The two Best Westerns I stayed at during this trip were two of the best in which I've EVER
stayed. BW is steppin' up their hospitality game. So let's talk about this one in Salem.
Vibe
This BW had a great modern vibe. There was a nice lobby area with a coffee station. I like the mix of siding and rockery. The lobby and room were tastefully decorated with modern type art. It was aesthetically pleasing. I prefer the BW in Coalinga, but this was a close second. It also had a breakfast area and a bar. I'd never seen a bar in a Best Western until this trip and now I've seen two!
My room was really nice and large. You gotta love a big hotel room. It was decorated in shades of blue and grey. There was a large bench for my oversized suitcase. Nothing extravagant, just a bed, desk and dresser. That's all I need though. The tv was hung on the wall so more dresser space for me to utilze. I think this is a new concept that I really appreciate, especially when traveling long distances and you have a lot of crap to put places. The bathroom was large as well, with a lot of counter space and a good sized walk in shower. It was all very comfortable.
Cleanliness
The hotel inside and out was very clean. I have no complaints about that.
Amenities
This Best Western had very good amenities. The bar opened at 5 pm and stayed open until 10. I went down and had a glass of wine when they first opened. It was nice. There was a television behind the bar in case of sports or whatnot. They served local wine, which was very good. The server was nice and friendly.
Breakfast was served in the morning. It was your typical continental...sausage, bacon, eggs, fruit, cereal, yogurt, and baked goods. Theh good stuff.
I think most Best Westerns are pet friendly these days. This one didn't really have a designated dog area, but there was a poop receptable in the lot and plenty of grass around.
There was an indoor heated pool and hot tub, gym, laundry, and small business center. If you need space for a gathering, meeting, or party, they have the space for that as well. Seems to be becoming standard, but this hotel had electric vehicle supply equipment to charge your car. Instead of vending machines, it had a small convenience store in the lobby with many of your travel needs, beverages, and snacks.
My room had a Keurig, microwave, mini-fridge and the standard ironing board, iron, and hairdryer. This one also had an in room safe. I've never used a safe in a hotel except for overseas and Vegas, but hey, maybe some ballers stay in Salem.
What I did appreciate very much was that instead of saying you can't leave your room without your pet, because, in reality, people need to do things and go places that doesn't involve pets, they gave me pet sign for the door. Similar to the "Do Not Disturb," but it said, "Pet in Room." So if staff happened to enter, or maybe there was an emergency or something, people knew there was a pet in there alone. It came in a little pet swag bag that also included dog treats and a poop bag. I thought that was a very thoughtful touch.
The Staff
Personable and friendly. When I was at the bar the two there felt comfortable enough in front of me to speak freely, which I always enjoy. We had good conversation. Just very polite and helpful all the way around.
Location
I didn't venture out, but there were plenty of stores, restaurants, and fast food joints in the area. There seems to be a fair amount of recreation around as well. In nicer weather you can visit Capitol State Park. Taste some wine in Willamette Valley Wine Country.If you like to hike, check out the scenery at Silver Falls State Park. There is a ton of stuff to do.
The Flaws
Not much to fault. The heat in the lobby area wasn't working so when I went to the bar for happy hour it was pretty cold. The elevator was really slow and I had to go all the way to the ends of the hallway to get to the stairs. The hallways were long enough in which I felt there should have been a stairway in the middle. That's about it though.
The Verdict
This was a really nice hotel with a lot of amenities. According to my rating system the Best Western Premier Keizer/Salem gets 9.1 out of 10 hotel keys! See below for more pics of the hotel.
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