On my recent Midwest trip, I stayed in Dayton, Ohio, followed by a trip to Clarksburg, West Virginia. In Clarksburg, I had the pleasure of staying at the Springhill Suites by Marriott at 97 Platinum Drive, Bridgeport, WV. I drove from Ohio to West Virginia, traveling on US-50, which appeared to end (or at least turn into a business route) right before I arrived at my hotel. You can see the hotel from the highway. It is conveniently located near a shopping center with plenty of restaurants in walking distance.
Checking in to the hotel was quick and painless. I had a prior reservation, so I checked in quickly. The hotel sold their last room as I was finishing up with my check in. It is apparently a popular place to stay. The hotel appears to be fairly new. My first impressions of the hotel, as I entered the check-in/lobby area was that it was modern and upscale. Young college-aged kids were sitting in the lobby at a high top table busy tapping away at their computers. I guess there are some things you can’t do on a cell phone. There was a bar area that also served as the breakfast area just beyond the lobby.
My room was located at the end of the hallway. I entered the room with a confirmation of my initial impression of the lobby area. The room had a new, modern, clean and upscale feel. The room had a small area just inside the doorway with a deep sink, refrigerator, microwave oven and coffee pot. Adjacent to this area was a living room with a work station that separated the room from the bedroom making it a hybrid between a studio and one bedroom layout.
The living room had a wrap-around sectional with a couple of small tables that could easily double as tv trays in a pinch. The work station contained six outlets for charging electronics. There was one phone on the work station and another next to the bed, which seemed convenient, although I realized I have not used a hotel phone in ages. The back wall of the workstation had frosted glass windows that could slide open for easier communication between the rooms, or to make the work station feel like less of a barrier if more than one person were in the room. I was by myself, so the windows remained shut.
The bedroom had a king-sized bed, which is a step down from the beds in a full Marriott. While a bit stiffer than the Marriott bed, it was still comfortable. The bedding was new and clean and had an ample number of comfortable pillows for two guests, if needed. There was a large, flat screen television on a small dresser between the two rooms. It was able to swivel enough to be viewed from the living room or from the bed, but not from both at the same time. I would imagine someone at the work station could watch the television while it was facing either of the other two directions. The bedroom also had a wardrobe and a bench across the air conditioner that could serve as a sitting are or a place to hold your luggage. My window overlooked the parking lot and the tree-line across the street.
The bathroom was one of the largest bathrooms you will find in a hotel. The sink, shower and toilet are all located inside, with a sliding door separating the bathroom from the bedroom. The area is large enough for someone to shower while another person is using the sink to get ready. The sink area is easily large enough for two people to get ready as well, as long as they aren’t fighting over the actual sink basin. The shower was a walk-in design that seems to be more popular. Hotels appear to be going completely away from bathtub/shower combinations and moving toward showers.
The hotel has free wi-fi in public areas, free self-park parking, a small business center near the check-in desk, a restaurant/bar area, swimming pool, fitness center and a small sundry store. Wi-fi in the hotel rooms is $4.95 unless you have status with Marriott, in which case it is free.
I liked my stay at the Springhill Suites by Marriott in Bridgeport, WV. The hotel was modern, clean, convenient, comfortable and functional. The employees I dealt with were all exceptionally friendly. They were friendly at check-in, they provided me with a list of local restaurants and recommendations when I asked and were attentive to my questions. If you are staying in the Bridgeport/Clarksburg area, this is a good hotel to consider. Current pricing is just under $150 per night and they sold out during my stay. So the pricing must be competitive.
The title photo comes from the hotel splash page. All other photos are my own. They may be reproduced with prior permission.