Travel Hotels marga@lacabe.com

Stay: July 2008 I had two main reasons for staying at the America's Best Value Inn & Suites in Healdsburg. First and foremost, it was modestly priced and did not require a two-night stay, unlike pretty much every other nearby hotel and B&B. Secondly, it had gotten pretty good reviews at Tripadvisor.com. And indeed, the hotel is not a bad place to stay. It features institutional, but clean and comfortable rooms, and a friendly, if overworked, staff. All the rooms at American's Best Value Inn overlook the parking lot. Ours was on the second floor. It came with a queen-size bed, night tables, a dresser and a large TV. It also had a fridge, and probably other amenities I didn't notice. The bed was comfortable in a generic way. The bathroom had a small bathtub. As I mentioned, the room was clean and in a good state, the furnishings were reasonably new and there were no funny smells. Though there were people with children staying in other rooms, it wasn't loud at all. And indeed, we couldn't even hear the 4th of July fireworks from inside our room. Shampoo/conditioner combo, lotion and soap are provided. There is in-room speedy internet connectivity (not wireless). The hotel itself doesn't offer much. There is a swimming pool (we didn't use it) and "breakfast" offered in the front office in the morning. This so-called breakfast consists of coffee/tea/juice, corn flakes, small bagels and a "do-it-yourself waffle." There were no pastries or fruit. The waffle machine was always busy, and the waffle it turned out was chewy and not tasty. Next time, I'd just pay for breakfast somewhere else. There are two tables for two at the reception area, so you will probably have to take "breakfast" to your room. The hotel is managed by a very hard-working and affable couple, check in and check out were very breezy (I'd booked it through Expedia). In all, we had a pleasant stay. I wouldn't recommend the hotel for a romantic date, but it's a perfectly acceptable and comfortable hotel of its class. America's Best Value Inn & Suites, Healdsburg 74 Healdsburg Ave. Healdsburg, CA (707) 433-5548 http://www.americasbestvalueinn.com/bestv.cfm?idp=822