SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – New York City is such an exciting place to visit that one does not want to waste any time more than necessary in transit. That is why we left a day ahead of our reservation and stopped over in beautiful Saratoga Springs (www.discoversaratoga.org), home of summer horse racing, for the night. By doing so, we had an easy three hour commute to the Big Apple without having to worry about a border stop.

We stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites (www.saratogaspringssuites.hamptoninn.com), a brand I am always comfortable to choose. This one is located at 25 Lake Avenue. The Hampton Inn & Suites Saratoga Springs Downtown is probably one of the nicest properties from this brand that I have come across, having opened just over five years ago. It is part of the Turf Hotels group. The first thing you will notice is the majestic entrance. Upon checking in your room key grants you entrance to free covered parking on a multi-level garage. There are 123 guest rooms and suites featuring king-or queen-sized beds. Some suites have spacious balconies and separate living rooms with sofa beds. We booked the latter and were pleasantly surprised by how extraordinarily large the unit was. I particularly liked the ultra-comfortable chairs in front of the two TVs.

You can connect to free high-speed internet access to surf the web, get some work done at the desk or set up your laptop on the convenient lap desk to work from the comfort of the clean and fresh Hampton bed. Amenities such as a mini-refrigerator, microwave and 32-inch HDTV with premium cable television make you feel at home. You can also take advantage of a free hot breakfast.