Karen F.
Yelp
Having been a guest at the majority of 1,2 & 3 star hotels in the Buffalo area in the past year, I would say I have a good idea of what the area has to offer, and the standard of service one can expect when traveling on a budget.
Centerway Hotel is indeed a hidden gem - after over a year of researching and staying in hotels I had not even heard of this one until my boyfriend and I were in desperate need of a place to stay on a Friday night when even the scummiest hotel on Niagara Falls Blvd was at least $100/room. I called and the very patient man at the front desk reassured me he would hold a room for us, despite our late check-in. The damage? Only $80 ! Anyone who stays in hotels on a regular basis knows that is a steal on a Friday night when even 1 star motels can afford to jack up their prices.
And better yet, as we soon found out, the Centerway Hotel was leagues above any similarly priced hotel in the area. Yes, it is a little dated, the rooms are not what you would see in a shiny new cookie cutter motel -but they were unique and we liked them. Comfortable bed, clean sheets. A cushioned window seat which could be used as a bed or for relaxing. Bathroom was spotless when we arrived. Wi-Fi worked the majority of the time , and when it didn't there was an ethernet port available to connect a laptop. Housekeeping was friendly and eager to accommodate any of our needs.
For those complaining about the breakfast- most hotels at a similar price will offer you stale coffee, maybe a tea bag if you're lucky ; we agreed that even out of motels that offered a "continental breakfast " Centerway Hotel has the best : fresh Danish, muffins, bagels, real oatmeal and grits, multiple types of cereal, spreads, etc. Yes you could get a better breakfast in a restaurant but for a free breakfast you can't beat this one! We were also pleased with the vending area, which had a wide assortment of goodies including ice cream, frozen "meals" and snacks in addition to the usual vending fare of pop juice and dry snacks.
We felt very safe at this hotel-the doors from the outside could only be accessed by key card, the halls were quiet, we didn't see a single "sketchy " person and we stayed for well over a week. The staff was friendly helpful and accommodating.
Overall, we were extremely satisfied with the value of this hotel for the price. While some aspects were dated, I would not describe this place as "dingy" -it was bright clean and comfortable. To anyone who isn't convinced, I challenge you to spend a weekend night or two on Niagara Falls Blvd, try Red Carpet Inn or Royal Inn - pay over $100 for a truly smelly filthy room with holes in the sheets ,doors with no locks that go straight outside, and lucky if they don't kick you out before you grab a meager cup of coffee in the morning - and tell me Centerway Hotel isn't awesome !