Let me qualify my review by saying I have low expectations of hotels in general. I am not a "happy traveler" so I am loath to stay away from home. But the Homestead at Crabtree Valley in Raleigh made my stay comfortable and pleasant. The Good: > Even though the hotel was full w/ a wedding party, I was checked in promptly and courteously > When I asked for directions, the front deskman didn't know the answer so he helped me look it up and gave me a complimentary map > The kitchenette was clean and perfectly serviceable w/ stoneware dishes and high-end cookware. There was ice pre-made in the freezer. The only problem was a lop-sided burner that we couldn't straighten out -- still worked fine. > The bathroom was large and so was the king size bed. It was a comfortable size for 2 adults & 2 kids. Head's Up: > We had a room with a sleeper sofa -- the sheets are not on the bed when you check-in. You have to get them from the front desk. Just ask when you check-in and you won't have to return to the office. > They do not have around-the-clock desk service. Around midnight my youngest son locked us all out of the bathroom. We called the front desk & found out the only person there was the laundry lady w/ limited English. She didn't know who to contact to help us. We had to pick the lock ourselves. ** Be wary of the bathroom lock, you CAN get locked out ** > The worst part: our room was designated non-smoking but reaked of smoke. The bedspread even had cigarette burns on it. The sheets were the only thing that smelled "non-smoking". It's in a nice area near the Crabtreee Valley Mall. There's a 24hr Wal-Mart and a CVS nearby. It's also very close to our ultimate destination, the NC Museum of Art. The property is just off I-440 at Hwy 70. You can hop on 440 and be anywhere in minutes or take Hwy 70 straight into downtown. It's a no-frills hotel and a great way to save money. We got a rate of $72 and by cooking our own meals, our trip didn't break the bank.

We booked this on Hotwire to go to a Carolina Hurricanes game and see Ron Francise have his number 10 retired. The room was only $34 before tax. After reading the reviews, I was prepared for the worst as well. However, we were greeted promptly at check-in and the gentleman working was extremely nice and professional. Our room was a bit small, but had a nice size bathroom and shower as well as kitchenette, utensils, etc, and a good-size closet. Room showed some signs of age, but it was clean. There was a faint smell of disinfect or something like that, but it didn't last too long. Hotel was actually so quiet that it was somewhat difficult to sleep. The only real negatives were that there was no shampoo and the office is only open until 11:00pm. Not a bad stay for one night, one person, or a couple, but I wouldn't pay much more for it or stay too long. It's more designed for people who are working temporarily in the area and need something similar to an apartment. Overall good experience though.

Check-in was ridiculous. There were two people behind the desk, and neither seemed to have a clue what they were doing. What should have taken maybe 5 minutes took 15. Then the guy, when telling us where our room was, kind of shrugged and said, "It's over there somewhere." Just a tad unprofessional. Anyway, so we found our room and it was okay except there were no pans with which to cook. However we were able to get one from the front desk, but at first they didn't believe us that the pan was missing. There also wasn't any dish soap (I'm not sure whether there is supposed to be any or not) so we couldn't wash our dishes. There's only one pair of everything, so it can be annoying when you can basically only eat in for one meal because you can't wash anything. The motel's location is pretty decent, but we've stayed in better for less in the same area. We'd return only if it's the lowest-priced place, but otherwise... no way.

Clean, comfortable and quiet room at a great price (~$50/night). Close proximity to NC State stadiums and downtown Raleigh. Would stay there again if in the area.

Check-in was ridiculous. There were two people behind the desk, and neither seemed to have a clue what they were doing. What should have taken maybe 5 minutes took 15. Then the guy, when telling us where our room was, kind of shrugged and said, "It's over there somewhere." Just a tad unprofessional. Anyway, so we found our room and it was okay except there were no pans with which to cook. However we were able to get one from the front desk, but at first they didn't believe us that the pan was missing. There also wasn't any dish soap (I'm not sure whether there is supposed to be any or not) so we couldn't wash our dishes. There's only one pair of everything, so it can be annoying when you can basically only eat in for one meal because you can't wash anything. The motel's location is pretty decent, but we've stayed in better for less in the same area. We'd return only if it's the lowest-priced place, but otherwise... no way.