Location: Boise, ID

URL: http://www.oxfordsuitesboise.com/

Price: $

Summary: I would stay here again, but I would definitely bring slippers for the bathroom!

I think this is a common new format for a hotel: put an upscale hotel near a mall/shopping area. I like it fairly well – you don’t get the awesome views (one side is a freeway, the others face a parking lot), but it is very convenient. For example, let’s say it snows in Boise in October for the first time in 110 years, and you suddenly need some thermal underwear… Well, there’s Walmart right there!

We asked for an upper floor, as usual, and our room was on the top/4th Floor. I really liked this hotel – the decor was beautiful with dark woods, a down-type comforter, and shades of brown for the carpet and upholstery. They had a free continental breakfast, which I considered a ‘cut-above’ the rest, as they offered hot scrambled eggs, hash browns and sausage in addition to the cold cereal, fruit and sweet breads.

Another neat feature is that Oxford Suites has an evening reception as well. I can’t rate that, as we were too busy with weddings and visiting friends to attend. Nonetheless, they still get points for it in my book. The pool and hot tub were indoors, but very clean with lots of bright, natural light.

The only thing that I did not like was the bathroom – the floors were done in a marble-like finish and it was ice-cold to the feet! The other issue was that the fan and light were on the same switch, so that the entire time you were in the bathroom, the fan was on. This was a little annoying if you were just brushing your teeth or putting on your makeup. However, it did have a deep, awesome bathtub with a separate enclosed shower.