La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham San Francisco Airport West

BACKGROUND

In January 2018, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced that it was acquiring La Quinta’s hotel franchise and hotel management businesses for US$1.95 billion.

During a layover in San Francisco I was booked to stay in La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham San Francisco Airport West. This is one of two La Quinta properties near San Francisco Airport (I nearly went to the wrong one as I didn’t realise until I got there that there were two). The other is La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham San Francisco Airport North.

WHERE IS IT?

Situated off Route 82, the hotel is three miles (five kilometres) from San Francisco International Airport. The hotel offers a free shuttle bus that runs half-hourly.

WHAT’S IT LIKE?

The hotel has a classic laid-back American feel. I was greeted by a surprisingly chirpy member of reception staff despite the late hour (I checked in around 10pm).

ROOMS

I was in a spacious Queen Bed room on the ground floor. On each side of the bed were snake-shaped reading lights that were easy to switch on and off. The room was tastefully decorated with images of iconic San Franciscan landmarks, such as the Golden Gate Bridge. While the room wasn’t luxurious by any standards – this is a two-star airport hotel – I found it to be equipped with everything I needed for my one-night stay. Opposite the bed, there was a television on top of a chest of drawers. To the left of that was an (almost) full-length mirror. Inside the bottom drawer I found a spare pillow, though I didn’t need to use it. There was a lamp on the desk, which had two three-pin sockets as well as one USB socket.

The room had a kitchenette area next to the bathroom, equipped with a microwave and a Keurig coffee machine with four capsules. To the left of the kitchenette was the bathroom. The shower was spacious and had good water pressure, and Pantene toiletries were provided, along with a Fresh & Clean Revitalizing Massage Bar.

FOOD AND DRINK

My favourite part of the stay was the breakfast – a full buffet with no table service. I woke early due to the jet lag and had some time to kill before my flight, so I ensconced myself at the back of the small breakfast room with a book, and read, ate and people-watched for a couple of hours.

The room only got about half full and wasn’t too noisy; the food selection was all-American and included a section where you can make your own waffles. There were also sachets of instant miso soup available, which contrasted oddly with the rest of the breakfast fare – perhaps the hotel has a lot of Japanese guests on layovers.

The hot food included both regular and vegetarian sausage, as well as scrambled eggs and apple-filled pancakes.

There was a good selection of hot drinks, including seven different types of tea, whilst coffee was from a flask dispenser and included dark, house and decaf. There were takeaway cups available for the coffee. There were also three types of juice available: apple, cranberry and passionfruit-orange-mango mix.

LEISURE

While my stay was so short that I didn’t have time to try any of the leisure facilities, I did notice that the hotel has a small but nice swimming pool with deckchairs, and a compact gym looking out onto it.

VERDICT

For a one-night layover near San Francisco International Airport, you can’t go wrong with this hotel. The room was comfortable, quiet and well equipped, which ensured that I got a good night’s sleep. The hearty breakfast gives you a good start to the morning and the convenient shuttle bus means you can easily zip back to the airport for your flight. Michael Allen

I was greeted by a surprisingly chirpy receptionist despite the late hour