General - I have never stayed at a Drury Inn before and I had heard good things about them so…read moredecided to give them a try on my last road trip with family.
Location - This Drury was in a suburb (Fairview Heights) close to St. Louis. Lots of great restaurants and shopping are just a short drive away. There is also a decent sized mall just down the road.
Rooms & Building - After staying at a couple Drury locations, you will notice that each one follows a similar pattern. Lots of seating in the lobby (which is great when getting food), nice size pool and hot tub areas, and sprawling complexes with additional seating nook found throughout. Our room was nice and comfy and easily fit our family of five. The building was in good condition and easy to find right off of the highway.
Amenities - This hotel had a cool inside/outside pool that my kids loved to play in and nice (a little small but still relaxing) hot tub. Parking was free and utilized a large, private lot. There was also an office center and a small convenience store to purchase items from. One of the main selling points for me was their free evening dinner and free breakfast. Oh, and I can't forget about the free popcorn in the lobby.
Food - While staying here, you are able to take advantage of a free breakfast and dinner buffet. The breakfast layout is your standard hot/cold/continental buffet. Hot options include eggs, breakfast potatoes, breakfast meat, sausage gravy, and waffles. Continental options are available too such as yogurt, cereal, breakfast breads, fruit, etc. I have to say that Drury had the best biscuits I have ever had for a hotel's breakfast buffet. I ate so much biscuits and gravy here, ha!
The dinner buffet was great. At first, I thought it would just be a great way to save some $$, even if it wasn't the most enjoyable but the food was actually satisfying and filling. Food included hot dogs, soup, salad, pasta, meatballs and mashed potatoes, nachos, etc. Adults also get three free alcoholic drinks that include various cocktails, beer and wine. The kids can enjoy AYCD soda.
Vibe - Easy going and super friendly staff. All the staff worked extra hard to make sure all of the guests were having a great stay, super cool to see. The hotel is definitely geared towards family but includes some nice higher-end touches like comfy seating areas, relaxing pool areas, and a decent size gym. With that being said, there will be a lot of kids running around but it wasn't as loud and crazy as I thought it would be.
Reality vs. Online - Pictures that I saw on their website and online matched the quality and condition of the hotel and rooms in-person. No surprises.
Price & Final Verdict - I paid about $100 a night. Great bang for your buck, especially when you included the free food and drinks that you can take advantage of. Drury's are a great place to pick if you want a casual all-inclusive experience while traveling, especially with kiddos.