Comfort Inn Omaha / West Dodge Road

Practical, Maybe; Comfort, No

I stayed 3 nights with my elderly mother in September, 2008. We needed a suite so that I could assist my mother yet close the door at night so that her snoring wouldn't keep me awake. Our travel agent found this option, on less than 36 hours notice. It was less pricey than a single room at the Marriott, but was not cheap (about $160/night plus tax). The room was described as a queen bed plus a sofa bed in another room. Location was easy to find from airport and central to everywhere we had to go for our family matters (a funeral).

The late night check-in person was very nice and welcoming for our 1 a.m. arrival. My mother and I entered the room and were quite surprised to find the dominant feature was a 5-person jacuzzi in the middle of the -- let's call it living room. This room also had a noisy mini-fridge and bar sink. The toilet was running loudly in the bathroom, which I saw had no shower. Adjoining was my mother's room, which was more of a standard, modest hotel room. She turned on the heat and both rooms immediately filled with a burnt mouse nest odor.

I readjusted the gizmos in the toilet tank to stop it from running, gave the refridgerator a few good shakes to soften the buzzing and, with some straining, pulled out the love seat size sofa bed. It was like sleeping on a partially unrolled foam pad spread out on a cage bottom. By far the worst bed I'd ever paid money to sleep in. Perhaps the worst bed I've ever tried to sleep in.

Housekeeping skipped us the first day. We didn't leave our room until noon, since my mother was recovering from our previous day travel. I let the desk know when the room was available for housekeeping but, as another front desk person indicated scoldingly that evening, we'd slept through the period that was convenient for the cleaning staff. Silly me! I'd neglected to check the house rules requiring adoption of the habits of the local time zone!

A help-yourself, minimal breakfast was provided in the morning, along with a loud TV in the breakfast room. Park in the rear if you have mobility problems. With the exception of one desk clerk, all service personnel were courteous and friendly; it was just not a very pleasant property.

Unique Quality: A jacuzzi; not desireable for my mother and me, but maybe good for some travelling salesmen who wish to celebrate a victory.