We were in northern New Jersey for a field hockey showcase. The hotel was recommended by the event organizers, so it became the starting point rather than the result of a wider search.

The plan for the days was simple: leave early, spend the full day at the venue, and return in the evening. No mid-day resets, no time back at the hotel between sessions. That meant the hotel didn’t need to be central to the day, but it did need to work cleanly for the evening and overnight.

We booked two nights, Friday and Saturday, in late March.

The cash rate was $360 in total ($180 per night). I booked using 48,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, which comes out at 0.75 cents per point.

From a points vs cash value perspective, that’s borderline. The reason for using points here was flexibility. The booking was fully cancelable, which allowed us to lock something in early and revisit later if anything better appeared. Nothing did. The optionality didn’t generate upside, but it removed the risk of prices moving against us.

The room was a one-bedroom suite with a queen bed and a sofa bed in the living area.

The layout is the reason to book here. A separate bedroom, a living space, and a small dining table give enough separation to make a short stay feel manageable rather than cramped.

There’s also a proper workspace, which can matter on a trip like this where bags, kit, and logistics tend to take over the room.

The bedroom is straightforward. No design ambitions, but quiet and separate.

The kitchen is fully set up: fridge, microwave, stovetop, dishwasher.

We didn’t use it much over two nights, but this is the main reason this type of property exists. For longer stays, it changes how the trip works.

The dining table sits between the kitchen and living area.

The bathroom is standard for the brand. Clean, nothing unusual, no issues.

Breakfast is included and follows the usual Residence Inn format: eggs, turkey sausage, bagels, muffins, fruit, waffle station.

The photos were taken just before opening, so lighting wasn’t fully up yet.

There was plenty of seating and no crowding during our stay.

There are also large coffee dispensers available throughout the day in this space. Useful, but depending on your room location, it’s a walk. An in-room setup would have been more practical.

The gym is basic. We didn’t see anyone use it.

There’s also a pool and barbecue area, which would likely be more relevant in summer.

This is a suburban New Jersey location in the most literal sense. Quiet streets, residential surroundings, no meaningful walkable infrastructure.

It’s a pleasant setting, but you are dependent on transport.

From Newark Airport, our experience:

The return trip is where it became clearer how pricing can move. We explored using a Blacklane credit to return to Newark, but it didn’t come together in time. By then, Uber pricing had surged materially, which is why we opened Lyft, an app I rarely use outside the U.S.

Local journeys showed the same pattern. A short ride to the venue was around $10. The same journey back was $30.

Even short distances don’t translate cleanly into predictable cost here. Timing drives pricing.

No.

Distance, traffic, and transport costs make this a poor base for Manhattan. If the goal is New York, stay closer.

This property does what it is set up to do.

The suite layout works well, the breakfast is easy, and the environment is quiet. The trade-off is location and transport dependency.

If you need space and a base near this part of New Jersey, it fits. If you don’t, there is no reason to be here.