Best Western Plus Newark Airport West

From the rooms, guests can watch the planes take off and land and trains move along the tracks escorting travelers to and from Newark Liberty, but that's about the most exciting part of the scenery at this Best Western hotel. The chain hotel has a generic tan and stone facade. Inside, the lobby is a real highlight with tall ceilings, brown leather furniture, and purple accents. Green plants and area rugs warm up the space, as does a wall made of colorful rocks.

Many guests arrive late and leave early, grabbing coffee and muffins to go before catching connecting flights. The hotel also attracts businesspeople who want to be close to the airport when they drop in for meetings at nearby companies such as FedEx, IDT, and Verizon. Park and cruise packages provide cruising guests with free parking and a free ride to the Cape Liberty Cruise Port, where ships sail to the more-alluring Bahamas and Bermuda.

Located on desolate International Way, the Best Western is surrounded by warehouses, an off-site airport parking lot, and a trucking/shipping company. While it's just one mile to Newark Liberty, there are few restaurants or services nearby. Here are a few sample distances:

• Eight-minute drive (one mile) to Newark Liberty International Airport
• 10-minute drive to Cape Liberty Cruise Port and to Newark Penn Station
• 15-minute drive to New Jersey Performing Arts Center in downtown Newark
• 30-minute drive to Midtown Manhattan
• 45-minute drive to LaGuardia International Airport
• 50-minute drive to JFK International Airport

Furnished in dark-chocolate brown, deep plum, and rich rust colors, the 83 rooms and suites at the Best Western are dark and autumnal. Chairs are covered in microsuede, dark headboards bump up against amber-colored accent walls, carpets are a golden brown hue, and desks and tables are as dark as onyx. Floor and bedside lighting helps brighten the space, but the rooms would benefit from a makeover that includes a lighter color scheme. All rooms come equipped with 37-inch flat-screen TVs with HBO, free Wi-Fi, room service, safes, free newspapers, coffeemakers, small refrigerators, and microwaves.

Standard rooms have one queen or king bed or two queen beds, while Deluxe Junior suites have two queen beds and whirlpool tubs. Bathrooms are finished with granite vanities and gray-and-white marble tile work around the showers. Watch out for mold and wear in some of the showers. Views vary from the parking lot to the airport to a neighboring building.

The Best Western delivers a convenient location and free shuttle service for travelers embarking from Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark Penn Station, or Cape Liberty Cruise Port. Guests should note that the service can be unreliable and crowded. 

Despite its gritty, uninviting location, the hotel has a bright, modern two-story lobby with a business center nook and an adjacent lounge area that's fine for hanging out or watching TV. Breakfast, which is served in a cheery, modern space finished with light wood tables, cushy leather banquettes, and hip industrial style metal chairs, is free. A huge flat-screen TV hangs artfully on a wall covered in shiny tiles.

Crossroads bar serves happy hour drink specials, such as a Rock Spyder, and enough food and drinks to help soothe the nerves of traveling guests and business people, some of who are spending the night because of a missed or canceled flight. There's a tiny fitness center with a handful of cardio machines and flat-screen TV on the wall. 

Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel and there's a small business center with desktop computers. Printed documents can be picked up at the front desk. The meeting room is a nice size but looks out of date with old fashioned chairs and tables.