After arriving in Newark on our United Express flight from Austin, it was off to the SpringHill Suites Newark Airport for a quick overnight before heading into Manhattan the next morning.
Booking
Cash rates were the way to go for our quick, one night stay as I typically like to save Marriott Bonvoy points for more expensive, aspirational stays though the recent devaluation has made some of those more expensive. I booked this room directly on Marriott.com for $151 for the night which also included breakfast.
Arrival
After we deplaned, we made our way towards the AirTrain and took it to P4 which is where all of the hotel shuttles pick up. The shuttle for the SpringHill picks up at 15 and 45 minutes past the hour. Our bus arrived 5 minutes ahead of schedule and waited for a few passengers before heading off to the hotel. Roughly 15 minutes later, after a windy drive through a maze of highway ramps, we arrived at the hotel.
Lobby/Check-In
It was after midnight when we arrived at the hotel and check-in was relatively quiet. The lobby was deserted though there were a variety of seating areas that guests could use to relax and wait for the shuttle. The friendly clerk checked us in and, since they were out of welcome bags for elite guests, had us grab a snack from the pantry. She gave us our room keys and we headed up to the fifth floor.
Room
Our room was a standard king suite located near the elevators, though we didn’t have any issues with the noise. Upon entering the suite, there was a small kitchenette featuring a sink, microwave and mini fridge directly in front. To the right, the space opens up with the living room followed by the bedroom. The bathroom was located off of the bedroom. Mounted on the wall between the two rooms was a TV on a swivel, so you could watch from either the bedroom or living room. This setup made it impossible to watch things in different rooms but based on the size that would have been difficult even with two TVs due to the proximity.
The living room featured a couch with an ottoman and a side table as well as a desk with a chair and lamp.
The bedroom was on the small side but had a king bed with nightstands on each side as well as a small closet. There wasn’t a set of drawers in the room however. The bed was on the firm side and the pillows didn’t have much support.
The bathroom was split into two areas with the sink and mirror located out in the bedroom and the toilet and tub/shower combination were located through a door across from the sink. The shower was stocked with multi-use Alice + Co. branded toiletries.
Also, though it wasn’t whisper quiet, the hotel was fairly well insulated from exterior noise which is a must given its location between two highways next to a major airport. Though we arrived late and were up early, we didn’t have any issues falling asleep due to vehicle or aircraft noise.
Breakfast
SpringHill Suites offers guests a complimentary breakfast in the lobby each morning. Though we had brunch plans in the city, the late arrival, time zone change and switch to Daylight Savings Time had my body clock all screwed up so I headed downstairs to grab something to eat.
When I arrived in the lobby it was an absolute madhouse and was packed full of people. There were lines for all of the various food items and I ultimately just grabbed a bowl of cereal and went back up to the room as the lobby was too full to get pictures. Even the grab and go breakfasts were depleted when I inquired at the front desk.
Check-Out
Similar to the scene at breakfast, there was a long line of people waiting to check out so I just dropped our room keys at the front desk. Less than 15 minutes later I received a receipt by email and the stay posted to my Marriott Bonvoy account a few days later
Summary
The SpringHill Suites Newark Airport is perfectly adequate for an airport hotel. It is convenient, clean and has friendly staff. Unfortunately the scene at breakfast was a little disappointing but it didn’t matter much for our needs. When overnighting at Newark I’d usually stay at the Marriott located at the airport but it was 3x the rate of the SpringHill and with a convenient, free shuttle this was a no brainer. If the price is right I would absolutely stay here again.
