<p>My wife and I are heading to visit son this weekend…non football game weekend for a change of pace. Alot of hotels booked for Friday night…not sure why. Have reservation at The Capstone for both nights…</p>
<p>Anyone stayed there and have an opinion on the hotel…?</p>
<p>Yes, I’ve stayed there (on a crazy football weekend). Found the rooms a bit tired and ordinary. The staff was exceptionally polite and helpful. The food was ok. The location and parking were great if it’s access to the University you’re looking for.</p>
<p>We stayed there a couple months ago for 2 days for our campus visit. We found the room to be nice and updated. My understanding is that they have done recent renovations. As Malanai noted, staff was friendly, but they did give some bad input on what resaurants would be open on a Sunday evening… google saved the day, well dinner. Location can not be beat!</p>
<p>^^^Yeah, we asked the staff where we could get a healthy breakfast and they recommended Rama Jama’s. Now don’t get me wrong, y’all, I loved the place . . . but something was lost in translation. :)</p>
<p>Malanai- “Healthy” in the south can mean robust. As in “she is a healthy girl” translation: she is a big girl. </p>
<p>Only time I have been called “healthy” in my life was when I lived in the south! LOL</p>
<p>We have stayed at the Capstone many times with mixed experiences ranging the really bad to very nice. The quality of the rooms varies greatly from unacceptable to good…I wouldn’t say great. Customer service runs from extremely poor to excellent. The only thing I can say is consistent is location, location, location.</p>
<p>We have actually arrived a few times to find our club level room was given to someone else and we were assigned a room that was completely unacceptable even though we arrived with confirmed reservations in the early evening. On one visit we left because the heat was stuck on and the room was more than 90 degrees. There was mold on the ceiling, vents, and in the bathroom that had been freshly painted over to disguise it. To be fair, we have also had good experiences there. It depends on your room assignment, who is working the desk, whether there are special events being held there, and how busy the hotel is during your stay.</p>
<p>If location is your criteria, stay at Capstone because you can literally walk back and forth to anywhere on campus. Although the Hampton on Harper Lee is close, you cannot walk to campus across McFarland Boulevard. It is newer, cleaner, and more consistent than Capstone.</p>
<p>The Hilton Garden Inn is between 5 and 10 minutes from campus depending on the route you take and traffic. We’ve had good experiences staying there. Others I would consider include The Holiday Inn Express or The Country Inn & Suites. The Yellow Hammer is okay, but the drive is substantial and it is an older facility.</p>
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<p>Yes, indeedy. :)</p>
<p>Yikes, I hope we have a good room, staying there for my son’s tour in a couple weeks. Only there one night and i think the proximity to campus will trump other aesthetic issues…</p>
<p>You cannot beat the location. My advice would be to ask for a club level room and to book online for the lowest price. As I said, we have also had good experiences during our stays. I hope you enjoy your stay and your visit to campus.</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback…this is our 5th trip to Tuscaloosa…usually stay at the Wingate which we like…have stayed at the Laquinta on Macfarland and 30 one time as nothing else was available…I now know why they have rooms always available…I wouldnot house prisoners in that place…yikes…!</p>
<p>Malanai - Rama Jama healthy means only one heart valve gets clogged …</p>
<p>As I’m an typing this, a text came in from my son informing me his fraternity formal is going to be $595 with a $100 deposit due on 10/25…thank you very much son</p>
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<p>Right on. If John Wayne could get by on one lung, what’s a clogged valve in the greater scheme of things? We’re here for a good time, not a long time, right?</p>
<p>Saddle up and Roll Tide! ;)</p>
<p>Ha ha Searchguy, the formal. I haven’t even asked about that this year. Crazy $$</p>
<p>I’ve stayed a couple of times. Mixed experience. The first time we got a HUGE room, a suite. Why was it huge? Because it was right over ALL the air conditioners, which sounded like a revving jet engine. I used the ear plugs that I bring to deal with hubby’s snoring, but we asked for a different room for the next night. That room was a little shabby and rundown - it had been primo but needed an overhaul. Other time, no problem at all.
Our sorority house is being dedicated this weekend, but SOMETHING else is going on, because the Harper Lee Hampton was booked up a LONG time ago. We’re staying at Jameson Inn this weekend.</p>
<p>I noticed the Jameson last time I went to Lowes. It looked decent from what I could tell from the outside.</p>
<p>I’m having my family say at the Hotel Capstone for graduation because I got an excellent rate. Granted, the hotel did delete my reservation a couple months later and it took a few calls to get it rebooked, but it is an excellent rate for a club level room and includes breakfast.</p>
<p>A few years back, the Hotel Capstone used to be a Sheraton. </p>
<p>Some departments will host events at the Hotel Capstone rather than the Bryant Conference Center as it stays open when the University closes due to weather and has a liquor license.</p>
<p>I stayed at Capstone this weekend and would not want to stay there again. I stayed because of the location, but since the Honors department arranged parking for us right next to Nott Hall, it was not necessary to be so close. The worst part of the stay was the clock radio- it was an art deco type design with a light on the front- looked cool but was like having a flash light in your eyes all night. We tried covering it up with a pillow but that didn’t really work. We were afraid to unplug it as didn’t want to oversleep- but the alarm didn’t go off anyway so we should have! The wireless internet wouldn’t work in our room and a desultory front desk clerk plus no free breakfast. Give me the Hampton any day. Also, you can walk to campus from the Hampton on Harper Lee but it is a little bit of a walk. There is a tunnel under McFarland- go right when you exit the hotel.</p>
<p>I suggest checking back with some of the other hotels to see if they have had a cancellation. I would stay at Capstone before I slept in the car, but it wouldn’t be high on my list.</p>
<p>I stayed at the Jameson during recruitment…my friend also did…totally different experiences…my room…great…her room…gross!! So buyer beware! Have stayed at the Hampton…it was great…but I have to tell you we continue to LOVE the Country Inn and Suites down on McFarland. It’s a way from campus but they are so great about treating you like you are number one in their book!..They have a free breakfast that is good…eggs, waffles, fresh fruit, grits or oatmeal…seriously it’s good (and I am very picky!!). We stayed ther for the OleMiss game …booked on line last January but price for a hot tub suite was less than $200…they give goodie bags…
As far as Rama Jamas goes…you should go once…it’s an icon and worth the cholesterol bombs…</p>
<p>Seatide,</p>
<p>If you want to be sure your family gets the room you reserved I would suggest having them arrive as early as possible. It has happened to us more than once that our room was given to someone who walked in just before us without reservations and we were left with an unacceptable room in exchange. Also, you can decline the additional charges added to your room for the safe and the USA today paper by notifying the front desk. They really like to tack on extra charges upon your departure if you aren’t careful. The online price is generally much cheaper than calling and they will not match the rate by phone. The online rate for a club level room is often cheaper than the regular room rate or parent program rate for a regular room. It is worth doing your homework.</p>
<p>Wow, a tunnel? I didn’t realize that was there!</p>
<p>Uh oh, you guys are scaring me. Booked Capstone for mid November for the closeness to campus and stadium for the game that weekend. We wont be arriving until 11pm the night before sons honors tour so i figured the closeness would allow us to sleep a little more then walk right across the street for the tour.</p>
<p>I’ve stayed at the Country Inn and Suites and it was pretty nice except for when we returned to our room and the door was open. Don’t know why but it wasn’t us. Wasn’t happy. Last trip we stayed at Microtel right near Target. It was nice. I am staying there again this weekend too for less than $80 a night. Can’t beat that.</p>