Pros: My wife and I stayed for a weekend to attend a Belgian beer event at Max's Taproom. We travel often, usually overseas, ranging from international cities like Paris, Rome and Vienna, to small European towns off the tourist trail, to camping-like accommodations in the rainforests of Uganda and Borneo. When we can, we always chose charming and authentic B&B's over glam or chain hotels. But for this weekend, price and location were our priorities. This hotel met our needs and expectations well. It was clean and comfortable, and the room layout felt reasonably spacious with a very nice L-shaped sofa/sitting area partially separated from the beds by a narrow panel. Further, the sitting area included a pull-out sofa which would be perfect if someone were travelling with a few kids. It appeared to me that the room layout had been well thought out and then well designed. Beds were comfortable, towels were pleasantly plush, furniture and carpet were in good shape, heating worked well. The staff was friendly and helpful. On the 6th floor, we had a decent view, too. For the price (around $100/night before taxes), this room well met all of our expectations. I rated it as "good" rather than "excellent" in some categories to leave room for comparison with more expensive hotels, but for the price, everything was excellent. As an aside, I think it foolish to expect the same level of quality from a hotel room that costs 4x more - would you expect the same level of service and food quality between McDonald's and a steak house? After all, isn't that the very reason why we would pay more?
Cons: While I rate the hotel as "good" overall, and excellent for the price, the following were the few shortcomings of the hotel: The free (FREE!) breakfast was served in the main lobby which sounded rather loud and chaotic - sort of like a bus station. We didn't have breakfast in the hotel, but if we had, we would have taken the food back to our room for that reason. Also, I had called down to order food from the lobby "gallery" and was told it would be ready in 10 minutes, but apparently they had forgotten part of the order so I had to wait a few minutes. Not a big deal in the bigger scheme. Another downside was the sound insulation from the hallway - not terrible, but not excellent, either. We heard no noise from other rooms, other than an occasional bark from a dog (which made us miss our pup that we had left behind for the weekend). But again, what else would you expect from a hotel that allows dogs? We slept soundly through the night. The room was very clean overall. The tile grout in the shower looked a bit dirty, and if I were paying $300/night I would expect better. But then again, you should have seen the shower facilities in the rainforest! And for that matter, I'm having a hell of a time getting the grout clean in my shower at home. Before leaving, I had quickly checked the hotel's website to see if they had a pool - I could not find it on the website (it was listed under "Activities" rather than "Amenities/Facilities") - so we left our bathing suits home. Turns out they have a pool after all... I shoulda called! Finally, I thought valet parking was a bit steep at $35/day. There is a parking deck behind the hotel (Fleet & Eden Garage at 501 Eden St.) that charges much less, and for some odd reason, even though the ticket said my car was parked there for "1 day, 15 hours, and 6 minutes" we were only charged $6! So pull up at the hotel, check in and drop off your bags, and drive halfway around the block. Save more than a few bucks, and think of me for giving you this tip when you have your first beer!