Howard Johnson Inn and Suites Jacksonville

Decent hotel if you don't expect too much.

I stayed at the Howard Johnson Inn with two other people just for one night. I was going to a concert in Jacksonville which ended late at night and I didn't think it would be safe to drive 5 hours home overnight so I figured that any hotel would do since we'd just be sleeping there. Here's the pros vs. cons:

PROS-Super friendly staff. Very knowledgeable about the area.
-Exterior looks great.
-Vanity is located outside of the bathroom which allowed more than one of us to get ready in the morning.
-Room/bathroom was clean.
-No smells. No weird stains.
-Beds are decent, comfort-wise.
-Good location. This hotel is located near quite a few restaurants and it was pretty close to the concert venue.
-Breakfast was above average. Waffles, bagels, muffins, cereal, milk, coffee. I'm not a big breakfast person but I was pleased with the selection they had.

CONS-Drab decoration. As with most hotels, the comforters and floors are nothing special.
-Iffy neighbors. I don't know whether or not this was just a one night thing but there were quite a few loud, "iffy" people located next to my room. I had to close the curtain because I felt a bit uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the pool area but I could tell that there were quite a few people using it since my room was located within 20 feet of it and I could hear the splashing. Would I stay here again? Yes. It's not a luxury hotel but when you're on vacation and don't spend that much time in your hotel room anyway, the only thing that really matters is cleanliness. Overall, it was a good experience.

Unique Quality: The staff was extremely friendly. We were looking for a place to eat before the concert and the hotel manager gave us instructions to Applebee's and he even gave us the number to the hotel in case we got lost.

And although we never got a chance to tour the hotel due to our short stay, the hotel also has a pool, meeting room, and fitness center.

Free continental breakfast as well!!