Merrillville's BEST Kept Secret: Quality Inn Review (You Won't Believe This!)
Merrillville's BEST Kept Secret: Quality Inn Review (You Won't Believe This!) - SERIOUSLY, Get Ready!
Alright, buckle up, buttercups, because I'm about to spill the beans on what might just be Merrillville's best-kept not-so-secret secret: The Quality Inn. And let me tell you, after my recent stay, I'm honestly still processing some things. This wasn't your cookie-cutter hotel experience. This was…well, it was something.
First off, the accessibility: The website says it's wheelchair accessible. That's important. I didn't personally test it, but it looks like it's got the ramps and elevators you'd expect. So, good on them for trying.
Internet: The Great Wi-Fi Odyssey (and Other Techy Stuff!)
Now, the internet. Ah, yes, the bane of every traveler's existence. The promise of "Free Wi-Fi in all rooms!" is music to my ears…and, honestly, it mostly delivered! The Internet was decent, not lightning-fast, but good enough to stream a movie (thank goodness for the on-demand movies!). And yes, there's a Internet [LAN] option, for those of you who are still rocking that old-school wired life. Internet services seem pretty standard; you can print stuff at the front desk. Also there is some Wi-Fi in public areas. My advice? Don't expect to download the entire internet. But you should be able to get your work done.
Rooms and Amenities: The Good, the Weird, and the Slightly Questionable
Okay, let's talk rooms. The non-smoking rooms are definitely a plus (thank you, Quality Inn!). I found the air conditioning was working, but make sure and double-check – I love a good air conditioning in public area in those scorching summer months. My room had a desk so I could get some work done. The bed was comfy enough, the blackout curtains – oh, the glorious blackout curtains! I was sold. I actually got some sleep! Then there was an alarm clock, a TV showing satellite/cable channels, bathroom phone (who even uses those anymore?), and a refrigerator. Oh, and a coffee/tea maker, which is essential for my morning sanity. I did have a complimentary tea waiting for me, which was nice, but could have been a better variety. It had a desk so I could get some work done.
There was even a slippers and bathrobes situation going on. Fancy! I can’t remember the last time I had a bathrobe.
Now, about those extra long beds… well, I'm a tall fella, but didn't need the whole thing. Maybe if you’re a 7-footer, you’d appreciate it more.
Cleanliness, Safety, and COVID-Consciousness: Trying to Breathe Easy
Let's get real for a sec. Cleanliness and safety are paramount these days. The Quality Inn seemed to be taking this seriously. I can see the hand sanitizer dispensers everywhere. Rooms sanitized between stays. Staff trained in safety protocol, or at least, that's what the signs say. I'm not sure how seriously they take the Anti-viral cleaning products. They have a Daily disinfection in common areas. And while there's Individualy-wrapped food options, I didn't actually try any. I was too nervous.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking Adventures: A Buffet Bonanza (And Some Weirdness)
Okay, the Dining, drinking, and snacking experience… this is where things get interesting. Breakfast time! Breakfast [buffet]! (I like Western breakfast) It wasn't exactly Michelin-star material, but it was breakfast. The coffee/tea in restaurant was passable. My take: it kept me moving forward, though I didn’t get up excited about the Asian breakfast that they offered, but I'm sure that's someone's jam. I saw bottle of water available, that can be helpful. Restaurants, Coffee shop Snack bar… I saw them but never tried them. Room Service is available 24-hours, but for some reason it felt a bit too lonely to order alone.
Now, the REALLY Weird Part (My Personal Experience)
Here’s the part where I'm going to sound like a crazy person. But it's the truth. I saw a Shrine in the lobby. A full Shrine! I wasn’t expecting that. I mean, what do you do with a shrine in a Quality Inn? I didn’t know whether to pray, or maybe just hide in the Soundproofing of my room. It's like they just added a few things and said: "Well, we'll see if it works!". It made for a memorable check-in, that's for sure.
To Relax or Not to Relax? The Spa Conspiracy
Sigh. So, the Spa, they Spa/sauna and/or their Steamroom are not well publicized. There is a Swimming pool [outdoor], but it's not really a "Pool with view" thing. I didn't see any Body scrub, or Body wrap, and there are no Massage options as far as I could see. I think they are Gym/fitness which felt pretty basic.
Services and Conveniences: The Good, The Bad, and the Slightly Unpredictable
They have Air conditioning in public area, which is good, because Merrillville can get hot. Also there is a Concierge. There is a Doorman, plus Elevator and Laundry service. I think they have Facilities for disabled guests. And a Luggage storage.
Getting Around: Freedom on Wheels (Mostly)
Parking is Car park [free of charge]! Yay! A Car park [on-site] too, and a Valet parking. Airport transfer is available, which is a bit more exciting. If you're into cycling, there is Bicycle parking.
For the Kids: Babysitters and Family Fun? (Maybe!)
I would suggest going somewhere else if you have children for this experience.
Overall Vibe and Final Thoughts
Look, the Quality Inn Merrillville isn't the Ritz. It's not perfect. But it's got a certain… je ne sais quoi. It’s like a quirky friend who’s a little rough around the edges, but ultimately, well-meaning. It's got some weirdness, some nice touches, and a few things that make you go, "huh?". It's clean, it's got free Wi-Fi, and the price is right. Is it the "BEST" kept secret? Maybe not. But is it memorable? Absolutely. SEO-tastic Keywords Used:
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Lubbock's BEST Quality Suites: Unbeatable Rates & Luxury Await!
Alright, buckle up buttercups, because this isn't your perfectly curated Instagram travelogue. This is real life, a messy, sometimes delightful, sometimes slightly terrifying, and always slightly under-planned journey through the hallowed (and slightly stained, let's be honest) halls of… the Quality Inn, Merrillville, Indiana. Let's go.
Day 1: Arrival and the Dreaded Pool (or, "Where Did My Sunscreen Go?!")
3:00 PM - Arrival and Check-In Chaos: Landed at O'Hare (Chicago) – a chaotic ballet of luggage carts and stressed-out tourists. Thankfully our rental car survived the Hunger Games of the parking lot. The drive to Merrillville was…well, a drive. Endless stretches of highway, punctuated by billboards advertising things I definitely don't need. Arrive at the Quality Inn. The lobby smells faintly of chlorine and desperation. The clerk, bless her heart, looks like she's seen things. Check-in? Smooth as butter…except for the fact that my room key immediately deactivates. Twice. "Just the way things go here, honey," she sighs wearily. Okay, noted.
3:30 PM - Room Reconnaissance: Room 217. A symphony of beige and dubious artwork. The carpet might be clean, or it might have a complex history I'm not quite ready to unearth. The remote works, thank the small gods. A quick scan – no lurking spiders! Success! Unpack, and realize I've forgotten…SUNSCREEN! Screams internally. Already feel the impending burn. This is going to be a disaster.
4:00 PM - The Pool…or, the Land of Slightly Murky Water: Okay, I forced myself. After the drive, I needed some relaxation…or at least a good soak. The pool area. It’s indoors. The temperature felt tropical, but the general vibe leaned more "slightly neglected aquatic center." There was a lone, slightly deflated beach ball. And…three children, engaging in what can only be described as a synchronized splashing routine. They were doing their best, bless them. But, the water… I have to be honest, it wasn’t the sparkling, azure dream I had in my head. More of a…lightly chlorinated pond. I lasted approximately 20 minutes, which involved more frantic bobbing to avoid the splashing than actual swimming. Ran back to the room, defeated.
6:00 PM - Dinner Deliberation (and Wing-Induced Regret): Deciding where to eat is always the hardest part. After scrolling through endless reviews, we chose a generic sports bar. The food was… adequate. I ordered wings, and they were amazing. So good, in fact, that I ate every single one. Now it's 8pm and my stomach is staging a revolt. I think I will regret this decision at 2 am.
8:00 PM - Channel Surfing and Existential Dread: Back in the room, flipping through channels. The local news is depressing. Watching reruns of a reality show is even more depressing. The existential dread of being in a motel room on a Tuesday night starts to creep in. Reach for the phone. Call home. Talk for an hour. Feel slightly less alone.
9:30 PM - Early Bedtime, or Attempt Thereof: Lying in bed, trying to process the day, and the impending return of the wing-induced heartburn. A truck outside is rattling down the street every 10 minutes. Try to sleep. Fail.
Day 2: Searching for the "Authentic" (and Finding Slightly Questionable Breakfast)
7:00 AM - The Breakfast Bar of Shame: The clock is ticking. The complimentary breakfast. I head down, hopeful. The bagel is… starchy, the coffee is brown water, and the "fruit" looks suspiciously synthetic. There’s a waffle iron! I attempt to make a waffle. It becomes a black, crispy disc. Decide to eat a banana.
8:00 AM - Trying to find the “Real” Merrillville: Armed with a hastily assembled list of "things to do" (mainly based on vague Google searches), decide to venture out. First stop: a "local" coffee shop. They don't open for another hour. Head to the nearest strip mall instead.
9:00 AM - Strip Mall Safari: Walk around the massive shopping mall. Did some browsing. Saw some things I would never buy. Saw some things I wanted to buy. Bought a coffee. Feel less aimless.
11:00 AM - A Glimmer of Hope: A Real Bookstore: Found a used bookstore, and it was a treasure trove! Spent an hour browsing. Found a first edition of a book I've been wanting! Victory! The smell of old paper and ink is my happy place.
1:00 PM - Lunch (Again, Regrettable Choices): Back to the hotel to rest.
3:00 PM - The Art Deco Moment: On a whim, drove to a neighboring city. Found a vintage movie theater. The kind of place that still has velvet ropes and a real personality. Went there, and saw a movie. Bliss.
7:00 PM - The Hotel Room, Again: Dinner in the hotel room. A little bit of self-reflection. Maybe the Quality Inn isn't so bad after all. Or maybe I'm just exhausted.
9:00 PM - The End of the Tunnel: Decided to sleep. Success.
Day 3: Departure and a Lingering Sense of…Something (or, "Will I Ever Find My Sunscreen?")
7:00 AM - The Breakfast Bar (A Second Chance?): Nope. Same brown water, same fake fruit. I grab a banana and decide to skip the waffle.
8:00 AM - Packing is a Chore: Packing. Sigh. Find some change under the bed. Nice. Still no sign of the sunscreen. It got into a rift of some sort.
9:00 AM - Check-Out and the Great Escape: Check out. The clerk is different this time, with an even more bewildered look. "Have a nice day!" she chirps, sounding almost optimistic. I smile back weakly and head to the car.
9:30 AM - The Drive Home, and the Question of "Why?": The drive home. The endless highway. The feeling that I’ve experienced something, but I’m not entirely sure what. Merrillville. It's not the glamorous vacation I envisioned. It was more… real. More… messy. More… human.
(A Week Later): Find the sunscreen. Under the car seat. Figures.
So, there you have it. The Quality Inn adventure. Not perfect, not polished, but undeniably… memorable. And, honestly? I wouldn't have it any other way. Maybe I'll go back someday. Maybe I won't. But I’ll never forget that slightly murky pool. And those wings. Oh, those wings…
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Merrillville's BEST Kept Secret: Quality Inn Review (You Won't Believe This!) - Or Maybe You Will, Who Knows?
Okay, Seriously, Is the Quality Inn in Merrillville REALLY that good? The internet lies, you know.
Look, I'm going to be brutally honest. I'm usually a snob. Four-star hotels or bust, right? But then…life. My car broke down. Stranded in Merrillville. Google led me to… the Quality Inn. Initially, I scoffed. Quality Inn?! Sounds like a Motel 6 with a fancier name.
BUT. Hear me out. It's… good. Like, surprisingly good. Not *luxury* good. But surprisingly comfortable good. The beds are… well, let's just say I achieved a level of sleep I haven't experienced since I was, like, a baby. Seriously. I'm thinking, *maybe* the internet wasn't lying? Maybe, just maybe, this Quality Inn thing is legit…
What's the deal with the breakfast? Is it that sad continental… thing?
Okay, breakfast. This is where things get… interesting. The "continental" part is there. Definitely. Think: instant oatmeal, a waffle maker (the kind where you have to pray you haven't turned it into a solid brick of batter), and… pre-packaged danishes that look like they've been through the Korean War.
BUT! There's also usually something… *more*. One day, I swear, they had scrambled eggs that tasted… *fresh*! Another day, they had sausage. Okay, maybe not award-winning sausage, but it filled the void. This is where the "you won't believe it" part kicks in. Because the food at the Q.I. varied day to day and the day I was there, it was actually pretty decent. I'm still waiting for the catch. Maybe it's all a dream? Or maybe it's just… a really good value for the price. I need to be clear on this, I would rather not dream in the morning, but for some people that's what they are after.
The pool… Is it actually swimmable? Because hotel pools… ew.
The pool… Okay, this is where I have to be honest again. I am not a swimmer, so I did not test the pool, BUT! On the way to breakfast one morning, I peeked in on it. It looked… clean. Actually, cleaner than some of the hotel pools I’ve seen at much fancier places. The water was *relatively* clear. There was a kid doing cannonballs, who appeared to be having the time of his life, and a few loungers were occupied.
My experience? I did not go near it. It was a hot day and I did want the comfort of the AC in my room. That being said, from what I saw it looked… adequate. Not a chlorinated swamp, at least. I will not be using it as a selling factor, but your mileage may vary.
Okay, spill the tea. Were there any… issues? Any deal-breakers?
Alright, the downsides. No place is perfect! And yes, there were a few tiny imperfections. First: the carpet. Let’s just say it had seen some things. There were a few stains. Nothing horrific, mind you, but… it could use a shampoo. Second: the internet. It was… functional. Not lightning fast. Good enough for basic browsing and work email, but don’t expect to stream HD anything.
Also, and this is SUPER specific, the ice machine on my floor was… out of order. Now, this might not phase some people. But I like my ice! I had to walk all the way down to the first floor for it. First world problems, I know. I am still not over it. But in the grand scheme of things, a short walk for ice is not a deal-breaker.
What was the BEST part? Give me the juicy deets!
THE BEST part… okay, here we go. It wasn’t the luxurious thread count of the sheets, let me tell you. It was the STAFF. This is where the Merrillville Quality Inn really shines. Specifically: there was a front desk clerk named Brenda. And Brenda… Brenda is an ANGEL.
I was having a complete meltdown - car broken down, stranded, late for an appointment, and just generally a mess. Brenda was a ray of sunshine. She was patient, kind, and utterly unfazed by my chaos. She got me a room, reassured me about the car situation (even offering to call a tow truck!), and just… made me feel human again. She even gave me the best restaurant recommendation I've had in months (check out the local "Red Lobster" lol). That level of service is, frankly, astounding. I went there feeling like I was at the end of my rope and left feeling… okay. That is a feat. Seriously, find Brenda and give her a raise! She deserves it!
Would you go back?! Be honest!
Honestly? Yes. Dammit, yes! If I'm ever in Merrillville again and need a place to crash, I'm going back. The beds are comfy, the staff is amazing, and the breakfast, while not perfect, isn't awful. And even the quirks give the place character! It's not the Ritz, people, but for the price? It’s a winner. I'm already trying to justify my next trip! I just might go to Merrillville for fun now!
So, yeah. Go to the Merrillville Quality Inn. See for yourself. But don't tell everyone I told you! It's supposed to be a secret, remember? 😉
