La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Sandusky Near Cedar Point

Like many of its areas budget competition, the La Quinta Inn is housed in a two-floor building. The contemporary lobby is done in pleasant earth tones like beige, brown, and olive green, and framed landscape photos add a little extra color. There is a sofa and a few chairs for any guests waiting to check in, though ultimately the lobby is just a functional place for the many families that the hotel counts as guests. There's a bright breakfast room that's a fine place to start the day, and the hotel has a swimming pool that's open seasonally. Owing its proximity to Cedar Point, and rooms that can fit larger groups of travelers, the hotel draws mostly tourists and families looking for a simple, comfortable, and clean place to sleep at night.

La Quinta Inn Sandusky - Cedar Point is on busy U.S. 250, across from Ghostly Manor Thrill Center, in an area with numerous fast food and local restaurants plus the Sandusky Mall. It's a five-minute drive to Sandusky, which features attractions like the Merry-Go-Round Museum and Sandusky Maritime Museum, and the Sandusky Amtrak station is an eight-minute drive from the hotel. The main draw in the area is Cedar Point, a massive amusement park that's home to some of the world's largest roller coasters. The park and Soak City are about a 10-minute drive from the hotel. There are other water parks just a short drive from the hotel, including Great Wolf Lodge (three minutes), Castaway Bay (five minutes), and Kalahari (10 minutes). It takes an hour to reach the hotel from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Detroit is about two hours away by car. 

The 61 non-smoking rooms at La Quinta are housed in two-floor buildings with interior corridors, a step above the typical motel-style fare nearby. Rooms come in queen, king, and accessible types plus a variety of suite configurations that are good for larger families. They are spacious and get good natural light, and despite the hotel's location on a busy road, they are quiet. The look is modern, if just slightly outdated, with chunky mid-tone furniture, autumnal color schemes, and lots of patterns. In general, everything is clean and well maintained, but we did notice a heavy smell of room deodorizers and some rooms have a musty odor. All rooms come with pillow-top bedding, desks, coffeemakers, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs with 30 HD channels as well as plug-and-play panels for connecting electronic devices. Suites have microwaves and mini-fridges, plus extras that may include jetted tubs, sofa beds, or gas fireplaces. Bathrooms are spacious and well lit, with lots of counter space and bathtub/shower combos. Rooms do not have safes and it's worth noting that not all rooms come with microwaves and mini-fridges -- guests in need of those items in rooms that lack them will have to pay extra. 

La Quinta Inn Sandusky - Cedar Point serves a fairly good free breakfast with a range of hot and cold items, including hot eggs, sausages, make-your-own waffles, cereals, bagels, muffins, doughnuts, fresh fruit, coffee, and juice. Like most budget options, though, the leisure facilities here are limited to a seasonal, heated outdoor pool. The hotel has a computer station, 24-hour front desk, free parking. There's a dog-walking area -- a bonus since the hotel allows pets without restrictions -- and doggie clean-up bags are provided. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel as well.