Having left Ohio, Shae and I started making our way to Vermont for the 5th state on our 50 state road trip. It was going to be a 12-13 hour drive and, as we weren’t due to leave until the afternoon, we decided to stop halfway along the route.
After researching our options, it looked like the Econo Lodge Arena in Wilkes-Barre PA would be our best option. It was available for only 8,000 Choice Privileges points and had good reviews.
I’ll be honest – I didn’t have high hopes because a) it was an Econo Lodge and b) it’s Wilkes-Barre. Well, it turns out that it didn’t deserve my cynicism as it was a surprisingly good hotel.
Here’s a full review of our stay at the Econo Lodge Arena Wilkes-Barre PA.
Check-In
Our good experience began when we first arrived at the hotel. I’d thought the front desk agent might be indifferent about their job, but she was incredibly friendly and personable. The staff at the Residence Inn Huntsville could do with taking lessons from her.
The check-in process was quick and we soon had the keys to our room. As we’re traveling with our dog Truffles, she’d given us a room on the first floor – room 134.
Bedroom
When booking our room using points, the only option we had was for a room with two double beds. That’s not our favorite setup, but it did mean we’d each get a bed where we could starfish for the night.
As we entered the room, the sink area was to the left, the bathroom to the right and the main bedroom area ahead and to the right.
The room had a long dresser with two drawers and a TV on top. Beyond that was a mini-fridge, microwave, desk and office chair.
I don’t think we ended up watching any TV, but there appeared to be a good number of channels available.
The mini-fridge was a decent size. We appreciated having one in the room as we had some stuff in our cool bag that needed to go in the fridge (including cheese from Grandpa’s Cheesebarn).
Opposite that side of the room were the two double beds. The beds were comfortable; the pillows weren’t amazing but were comfortable enough.
The room also had a closet containing a luggage rack, iron and ironing board.
There were a few room features that we liked. First off, there were laminate floors which helped the room feel much cleaner compared to if they’d had old carpet.
Secondly, the beds were closed at the bottom rather than having space beneath them. That not only stopped Truffles from hiding under them, but also meant there was no trash or anything else underneath (unlike what we found at the Quality Inn in Augusta). To be honest, the entire room was extremely clean and wasn’t what I was expecting from an Econo Lodge.
The room also felt much more spacious than I was expecting, especially considering it had two beds in it.
Another nice feature was that the bedside tables had plenty of outlets available, something other hotels would do well to copy.
The best feature of all though was the little rubber ducky that was waiting for us on the desk. They leave it in the room for you to take with you on your travels and document it with the #econoduck hashtag. It’s a cute idea and definitely not something I’d expected from an Econo Lodge.
Near the lobby is a board containing photos of many of the duckys’ travels.
Bathroom
Next to the bedroom’s closet was the sink and vanity. This was probably the worst feature of the room as the pink countertop looked like it had stepped out of the 80s.
There was shampoo, conditioner and soap, along with an additional bar of soap in the bathroom. Given that we never make use of the lotion that many hotels offer, it didn’t bother me that it’s something the Econo Lodge Arena didn’t provide.
Opposite the sink was the separate bathroom containing a bathtub with shower and the toilet. As with the main bedroom area, the bathroom was equally clean.
Breakfast
Breakfast is included with your room rate at the Econo Lodge Arena in Wilkes-Barre. It’s not the most extensive of breakfasts, but there should be enough there to fill you up.
There’s a juice machine and a fridge containing yogurts, hard boiled eggs, cream cheese and butter.
Next to that is a coffee and tea station. When trying to make a cup of tea, I noticed the hot water container was empty. I mentioned this to the breakfast attendant and she immediately went off to refill it.
I’d expected to have to wait a while for it to be brought back, but instead she proactively asked me what I needed the hot water for. When I told her that it was to have a cup of tea, we went off and got me a cup of hot water so that I wouldn’t have to wait for the large container to be refilled. It’s only a small thing, but I thought it was incredibly thoughtful given that she didn’t have to go to that much effort.
As for the other breakfast options, there were a couple of different cereals, oatmeal packets, a bowl of fruit and some milk.
There were a few types of bread, bagels and donuts…
…as well as a waffle maker.
There was a lot of seating in the breakfast area. There were several tables and chairs in the room where the food was served, along with a separate room with plenty more seating – you can see a glimpse of that in the photo of the coffee station above.
Amenities
The Econo Lodge Arena doesn’t have a huge number of amenities, but there are a few things there to improve your stay.
For anyone needing access to a computer, there’s a business center consisting of one computer. There didn’t seem to be a printer, but I’d imagine you could ask the front desk to print something for you if necessary.
If you’re feeling snacky, there’s a vending machine at the hotel. For something a little more substantial, there are several fast food restaurants nearby.
If you need to work off those snacks, there’s a small fitness room containing these three pieces of equipment.
Wi-Fi
The hotel had free Wi-Fi which seemed to work at a good speed.
Pet-Friendliness
I mentioned earlier that we were traveling with our dog Truffles. The hotel has a $15 per night pet fee which is pretty reasonable as pet fees go.
I’m a little confused about it though as we didn’t seem to get charged the fee. The fee was listed on the folio we received when checking out, although there was a corresponding $15 credit. I’d assumed that was simply because they’d charged our card, but there was never a transaction from them on the card.
If you’re staying there with a dog, there are plenty of grassy areas out front, including a dedicated pet area.
Service
I already mentioned earlier in the review that we received good service both when checking in and at breakfast. Seeing as we only stayed one night, that was the extent of our interactions with staff, so based on that then our experience was great.
Location
The Econo Lodge Arena in Wilkes-Barre PA is just off I-81, so it’s a convenient location if you need somewhere to stop for the night when traveling along there.
It looks like it’s only a couple of miles from downtown Wilkes-Barre and is close to several restaurants. I wouldn’t say it’s the most desirable of locations, but it was perfectly safe and didn’t seem to be in a dodgy area.
Cost
Our stay at this hotel was great value seeing as we booked our stay using 8,000 Choice Privileges points. I was surprised that it needed so few points given how (relatively) nice it is.
By comparison, the cash rate would’ve been $91.87 for the night (including tax). That means we got 1.15cpp (cents per point) of value by using points which is excellent value for Choice Privileges points.
Final Thoughts
The Econo Lodge Arena is a surprisingly nice hotel. It’s certainly not a luxury hotel, but it’s very clean, they offer great service, the beds are comfortable, rooms have mini-fridges and breakfast is included.
Although the $91.87 rate seemed a little high, I’d happily stay there again for only 8,000 points per night. Best of all – we’d get another rubber ducky to take with us on our travels!
Truffles Approval Rating
Truffles gives the Econo Lodge Arena four paws out of four – pawfect! She appreciated the grassy areas out front, while we most liked the $15 per night pet fee which didn’t end up getting charged.
Our Rating
Room = 4.3 / 5
Hotel Amenities = 4.0 / 5
Food = 4.0 / 5
Location = 4.0 / 5
Service = 4.8 / 5
Overall Value = 4.7 / 5
Total = 4.3 / 5
Address
Econo Lodge Arena, 1075 Wilkes-Barre Township Blvd SR 309, Wilkes-Barre Township, PA 18702
I enjoy your comprehensive hotel reviews with pictures. You have stayed in some hotel brands that we usually avoid because of their uncertain quality. Like you, we sometimes sometimes must stay in these hotels, so it is nice to get a real idea of what those brands have to offer.
Yep, we often avoid certain brands like Econo Lodge too. We decided to risk this one because it had such good reviews and it was a steal using points – I’m glad we gave it a try. We had a bad experience at an Econo Lodge in Roanoke and didn’t end up sleeping there, so it’s definitely still worth doing some research before booking in at brands like this.