I am usually in larger cities such as Chicago or New York City, so when I stay in a smaller city, I never know what to expect. This remains true since even with one brand group, the typical is never typical. Did you know that the same hotel brand can range from dingy to elegant beachfront resort? The Crowne Plaza in Syracuse, NY is proof no exception.
If you read the hotel website, you’ll see words like “upscale” and “elegant” however, if you read the guest reviews, you’ll see words like “loud” and “annoying elevator”. What could be so annoying about an elevator?Let’s back up a little first. Located in downtown Syracuse, there are plenty of things to walk to and dining both inside and outside of the hotel. These are great bonuses for sure. Pulling up to the property in the hotel’s…minivan, there’s nothing to be too impressed about. A tall literally round hotel towers over the city amongst the charming boutique hotel next door and depressing grey concrete. The shuttle driver is perfectly nice and welcomes us to the hotel. The lobby is warm and inviting with different seating areas well equipped to seat different groups comfortably with many different types of seating. Modern leather chairs paired with tufted couches, other chairs with square backs, rounded backs and the list goes on and is pulled together by matching colors and patterns.
Checked in, we move toward the elevator. Here’s the mystery behind it as I found out the next day. There are 22 floors and three elevators. Have you ever had to wait for what felt like only one elevator working and that particular one is seemingly forever stranded 20 floors above you? This elevator, also found in cities like downtown D.C. and New York City, has been designed by a modern architect that found a solution to the problem. For someone’s first time with the idea of it, it’s impossibly confusing. There are no buttons inside the elevators. None. Instead, there’s one panel outside of the three elevators on which you enter the floor you want. The panel then points to which elevator will take you to your floor. A, B or C. When a guest is to return to the lobby, a smaller panel also can be used as a touch screen.
We thought that you could only push one room at a time but this isn’t so. Just watch for which elevator you are told to take and then enter another floor number. The gentleman in front of me thought that I “ruined” his floor choice but really it was around the corner at the third elevator. It may seem strange at first, however, I was advised that it makes the 22 floors more quickly accessible.
If you like the elevator, wait until you arrive at your room. The room key looks like any other key you may get at a hotel except this one only requires its keeper to wave it in front of the door handle! I actually find this quite nice. No swiping a key or trying to get it to fit into a thin slot that may or may not work. I am sure that there is still going to be the same occasion where the key doesn’t work but at least this time, you’ll know faster and easier.
Walking into the room, I recognized it from the last time that I was there. It hasn’t changed much inside the room so I was familiar with the layout even if I tried to access the bathroom from inside the closet almost every time! Remember that the hotel is indeed round. So are the rooms. When you walk in, instead of a typical rectangle closet, there’s a rounded closet with a curtain drawn over it. Straight ahead, there’s a nice use of space with a desk area wrapping one “corner” of the room. Don’t try to watch television while sitting at the desk though because it’s a nice big model that is hanging right above the desk. The bathroom is a complete u-turn just past the bed, which by the way is the most comfortable bed that I have ever slept on. I like the fact that the sink is just outside of the toilet and shower area. No more fighting to apply your makeup or shave in a fogged mirror from the showers steam!
The bathroom offers a shower only so don’t plan on taking a bath. The shower though is beautiful with black tiled walls and a gravity shower pointing down from the ceiling. Some people like them and some don’t. The water pressure is nice but I prefer one where I do not feel like I am drowning with water pouring over my entire head. That’s just me.
Over all, the room is modern and well appointed with a luxurious bed, reasonable office space and a spa like bathroom albeit quite small. Having spent some time in Europe, the room is comfortable enough for one or two but if you have a family….? The “noise” that I mentioned in the beginning is due to the windows that are not well insulated and the hotel is right by a busy street. It didn’t bother me sleeping and although I am sure that I heard it, I don’t even remember so perhaps those complained were listening too hard.
The staff was very helpful, kind and approachable so if you have any questions, feel free to call.
Thank you, Mr. Scean Lawhorn for a warm salutation upon check out. I did indeed have a nice day!
Crowne Plaza Syracuse 701 E. Genesee Street, Syracuse, NY 13210 315.479.7000