<p>Thanks for that info, Sophocles! That’s what I was afraid of. I think I’m going to switch to the Mircotel. I can get that for $89 per night. I’d rather pay more than take the risk of a smelly room.</p>
<p>I booked the Sleep in for the Sat nite of Parent’s Weekend. It was the only hotel that didn’t have a two night minimum. Any advice on location we might try to ask for that would help?</p>
<p>bumping this thread so people can find it for move in info…curious if anyone knows if the studio rooms at Home-Towne suites have been updated. They seem to have a bad rep on this particuloar thread…</p>
<p>^ We stayed in the front building of Home-Towne Suites about 6 months ago and will never go back. One of the dirtiest rooms I have ever stayed in, with poor service to boot.</p>
<p>It would be on our no go list.</p>
<p>I had a room in the studios section of HomeTowne Suites for move-in and cancelled it a few days ago when I realized there was a big difference between the studios and the suites. Reading the past few posts, I’m really glad I did. We’re now staying at the Yellowhammer. It’s quite a ways off the beaten path, but I’m looking forward to something different.</p>
<p>That’s a good choice. Allow about 20 minutes from the hotel to campus. You’ll think you’re never going to get there…just use the GPS. It’s a part of the North River Yacht Club built by Jack Warner and is surrounded by nice residential housing. A tornado took out quite a few trees last year behind the conference center/hotel. There is a Publix and Hungry Howies in a shopping center nearby. While it is older, the rooms are nice, clean, and quiet with much larger rooms than most other hotels. They have quick breakfast items downstairs and there is a McDonald’s a few minutes away. Be sure to snap a picture with the huge elephant near the Golf Club.:)</p>
<p>Thanks for the info!!</p>
<p>This is the Microtel in Cottondale (still Tuscaloosa County) which sits beside I-20…not to be confused with the Microtel in Tuscaloosa on Veteran’s Memorial Parkway (near Home Depot).</p>
<p>[Man</a> and woman arrested at a Tuscaloosa hotel for manufacturing m](<a href=“http://www.myfoxal.com/story/19084382/man-and-woman-arrested-at-a-tuscaloosa-hotel-for-manufacturing-meth]Man”>http://www.myfoxal.com/story/19084382/man-and-woman-arrested-at-a-tuscaloosa-hotel-for-manufacturing-meth)</p>
<p>^ is that a new hotel amenity? Pool, breakfast, wifi, gym, meth lab…</p>
<p>Aside from the meth, is that Microtel any good?</p>
<p>^^^ I stayed there (Cottondale Microtel) in the spring and will try to avoid it in the future. It is kind of run down and kind of dirty. The bathroom light in my room didn’t work the light above the bed only worked the first night, and the key card worked about 50% of the time. I told the front desk about the lights the moring after my first night, but they still didn’t work that evening. Not recommended.</p>
<p>I’m not impressed with anything in that particular area. I’ll have to say I haven’t stayed in any of them in that area, but we did visit several when we were evaluating places to stay.</p>
<p>I’ve stayed at the Hampton Inn at the Cottondale exit, it was a “Hampton Inn” you know nice but nothing special, the staff were friendly, I’d stay there again. </p>
<p>It is a few miles further away than the Hampton Inn University but often times is available when the one closer is booked.</p>
<p>I stayed at the Candlewood and it was a very simple suite style hotel. There was free laundry and a small workout room, computer room with printer. More of an extended business stay place (living room-kitchenette with desk/table, separate bedroom and bath), but it was very nice to be able to spread out a bit. Very clean, nicely equipped kitchenette, etc. I would not hesitate staying again.</p>
<p>Almost didn’t see the hotel, though, when I was driving there for the first time as the Ramada signage is in located both before and after the Candlewood entrance. Actually realized I’d arrived by referring to the photo of the exterior on my reservation print out.</p>
<p>Speaking as someone who has stayed in many Tuscaloosa hotels, both Microtels are fine, with the one in Cottondale being older and farther away from campus. </p>
<p>Following the advice of CC, I booked the Wingate through Priceline. It is worth noting that the normal $50 or so bids weren’t being accepted and my winning bid was $62, which was reduced by a coupon I found. While it may seem far from campus, it actually is very close to University Boulevard which is a direct route to campus.</p>
<p>My family will be staying at the Hotel Capstone for my graduation as I got an excellent rate. I’d be interested to hear your reviews about that hotel.</p>
<p>For those of you planning on visiting Alabama a lot, it would be a good idea to understand the general layout of Birmingham and its suburbs along with Tuscaloosa/Northport as taking the backroads can save one a lot of time.</p>
<p>SEA_TIDE, we stayed at the Capstone for two nights on our recent campus visit and found it to be very nice. You obviously can’t go wrong with the location; it was perfect for us to roam around campus both before and after scheduled events. The staff was friendly and courteous, although they did send us to some restaurants that were closed on Sunday the day of our arrival… glad I confirmed those via internet before heading out. The room was spacious and clean and our stay was lovely. I am sure your family will enjoy it.</p>
<p>My family lives 2 hours from Ttown and our favorites are Hampton, Country Inn and Suites, Fairfield, and (I haven’t seen this one on the list yet) Comfort Suites on McFarland. They all have continental breakfast and are in good locations.</p>