Rome Shuttle Limousine

When going from the airport to your hotel in Rome (and back), you really have three options. The first and cheapest is the train. For some, this may be best, but it can be a pain if you have a lot of luggage. The second is a taxi, which surprisingly is probably the most expensive. The third is to hire a private shuttle service. We did this through Rome Shuttle Limousine, which was actually cheaper than a taxi.

When arriving at the airport in Rome and passing through customs, our driver was waiting there with a sign with our name on it. Our flight was late arriving by two hours and I sent an e-mail to the company before we arrived to let them know this. Even with this, the driver was waiting for us with no issues. In addition, when we had to go back to the airport, the driver was at our hotel at the exact scheduled time.

Both drivers we had were courteous and the cars were clean and comfortable. Credit cards were accepted for payment after the journeys were completed.

When visiting Rome, this is the only way we'd travel to and from the airport.

DoubleTree by Hilton Des Moines Airport

We had a flight cancellation at the Des Moines Airport and needed a hotel for just 1 night near the airport. We decided to go with the DoubleTree at the Des Moines Airport, and we were glad we did. As soon as we called to make a reservation, they sent the airport shuttle driver over and she was there within 5 minutes to come get us. They even offered to take us anywhere in the area with the shuttle, although we did not take advantage of that perk.

The staff was very friendly at check-in, and as always, they provided delicious cookies for us and drink coupons for the restaurant in the hotel. At check-out at 5 AM, the front desk clerk was just as friendly and we enjoyed chatting with him while we waited a few minutes for our airport shuttle, which we had scheduled the night before.

The room itself was very clean and large. The bed was very comfortable and the wi-fi connection was fast. We ate dinner at the restaurant in the hotel, Johnny's Steakhouse, that night, and it was delicious as well. We'd definitely recommend this hotel to anyone staying in the area, or who just need a quick airport hotel booking due to flight cancellations.

Address: 6800 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, IA 50321
Wifi: Free
Parking: Free
Restaurant: Yes
Bar/Lounge: Yes
Smoking: Non-smoking
Hidden Fees: None
Free Breakfast: No

Renaissance Newark Airport Hotel

Written by Matt Rosenfeld
We had a very early morning flight out of Newark Liberty International Airport.  Since we lived about 90 minutes from the airport, we decided to stay at a hotel close by the night before to make things easier for us.  While this hotel can be a bit pricey, especially when looking at the fact that you won't be there for more than half a day in these types of situations, it is quite a nice hotel.

The location is only a few minutes drive to the airport or any of the parking lots around it.  The hotel does offer a "park and fly" option, but it was more economical to pay for a parking lot, which also provides more frequent shuttle bus service.

The room was quite spacious and clean.  The bed was very comfortable and the hotel's interior was quite nice.  From some of the windows, you can even see the airfield of the airport.  We also dined in the hotel restaurant, which was quite good, as well as spent some time in the lounge relaxing before bed time.  There are some very comfortable seats around the lounge for relaxing with a drink.  Also, wi-fi is free in the lounge, while in your room there is an additional charge.

Address: 1000 Spring St., Elizabeth, NJ

Wifi: Free in lobby, $12.95/day in room

Parking: $14/day

Restaurant: Yes

Bar/Lounge: Yes

Breakfast: $15/person

Smoking: Non-smoking

Hidden Fees: None

In-room safe: Yes

Scandic Bergen Airport

Written by Matt Rosenfeld We stayed at the Scandic Bergen Airport for the night before an early flight out of the Bergen Airport.  With the airport being under a 5 minute drive away, it was an excellent location for us.  The hotel had plenty of parking available when we arrived and the front desk staff was very friendly.  The room itself was clean and comfortable.  However, there was some paneling torn off the bathroom doorway and housekeeping left an empty shampoo/body wash in the shower for our arrival.  If you're staying here before a flight out of the Bergen Airport, it is an ideal spot (and much cheaper than the hotel attached to the airport).  However, this hotel is far from Bergen itself, so it would not be a good place to stay to explore the city for a few days.

Address: Kokstadflaten 2, 5863 Kokstad, Norway
Wifi: Free
Parking: Free
Restaurant: Yes
Bar/Lounge: No
Smoking: Non-smoking
Hidden Fees: None
Breakfast: Free

In-room safe: No

Best Western Albany Plus Franklin Square Inn Troy/Albany

We spent only 1 night at the The Best Western Plus in Troy, at Franklin Square.  Despite a torrential downpour that night, the staff was very friendly, helpful and in good spirits.  We used this hotel as just a quick stopover before a flight the next morning, and it was perfect for that.

The bed in the room was comfortable and the room was clean.  The room was a bit tight, especially once you bring luggage in, but otherwise everything about it was good.  There was free wi-fi, which is always nice and when we forgot some toiletries at a previous hotel, they happily provided replacements.

The location is about 10 minutes from the Albany airport, which made it easy to get to extremely early in the morning.  Also, across the street is an excellent barbeque place, Dinosaur BBQ, which we'd recommend to anyone staying at the hotel.

Golden Tulip Hotel Olymp

We only got one night to stay at the Golden Tulip Hotel Olymp.  We chose this hotel because of its proximity to the Munich Airport (about 10 minutes away).  It ended up being an excellent choice.

It has a Greek theme going on it, which we weren't expecting.  The room numbering is a bit confusing as all rooms, no matter what floor it is on, start with a 1.  The room itself and the hotel are both quite clean and comfortable.  There is also a decent amount of parking in the rear of the hotel.

We also enjoyed the free Wi-Fi that was available in the room, unlike many hotels we saw in Germany.  There is also a restaurant located directly in the hotel, which can be convenient, but it isn't a place we dined at for dinner.  We did eat there though for the complimentary included breakfast and they offer a TON of food, which was nice.

The one negative we found was when checking in, the front desk clerk wasn't very friendly.  It seemed like we were a burden to him and he'd rather be elsewhere.  He was itching for us to just leave instead of giving us friendly answers to our questions such as "Where is our room located?", "Where should we park the car?", "Any suggestions for dinner within walking distance?".  However, that was the only negative we found and we believe this is a good place to stay for a night before heading to the Munich Airport and flying home.