posted
I'm also back to planning my capitol visits to Charleston WV & Columbus, hopefully for next March or April. The Cardinal gets in late to Charleston, so I'll probably have to stay 2 nights if I want to see much of anything; any hotel or other recs for that city?
I would then take a bus to Columbus the next morning. Any hotel recs for where to stay there--I'll be visiting capitol & seeing other sights. I'd then catch a bus to Cincinnati, overnight there (or maybe 2), and take the Cardinal home. I might have to overnight in DC because I cannot get into NYC late and catch another train upstate.
All in all, a fairly pricey trip, hotelwise, but I'm hoping for some good, safe, reasonably located, but not too expensive hotels!
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Charleston WV last autumn. I still contemplate living there. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express which was very inexpensive, totally OK, right downtown and has a terrific breakfast. Mostly business people it seemed to me. The capitol building is very beautiful, as is the whole town along the banks of the Kanawha River. I walked from the station to the hotel. It was a long walk across the river and up a few blocks but I had only a backpack as I was on a brief excursion from Charlottesville. My train was pretty much on time both ways.
Posts: 326 | From: San Antonio Texas USA | Registered: Dec 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Allow me to add a hearty endorsement for the IHG Holiday Inn Express brand. Their complimentary breakfast offerings have been significantly upgraded recently and now far surpass the quality of those offered at Marriott Fairfield. They nearly equal those at Marriott Courtyard and Full-Service but those are "pay".
While I haven't stayed at (Hilton) Hampton Inn in a few years, the current Express Breakfast fare exceeds theirs in selection and quality, however I will give Hampton benefit of doubt and say they have upgraded theirs as well, as those two brands appear to be "comp".
Then there is always the HI Express in Boca Raton that some others really did a trash job on, but last February I could find nothing to speak of wrong with it. I believe I am fairly discerning with hotel accommodations.
Oh and finally, I checked some rates at the Express noted by Mr. Miami for a stay next March; considering its downtown Civic Center location in a Capitol City, they appear quite "reasonable" to me.
Posts: 9977 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Holiday Inn Express has been entirely satisfactory for my wife and I. We spend a couple of nights in the one in Danville, KY when we attend the Great American Brass Band Festival each summer.
Sojourner, while it is probably not what you have in mind, should you want to explore Ashland, KY, the Ashland Plaza is a full service downtown hotel located three level, very short blocks from the old C&O freighthouse which is now the shared Amtrak/Greyhound station.
Here's a link for the Ashland Plaza should you be interested - Ashland Plaza Hotel
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks, David, but I will most likely be going to Cincinnati by bus from Columbus. I did once look into Ashland and there were some sort of problems without a car, I cannot remember what, maybe no taxi service in the town? but anyway, Cincinnati has many things I'd really like to see, so I think that is probably from where I'd leave. When I looked into it before, the second best thing to do was to take a Greyhound (yuck) bus back from Columbus to Huntington WV, overnight there, and take the Cardinal eastbound at a more decent hour of morning. Another option is to take the Megabus from Columbus to Chicago; I could then come home on a variety of trains and not be tied to the thrice a week Cardinal--that is possibility too, but the Megabus ride is very long!
City of Miami, the Holiday Inn Express in Charleston WV sounds great.
I like Holiday Inn and Hampton Inn, but they are not all the same--depends on the franchise.
If anyone has any tips on specific hotels in Columbus and Cincinnati that are safe, well located for tourist without a car, comfortable, and not too expensive, please let me know.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
