. The bed was comfy enough, and you got the basics, which is all you can ask in a Comfort Suites.
Final Verdict: So, Should You Go? The Honest Truth.
Okay, folks. Shock might be a strong word. It's not the best hotel I've ever stayed in, nor is it the worst. It's a Comfort Suites. It's fine. It’s a solid choice if you need a clean, reasonably priced place to crash in Dover.
My biggest beef? The breakfast. But that’s not necessarily a dealbreaker. Just…go in prepared. Bring your own granola bars. And maybe some earplugs, if you're sensitive to the sounds of breakfast-related chaos. They're a comfort suites, not a luxury experience, and given that fact, my expectation should have been lower.
Would I go back? Probably. If I needed to be in Dover again, and it fit my budget, I wouldn’t rule it out. But my standards are now appropriately lowered.
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Okay, buckle up buttercup, because this ain't your grandma's itinerary. This is…well, it's my Comfort Suites Dover (DE) itinerary. Prepare for a rollercoaster. And maybe a touch of regret…but mostly laughs.
Comfort Suites Dover: A Slightly Unhinged Adventure
Arrival (Day 1): The Great Dover Disorientation
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Arrive at the Comfort Suites. Lord, please let it look like the pictures. Airport shuttle? Ha! More like, "Call an Uber/Lyft because you're too broke for a taxi." Okay, breathe. The website promised "spacious suites." My definition of "spacious" is apparently different. Hoping for a decent coffee maker. I need coffee.
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Check-in. Pray to the check-in gods for a friendly face. Please, no one who seems like they hate their job. I can't deal with that energy right now. Maybe, just maybe, I will get a cookie.
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM: Room Reconnaissance: Immediately search for the coffee maker. Panic if absent. Inspect the bathroom for cleanliness. Judge. Harshly. I once stayed in a hotel with…well, let's just say, the less said about the previous guest's hair in the drain, the better. Mental note: Pack disinfectant wipes. Always. Always.
4:30 PM - 5:00 PM: Settle in. Unpack the essentials: phone charger, book (pretending I'll actually read it), and a small emergency stash of chocolate. Let the hotel room vibes wash over me. Is there a view? Probably of the parking lot. Accept this reality.
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Commence the "Finding Food Struggle." Google Maps is my friend (and sometimes my enemy). Do I want to eat at the hotel? No. Too easy. I want adventure! Maybe a local diner? Or something with actual character? The hunt begins… Wish me luck.
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Dinner. The food…wasn't fantastic. But, the waitress was friendly. The vibe was great… it was like a time capsule! And it was exactly what I needed.
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM: After dinner, I decided to explore the area. The stores were closed, I had to wander the empty parking lot by the hotel. It felt desolate but peaceful. Was that a possum?
9:00 PM - 10:00 PM: Back to the hotel. Bedtime! The first night of any trip is always weird. The new pillows, the strange sounds of the AC unit…Sleep, my friend, sleep. You'll need it.
Day 2: Dover Deep Dive (and a Moment of Panic)
- 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM: Wake up. Coffee. Coffee needed. Pray the coffee maker is working. If not, there may be a small crisis. Seriously, I'm not joking.
- 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM: Breakfast at the hotel. Free breakfast, you say? I'll believe it when I see it. Prepare for overcooked eggs and questionable "fruit." Stash a banana for later. I have to. I have to.
- 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Dover Downs Hotel & Casino -- I will lose. I'm not a gambler, but my friend, Sarah, convinced me to go.
- 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch. I'm hungry. I can't eat any more buffets! I need a burger. Something simple.
- 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Back to the hotel. Reading and relaxing.
- 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Exploring town.
- 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Dinner.
- 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Shopping.
- 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM: Relaxing, watching TV.
Day 3: Departure (and Existential Dread)
- 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM: Last-minute coffee. Is the coffee maker working? Pray it is.
- 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM: Check-out. Hopefully, the bill is correct. And please, no hidden charges. I'm already emotionally exhausted.
- 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Travel back.
Notes & Disclaimers:
- This itinerary is subject to change. Heavily. Spontaneity wins.
- "Spacious" accommodations are subjective, and may or may not align with reality.
- Coffee is a non-negotiable.
- I am probably going to overpack. Always.
- Expect mild to moderate levels of existential dread. It's travel, after all.
So there you have it. My completely imperfect, probably rambling adventure in Dover, Delaware. Wish me luck. I have a feeling I'll need it. Now, where's that chocolate?
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Dover's "Best Kept Secret"? Comfort Suites... Really? (Let's Talk, Okay?)
Okay, Let's Rip the Band-Aid: This Comfort Suites... *Really*? Are We Being Serious?
Alright, look, I'm a skeptical soul. "Best Kept Secret" and "Comfort Suites" in the same breath? My inner cynic screamed. I'm used to those highway hotels, you know? The beige rectangles of…well, beige. But, I'm here to eat humble pie, folks. Because, yes. This Comfort Suites... it's legitimately… surprisingly good. Now, it's not the Ritz, obviously. But for Dover? For a quick stopover? For a place to actually *enjoy* a few hours of downtime? Yeah, it's a contender. Don't tell everyone, though!
What's the Hype About? Give Me the Goods! (And the Bad, Let's Be Honest)
Okay, the good: The rooms are… surprisingly spacious. Like, I had room to do a little (embarrassing) dance-off in front of the TV. And the beds? Cloud-like! I swear, I sunk into that mattress, and I didn't want to get up for the free breakfast. (More on that later.) The staff? Seriously, genuinely nice. Like, remember-your-face and goes-out-of-their-way. And the cleanliness? Spotless. I'm talking, "could-eat-off-the-floor" clean (though, I wouldn't recommend it). The pool and gym are a nice touch, even if I just *looked* at them. My inner lazy person was delighted.
Now, the bad (because, let’s be REAL): It's still a Comfort Suites. So, expect the occasional tiny imperfection. Once, my TV flickered a bit. And the elevator... well, it's an elevator. It gets you where you need to go. And the breakfast. While free, is not from a Michelin-star restaurant. It's your standard waffles, cereal, and questionable scrambled eggs. But hey, it's FREE. Gotta love free. And the location? Okay, it's near *stuff* in Dover, but you're not exactly stumbling into a bustling city center. It’s a car-dependent area.
The Breakfast: A Love Story? Or a Cautionary Tale? (Tell Me Everything!)
Breakfast... ah, breakfast. This is where the "Comfort Suites" really shows its colors. Let's just say, fine dining it ain't. Picture this: you're bleary-eyed, stumbling towards the buffet, desperate for caffeine and carbs. The choices are… plentiful. Waffles (the self-made kind – always a gamble), cereal (the sugary kind, let's be honest), scrambled eggs (which, honestly, tasted like… well, not eggs exactly). And the sausage? Let's just say, one quick inspection confirmed my initial, uninvited skepticism.
BUT! And this is a big but, the coffee was surprisingly decent. And there's something comforting (pun intended) about the predictable chaos of a hotel breakfast. The kids running around, the parents trying to manage them, the slightly awkward conversations with strangers… It's a slice of life, people! And hey, it filled me up, kept me going. So, not a culinary masterpiece, but not a total train wreck either. I'd give it a solid… 6/10. Maybe a 7 on a good day. And definitely a 8 when I am on a budget; which is always.
What About the Pool? Did You Bravely Venture In?
Okay, the pool. I'm not a huge pool person, truth be told. I always picture drowning, I don't know why. (It's probably my overactive imagination.) But I did take a peek! And it looked…clean. (Important, people! Clean pools!) It's indoors, which is a bonus if you're visiting Dover in…well, let's face it, any month besides July. There were a few families splashing around, clearly enjoying themselves. So, if you're into a quick dip or letting the kids burn off some energy, the pool's a definite plus. Me? I watched from a safe distance. I am not really brave.
But I did notice a guy, probably in his 70s, doing laps. And he had this *look* of utter contentment on his face. It was almost…inspiring. Almost. But I remained dry. Maybe next time. Maybe.
Give Me the TL;DR: Should I Book This Place or Run Screaming?
Okay, the TL;DR: If you need a clean, comfortable, and surprisingly pleasant place to stay in Dover, this Comfort Suites is a solid choice. It’s not glamorous. It’s not going to change your life. But it’s reliable. The staff is lovely. The beds are comfy. The price is right. And the free breakfast…well, it gets the job done.
Run screaming? Only if you're expecting luxury and caviar. Otherwise, give it a shot. I'm going to go back. It's a lot less stressful than I originally anticipated. I mean, I should have expected that, right?
Okay, One More Thing: What's the Single Best Thing About This Place?
This is tough. I'm torn between the bed (seriously, those beds!) and the genuinely friendly staff. But, you know what? I'm going with the *feeling* of… not being ripped off. You get a lot for the price. And that feeling, that gentle relief of getting a good deal, that's *golden*. It makes the iffy breakfast and the occasional TV flicker completely forgivable. It makes you feel… not quite like a king, but definitely not like you've just been mugged. And in the world of travel, that's a win. Seriously, I’d tell my friends or family to stay there.
