Garden State Inn

"I just want to leave this review for anyone reading the bad ones and getting skeptical like I did. I checked in at 7pm on a Saturday night, and got into my room. The room didn’t smell, was clear of any bugs, no stains, no loud sounds outside, and everything looked just like the picture! I paid $85 for 1 night in a non-smoking king bed room. The amenities we had were very nice, we had a jetted bathtub, tv, fridge, microwave. Breakfast for such a small hotel was good too, bagels, muffins, toast, cereal, small options. We had no issues checking in or out. Really good deal honestly, especially being 20 minutes from Atlantic City and 30 minutes from Cape May. Would definitely stay here again!"

"1 attentive staff 2 clean carpet, no dirt 3 clean 6 towels 4 heated bathroom lamp, sauna like 5 clean strong shower 6 ice bucket 7 plenty of cups 7 iron board 8 free parking 9 free continental breakfast = water juice bagels cream cheese cereal Tables and chairs 10 comfortable lobby 11 medium pressure mattress All positive No negatives Compare price of this room vs holiday inn next door, you pay 2x . Why waste money. Save $$$ go to garden state inn"

"I really enjoyed this place, but looking through the reviews I almost didn't choose to stay here, so I decided to write my own review to hopefully clear up some of the other ones. I gave this hotel 5 stars based off of what it is - this is a budget hotel. 4 nights for under $300? Fantastic price. So in regards to some of the reviews - if you stayed at this budget hotel not anticipating it to be a budget hotel, I don't know what to tell you, because what you get here for the price is fantastic. Checking in is quiet and easy, I had no issues with the person behind the counter. He wasn't overly joyful and energetic, but he was smiling and kind and even cracked a joke, and that is all I need to start my trip in a good mood. If you have an injury or have limited mobility, there is no elevator and the second floor is 15 steps, all one straight stairwell (so no turning stairs). There are rooms on the first floor with handicap accessible entrances (the sidewalk ramps) from the parking lot though, so be sure to ask for a first floor room first if needed. The room itself was sizeable and very comfortable. It wasn't pristine or shiny, but it was clean and the sheets, towels, what-have-you all smelled clean, and that is the most important part! No critters either. The walls had a few scuff marks and there was some damage to the rug, but it was nothing offensive at all. The bed was incredibly comfortable, I had a hard time getting up in the morning! The AC also worked fabulously. It seems to be default on eco, so if you like white noise there is a button labelled 'constant fan' for the fan to be continuously moving, even if the ac is taking a break. My room never got warm despite the eco setting. The bathroom was very nice as well! The sink pressure was fine and the shower pressure was even better. The jacuzzi was also a nice touch, although I couldn't get the jets to work (which may have been a me-problem). The drain to the tub also slowly drained the bath water, but if you don't mind turning the water back on every few minutes then it was a great little addition to the room. The bathroom smelled very vaguely of weed, but that didn't bother me. The door felt very secure. All the locks worked great despite the sliver of light coming from the outside, it wasn't a sliver that could be seen through, so it was very private. The curtains also closed all the way so there was no crack to peek in either. The parking is right on the lot, and I never had an issue getting a spot. I did see children there, but personally I am not going to rate this kid-friendly for three reasons: 1. The weed smell - which isn't too much of an issue, there's dispensaries and weed ALLLLL OVER the city here, so if this is a deal-breaker for you, perhaps consider picking somewhere other than Atlantic City. 2. The pool remains closed and from prior reviews, it seems to have been closed for quite some time. Always a bummer. 3. The drivers! This is the biggest one for me, and it is absolutely no fault of the hotel. The drivers in NJ are fast and really enjoy using their breaks only at the last second. The amount of cars I saw zoom right into the hotel parking lot without a second thought made me nervous for any adventurous kid who runs out just a foot too far. With those 3 points being said, you absolutely can bring your kid here, I just think there is probably better options. The breakfast was small and cute and standard - bagels, toast, fruit, yogurt, little muffins, and two types of cereal alongside coffee and oj that they allowed you to take back to your room if you desired (there was a place to sit though if you don't like to do that). If you are someone that likes daily room service, this is also not the place for you. I personally do NOT like people in my room daily, so that was actually a plus in my book that my room was only made up once for the 4 nights I stayed. Finally, the location is only 15 minutes from Atlantic City. Can't beat that at this price! I would definitely stay here again if I find myself back down in NJ!"