When you have a vacation or getaway spot that you visit often, chances are you also have a go-to accommodation or lodging spot. If your dates are flexible, then you can almost be sure to find an opening at your fav hotel or resort. What happens when your dates are inflexible, though, and your number one draft pick isn't available? It can be a little scary, but can also be a great opportunity to find something off the beaten path. You may find that you love the new place or it may just drive home for you the fact that your number one is your must have for a reason. Either way, you'll definitely learn something! This happened to me recently when I had to find accommodations near Hershey, PA and the hotel I normally stay at was fully booked. I used my number one favorite booking site to find place, and landed on the Ramada by Wyndham Hershey/Harrisburg area.
My First Impressions
My first sight of the hotel was actually from Interstate 81 as we were passing by it on the first leg of our trip. I remember seeing the sign for the Ramada up on this hill, and thinking "Huh, I wonder if that's the hotel we're staying at on the way back?" Sure enough, that was it! Getting to the hotel was relatively easy, it's basically right off of 81, so easy on/off a major highway. The parking lot is spacious, and depending on where your room is, you can see your car from your window. The hotel lobby had high ceilings and was nice and open, with couches and a fireplace if you need a place to take a call or something outside of your room. The pool area was warm and clean, and the pool was decent sized. The elevator was on the small side, the luggage trolley just barely fit in there, but I only had to go up one floor so it wasn't a big deal. The room we were in had two queen beds and an area with a pull out sofa. The sofa had a kind of 80's motel vibe...and it also wasn't the most comfortable. The room itself was very clean, the bathroom was well stocked with towels and Dove brand toiletries, and had lots of counter space. The sink was a little weird, it was really shallow and the spout was a little different...it kind of looked like someone had just sheared off the top of a normal rectangular flat spout so you could see the water coming out. There was a large window with a view of the parking lot, and the beds were in a separate area from where the couch was. It was kind of dim, the lighting in the room wasn't the best, but we could see well enough, so it didn't bother me.
Our stay
The area around the hotel wasn't spectacular. The food options were limited. There was a Burger King close by and a Subway and then a couple of Mexican and Asian places. Definitely no 5 star dining anywhere around, basically think like your typical truck stop area. We ended up driving back into Hershey for dinner because nothing around us stood out. The hotel was mostly quiet at night, we really couldn't hear anybody talking, but we also had a room that was at the end of a hallway, so we were only bordered by one other room. The beds were okay, they weren't lumpy or anything and the linens were soft. The pull out couch was definitely not comfortable, and looked rather worn down inside. When we got up, the sun was shining directly into our window, and you could tell that the windows weren't the cleanest. Again, it's not like I booked the hotel for the view out the window, so this wasn't a big deal. Plus, there was a hot air balloon in the distance when I looked out that morning! (See the picture above!) The breakfast area looked newly renovated but had minimal seating. They offered a free breakfast, but it wasn't anything to write home about. They had your typical continental breakfast stuff like cereal, mini muffins, and breads for toasting, but they also frozen waffles, sausage, and the type of egg patties you know were frozen and then put in the oven to warm up. However, when they brought them out, the egg patties were literally still refrigerator cold. When it was brought up to the person who was stocking the breakfast items, they apologized, but didn't actually do anything with them...just kind of left them out there and other people said something....and they just still stayed there. So, we ended up leaving and grabbing food from a fast food place on the way home. The check out process was the weirdest part. As always, the person asked how the stay was, and I said it was good (because again, no real big pain points). The woman at the front desk said that was good and then wanted me to go onto Google and give them 5 stars. Like she wanted me to stand there at the desk and then show her once I had done that. I just kind of said I really had to go, but that definitely made me uncomfortable and had me leaving on not the greatest of notes.
Overall impression
Generally, the hotel did most of what we needed it too. We felt safe, the room was clean, bathroom well stocked, the nightly rate was affordable ( I paid $89 per night, plus taxes and fees) , and it was easy to get on and off the highway. The lack of food options in the area, the disappointing breakfast, and the weird check out encounter were the biggest downsides. Would I stay here again? There are other options that I feel are just as affordable with better service and in areas that offer more variety as far as food and attractions, but for a one or two night stay, if you're not picky about food options or things like that, then it would work okay. The room we stayed in with three adults would easily fit a family of 4, and the fact that it has a pool makes it a nice option if you're traveling with kiddos who like to swim. Keep in mind that just like any hotel, it's swim at your own risk, they don't have a lifeguard on duty. It's also relatively close to the Hershey attractions, it took us just over 20 minutes to get there by car. Overall, the hotel was okay but the service could be a little better.
The Ramada by Wyndham Hershey/Harrisburg area is not a complete miss, but not a complete hit, either and that's why it gets a Kariviewd score of 2.5 out of 5 stars.
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