More about Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel
Great Historic Hotel
by TripAdvisor Member feininger
Inspite the fact, that the Lackawanna Station Hotel is only rated 3-stars, we want to give the hotel 4-stars. The former headquarter of a railroad company and exclusiv railway station with Sienna marble on the walls and wonderful landscape fayences was reconstructed to a hotel in the 80th of the last century. This with the aim to conserve as much as possible of the ancient architecture and they succeeded. Now you live in a wonderful ambience, but without missing the conveniences of a modern hotel.
We can only recommend this hotel, and in particular the included restaurant "Carmen's" with an interesting menu card and a great service at very reasonable prices. Great the breakfast, too, and not at "hotel prices", but at $ 5.95 or two or three dollars more, depending on what you expect on the plate.
We can only recommend this hotel, which is close to the city of Scranton and the interstate, if you want to visit the old coal mine.
A privilege to stay here
by TripAdvisor Member Torontotraveller2
IMHO, it is a great privilege to stay, at a reasonable price, in this splendidly-restored piece of historic Americana. To quibble about the room size or the noise from HVAC, as some reviewers have done, seems rather to miss the point. But then again, why otherwise consult TripAdvisor? So here goes, wife and I having just returned from four nights at this hotel.
This is a six-storied atrium-centred building above a magnificent, classic railway station concourse. Rooms on the second floor might experience some noise from the concourse but above that there shouldn't be a problem. Just request a room that doesn't adjoin the atrium.
We booked a room at the minimum rate ($99) and I have seen coupon specials for this hotel as low as $65. Nonetheless, our room was not "small", it was in fact rather HUGE, with two double beds and two very large windows overlooking the Steamtown USA complex. Wife found the mattress uncomfortable but Radisson is apparently going over to some high tech mattress, so presumably they are wearing out the old models.
Yes, the HVAC unit is strangely noisy! It generates more stress than the occasional trains going along outside. One wishes that the lovely old windows would simply open up.
There is loads of free self-parking, no need to use the valet. This is not clear from the hotel's website.
None of the staff we encountered were rude or unhelpful. We didn't eat in the main concourse dining room but we did have several meals in the "informal" TRAX bar and the food and drink was excellent and very reasonably priced.
This is a wonderful old building, we need more such restorations/preservations.
Raddisson Lackawanna- Fairly Decent Experience
by TripAdvisor Member joenronnie
My husband and I stayed at this hotel in November of 2004. I reserved the room via the internet and mentioned it was our anniversary. Upon check in we were given an upgrade on our room.
I found the room to be very pleasant and pretty well above average. We had a king bed as well as a small sofa and table in the room. The bathroom was on the small side but very nicely decorated.
We didn't experience any hvac problems at all. Nor did we experience any noises from the other rooms or dining areas.
My only complaint was the the room service. We placed an order for breakfast the evening before and the staff picked it up. Well we hung around the next morning expecting our breakfast at 8:30 and it never arrived. When I called downstairs I was told that it would be at least another hour before they could deliver it us. No apologies or excuses were given. Needless to say that was unacceptable so we left without the breakfast. I filed a complaint about the lack of room service. I did receive a letter from management a few weeks later with an apology and a 10% off coupon. At least they acknowledged the problem.
A neat historical stay!
by TripAdvisor Member WineTraveller
Stayed here in July while in Scranton for a meeting. They have done a beautiful job with the hotel restoration from an old train station into a hotel. The lobby area is absolutely beautiful - quite classy! My apologies for sounding snobby, but I would have never equated Scranton with a hotel of this beauty. The rooms were a little smaller than expected (unrealistic expectations based on nothing tangible, perhaps?) and were very clean with very comfortable (adjustable) beds. Bathroom was a bit snug, but the marble counters were quite lovely. Was a bit disappointed that the bathing area was a fiberglass shell slid into the bathroom - just didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the hotel.
Bottom line - if you're staying in the area, this is definitely well worth the extra $20 or $30 to stay here!
NIce Hotel, Poor guests
by TripAdvisor Member motmyers
The hotel and staff were very nice. If you are looking for a historic setting and close proximity to downtown Scranton - this is a good bet. I do have issue with the conduct of the guests however. We stayed on a friday night and at approximately 11:30 - the outside hallway turned into a university dormitory. for approximately 3.5 hours - every five minutes there was door slamming, drunk college age guests yelling, hooting, swearing and stumbling about. There was no indication of any hotel security. Our rooms proximity to the common area vending and clustered corner rooms probably did not help matters. Bring your earplugs.
Mixed Review!
by TripAdvisor Member boatboat
Needed to go to Scranton for a visit to the University - having been to Scranton years ago, I was well aware of the area - but not too familiar with the available hotels - I went on-line and thought I researched well the area hotels- and this sounded like the nicest one around--
When we first arrived - the valet was friendly & helpful - as was the front desk clerk - The lobby is old - historic- an old train station - and you can well imagine the sights and sounds of a by-gone era... however, the overwhelming smell of cigarette smoke & the noise from the large bar crowd had us taken back a bit. The bar is apparently the hot spot for the townies.
As we were led to the room - I really could not see where the multi-million dollar renovations were -- Certainly not in the dark hallways or in the elevator which was dirty - and I really don't think it was the room either!
We got to the room (Reserved the famed Phoebe Snow Suite - which the clerk told me was the best suite in the hotel )- and we were very surprised at the quality - or lack there of - of this room--
The suite was in 2 sections - to the right , a good sized sitting room -- with an average flat screen TV, table with chairs and coach (pull-out sleeper)- However, I can honestly tell you, we were totally sceeved out over the filthy coach & chairs - There were obvious stains and such all over them -we refused to have the staff pull out the sleeper in fear of what lied beneath - but we kept the sheet to cover the coach so we could sit on it -- This side of the room had a door which obviously adjoined the room next to us-- and it was somewhat entertaining hearing the woes/noises of the people in the next room.
The sleeping area was to the left- It also had 2 stained/dirty wing chairs, an armoir that housed a small regular TV (we were told there were 2 plasma tv's- there was not) and the king sized bed -
When we saw the bed it honestly looked as if someone had been on the bed - The fluffy comforter was obviously handled and there were black hairs ALL OVER THE SHEETS AND PILLOWS!! I was very grossed out and we immediately called the front desk - I must say they were very sorry and quickly sent staff up to change the bedding - They have one of those comfort level beds you can adjust to your liking - we could not get it adjusted well - so not a big deal to us --
The bathroom had the same tile floor as the sitting area, a nice counter top and double sinks, big mirror - okay towels -- but far from a luxurious tub/shower - VERY dark in the shower area and the tub did not drain as you were showering so you were ankle deep in water -- yuk! Also, I gauge how clean the bathroom is by looking behind the door and in the corners-- here they were seriously filthy! dustballs etc..
This was one of those rooms that you always kept your shoes on! I know that I have stayed in some of the finest hotels, boutique hotels, etc. -- But I really expected so much more from the rooms - especially when we thought we had the "best suite available" -
SAVING GRACE-- CARMEN'S - The Restaurant was very good - good service , fair prices - The Breakfasts were great - and although we did not do the Sunday Brunch -(arrived too early) It looked quite appealing and drew a huge crowd of outsiders -- We managed to grab a snack in the Pub- it was okay - typical bar food - But If you go to Scranton - you must hit Carmens!
I saw a Hitlon across the way and was told that some liked it better than the Raddison - Again, perhaps I'm too spoiled, but when I read "luxurious" ... this was not!!
Things to do .. Typical Mall close by, the Steamtrain Museum is very interesting and you can take a train ride to this hotel from the museum - worth seeing if you venture there... Nice University too... just remember to eat at Carmen's.
An absolute treat. Loved this hotel
by TripAdvisor Member nangela
Stayed here one February Saturday night while my daughter visited the University of Scranton. The restoration of the old train station is magnificent. The lobby is such a treat to walk through and spend time in. The room was very spacious, brand new, with marble bathroom and really comfy adjustable beds. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The restaurant was magnifcent and well-priced. We felt like we were eating in a 5 star restaurant. The chef offered us free appetizers, we were give a lovely sherbet as a pallette cleanser. Afterward, we spent time in the wine bar, also located in this magnificent lobby. A jazz trio was playing and again they were great. We were so pleasantly surprised with our 24 hour visit to Scranton. The Steamboat Historic Site, also a real pleasure and really interesting. We are definitely planning on returning.
Suprisingly Pleaant
by TripAdvisor Member Librarian1998
Although I had driven past Scranton many times, I had never stopped there until this week when I had to attend a meeting at this hotel. I booked my room there without thinking much of it, and was so surprised when I arrived and, instead of the usual institutional Radisson, I was greeted with this fabulous old train station turned into a hotel.
The parking was easy, so I didn't use the valet, which was free anyway. The elevators were both broken when I arrived, but the hotel staff was apologetic and friendly. The elevators were repaired shortly. The bedrooms and meeting rooms were standard - clean and comfortable, but nothing out of the ordinary. The staff did a good job at keeping me supplied with tea bags, which was nice. (I am always annoyed at places that provide in-room coffee makers, but no tea bags.)
There were a couple of minor annoyances: no directions on the room phone. I know most travelers have their own mobile phones these days, but sometimes you need a land line. And what if you want to call security or room service or housekeeping? It's more efficient to dial directly than go through the front desk, especially at busy times. The second annoyance was that the TV remote was not on the bedside table or on top of the TV. I never actually found the remote because I didn't use the TV, but I did note that it wasn't right there.
My room looked directly over a large University of Scranton playing field where students played ultimate frisbee until late at night. However, I didn't hear any noise from these games, and it was kind of fun to watch. Although there was a door connecting my room to another room, I did not hear any noise from that room beyond the water running in the morning. I am sure the room was occupied because the hotel was completely booked. Even with so many people and the open atrium, noise was not a problem.
Our luncheon banquet was surprisingly good. Usually I don't even bother to taste these sorts of meals, but this was a pasta in a light red pepper pesto sauce, topped with some wilted greens - very good. My tablemates who had the chicken also were pleased.
The location of this hotel is great. It is easy to get to from the highway, yet it is right in downtown Scranton. The downtown, by the way, was much nicer than I expected. There are several great (and affordable) restaurants just blocks from the hotel, a laid back coffee house, Northern Lights, just down the street. And for folks who need national brands, a Starbucks and chain stores are located a couple more blocks away in the Steamtown Mall. The city is doing a great job restoring their historical buildings, and there are also a couple of tourist sites within walking distance of the hotel.
In short, this is a typical Radisson in a beautiful, historical wrapper, within walking distance of a downtown that is trying hard, and at least partially succeeding, to redevelop. The next time I have to stay in Scranton, I will definitely try to get a room here.
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