Absolutely super!
I cannot describe how much I enjoyed my stay (7 nights) at this hotel. It was a bit of a treat for me anyway, being a 4* (I usually stay in 2/3*) but I was treated so well and had such a lovely room that it was a fantastic place to stay.
I have family in New Haven and was advised that the Omni was the nicest and most convenient hotel...and the one in the safest location. This very much proved to be the case. At least one other major chain hotel here (which I had considered) is pretty much in an area famous for its muggings.
The Omni is literally a minute's walk from New Haven's Green, set on a road which has steady traffic during working hours but is pretty empty at other times. It is ultra-convenient for exploring downtown New Haven (and it really does warrant exploring...lots of interesting things to see and do) within easy walking distance, lots of restaurants, bars and cafes too (there are 4 directly opposite the hotel itself) and and only a short taxi ride from the station (so near I'd have walked if temps hadn't been in the 90s). There's a car park under the hotel (20USD per day) and several multi-storey car parks nearby.
My room was absolutely lovely. Perhaps it was because I was a long-stay visitor, perhaps because I'd joined Omni's 'select guest' program (no charge to do this, I just wanted the free wifi) but I was given a corner room with huge windows on 2 sides and views towards the sea. The large bed was really comfortable, there were robes, a big TV with good choice of free channels, fridge, safe, workdesk, coffee machine, iron and ironing board. The bathroom had bath as well as power-shower, oodles of hot water, hair-dryer, fluffy towels and really good quality toiletries (shampoo, 2 types of soap, conditioner, body lotion, cotton-wool, mouthwash, cotton-wool buds).
There's a bar/restaurant on the top (19th) floor which has superb views over New Haven Green (see the main photo on my NH page), a beauty salon on the ground floor (I didn't use that!), free coffee, apples and water in the lobby and three lifts (one of which goes down to the car park). So I never had to wait long for a lift.
I arrived hot, sweaty, grubby and totally exhausted after a stressy rail trip from heatwave-hit New York (temps well over 3 figures). The lobby staff took one look at me, whizzed me through check-in (apparently I'd done it already by being a 'select guest') and sent me to my room for a shower and rest. 5 minutes later a plate of savoury biscuits, relish, grapes and a strawberry arrived...complimentary, as was the bottle of water in my room and the 'morning beverage' delivered to my door at the time I specified (good coffee!). There was a newspaper hanging on the doorknob every weekday too. They whizzed me through check-out just as quickly and efficiently.
Now, I don't know how many of these 'extras' were related to my long-stay and how many to my 'select guest' status. But it's definitely worth becoming a 'select guest' even if only for the free wifi (there is a 'business centre with computers and printer in the lobby as well, of course).
All the staff were pleasant, friendly, helpful and courteous in the extreme.
As I said at the beginning...an absolutely super place and I can highly recommend it. I shall definitely stay there again and will investigate other Omni hotels if I visit other places in the US. :-)
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