SpringHill Suites by Marriott Lawrence Downtown — Hotel in Lawrence

Carved into a repurposed building that was originally a factory outlet mall, this is probably the oddest Spring Hill Suites you will ever see. The entrance is a skywalk bridge that leads to the lobby...on the third floor. It has a great view of the mall's atrium that looked down to the first floor food court. The food court area is now the Spring Hill Suites pool.

I had a whirlpool suite on the first floor. The first floor rooms are all on one side of the hallway. The walk from the elevator can be long. The atrium space that was once the outlet's main entrance is big and completely devoid of anything. It's just bizarre. Between the atrium and the corridors, I got a real haunting vibe.

The room was HUGE, but didn't really need to be. It had a typical older Spring Hill Suites interior, but the space between the couch and the television, and the bed and the second television, was so distant that I had to walk up to the sets to be able to read the program guide. The windows were wall-to-wall and ceiling-to-floor and right on the riverwalk. The whirlpool was right there, facing the windows. They were completely curtained, so no real problem, but you could open them wide if you wanted. An exhibitionist's dream.

The thing that had me wondering most though was the earplugs provided on the bedside table. Had to wonder about that. I found out at 3 or 4 am when the trains got going. Multiple horns, track rumbling, brake squeals. Some of the horns sounded like dying gerbils. Only enhanced the haunting feeling.

The one complaint I have staff-wise is the parking situation. Spring Hill Suites has designated spots for guests on the top deck of the parking garage (the level you enter at). The desk clerk explained this (the spots have green parking stripes) but did NOT explain that there's a parking pass in your key folder that needs to be placed on the dashboard of your vehicle. I DID notice the slip after getting settled in my room and went back and asked about it, so I didn't have any ticket issues.

One really cool thing is the proximity of this location to Manhattan St. I was in town to see a concert at the Granada and walked the half mile. The whole walk passed by great looking local shops and restaurants. A far cry from the offerings this building once housed.

If you're in the mood for something strange, or just want to freak out the morning joggers, this...

Stayed in several hotels on our trip out west. This was a nice surprise. Location seemed odd at first. I believe it was built on a cliff next to the Kansas River. The office desk was located I either the second or third floor. It was unique and nice.

The desk clerks both in the evening and following morning were extremely helpful and friendly. Just a nice vibe.

The room was comfortable and better than adequate. Separate sitting area from the bed section. We didn’t feel cramped at all. First time on this trip that we didn’t need an elevator to reach the front desk or parking lot. The handicapped parking spots were extremely close and convenient to the front doors.

The desk clerks both suggested going downtown for dining, which was only a couple blocks away. We weren’t happily about it at first, but we were hungry after a long day on the road.

We found street parking very easily and ended up at a pizza restaurant suggested by our desk clerk (forget the name at the moment). Good service and good pizza. Downtown Lawrence, KS, is a quaint little place. Tree lined street didn’t give it a “city” feel. I was impressed. We also felt safe the whole time.

The next morning we tried the Fred continental breakfast. I’ll say this. It’s the only hotel on our trip that offered both sausage and bacon. The egg sandwiches were fresh, not dried out. They also offered oatmeal that looked yummy. I skipped it this time because as I mentioned earlier, they had both sausage and bacon.

It was a little difficult finding this location from I-70E, but it was extremely easy getting back on the next morning, with a gas station along the way before getting on the highway.

This was a bit out of the way for us; reasons not necessary to detail. That said, we’ll make it a point to stop here again the next time we travel this route.

Finally, the room rate was more than fair. It was our lowest cost...

A great location with wonderful views, though it could use some refreshing.

On the good side, Dave, Carnie, and a few people whose names I didn’t catch at the front desk (we were there for four days) were wonderful. They dealt quickly with questions and requests and seemed genuinely happy to interact with guests.

The breakfast buffet was outstanding over the weekend, and the fellow keeping it up was really friendly. It was off a little Monday and Tuesday as more pre-fab breakfast items appeared, and scrambled eggs disappeared (what the heck is a “frittata” anyway, and who thought they were a good idea? It looks like the Marriott people bought a couple million, however).

The rooms are spacious and set up well though I’m sure there are those who would lament the paucity of USB ports and small televisions. The guest laundry was also quite welcome, and it was clean and functional.

On the bad side, the pool and fitness center were closed for “maintenance” over the weekend though I saw no “maintainers” while we were there.

As I mentioned, the building, except for the lobby, could use a refresh. The bathrooms have aged, and someone has sealed shut the cheap windows that have marvellous views of the river and left the windows very dirty (the dirtiness goes for the public area windows as well).

Every public access point seems to be an employee “smoke break” area, and the door to the city’s walkway on the riverfront smells like a Phish concert.

We’ve stayed at the Spring Hill Suites a dozen times or so since it opened, and it’s great to see that the management has hired such friendly and efficient people for the front desk (it hasn’t always been the case).

A nice, clean place to stay if you’re visiting Lawrence, and the staff is as accommodating as any...