Best Western rolled out a new boutique hotel in 2018 that promotes modern design and wellness. I spent $112 on a room in Kentucky - and it exceeded my expectations in more ways than one.
Best Western GLo, the company's new boutique hotel brand, launched in late 2018.
The lobby was colorful and brightly lit, with natural wood accents.
Right next to the reception desk was a snack area selling Gatorade, soda, juices, chips, candy, and miscellaneous toiletry items.
There was nobody else in the lobby when I arrived, so the check-in process was fast.
I took the elevator up to the third floor. I wasn't a big fan of the carpeting, which seemed dated, even though the hotel just opened earlier this year.
The wall art was bold and pop art-esque, depicting scenes of downtown Lexington and horses (Lexington is known as the "horse capital of the world).
Rather than swiping a key card, Best Wester GLo guests enter their rooms via a contactless RFID system.
I booked a standard king room for $112 including taxes and fees.
I was pleasantly surprised by the room's modern décor, with its geometric graphic wallpaper, minimalist white and gray bedding, and pops of bright blue and yellow.
It didn't look like any other Best Western I've been to.
Although it was topped with may more pillows than necessary — I took most of them off — the bed was comfortable.
It wasn't too firm or too soft, and I slept soundly.
A flat-screen TV was mounted on the wall directly in front of the bed.
The display on the Bluetooth-enabled alarm clock on the night table was extremely bright — I had to turn it face down on the table when I went to sleep.
There was also a light-switch by the door that glowed brightly when the lights were off, which I could see being an inconvenience to people who are sensitive to light when they're sleeping.
While scrolling through TripAdvisor reviews of the hotel, I saw a few guests mention this issue — and in fact, a manager wrote that they're in the process of swapping out the light switches.
The floor in the room was wood rather than carpet, which made the room seem cleaner.
The room came with standard amenities like an iron, ironing board, and a safe.
I found the placement of the microwave to be a bit strange.
One corner of the room is occupied by a work station with a bench nook, storage drawers, and a mini-fridge.
It was nice to have a view of trees and grass while I did some work on my laptop.
The WiFi was fast and easy to connect to, which was a huge relief. Too many hotels I stay at — even luxury hotels — seem to have spotty WiFi.
Each room comes with a Keurig coffee machine.
A mirrored sliding door separated the room for the bathroom.
The walk-in shower had an adjustable shower head and bath products in bulk.
More and more hotels are moving away from individual, single-use toiletries to be more environmentally friendly. California recently banned them throughout the state.
When I took a shower, I was happy to find the water was hot and had great pressure — there's nothing I hate more than lukewarm, low-pressure hotel showers.
I also liked that there was no shower curtain, because those gross me out in hotels.
GLo offers products from Pharmacopia, which sells natural and organic bath products from sustainable sources.
The verbena-scented bathroom, conditioner, and body wash had a pleasant, fresh scent.
Next to the hair dryer was a sign encouraging guests to reuse their towels to save water.
While I appreciated these eco-friendly touches, it didn't seem to make sense with the presence of the Keurig machine. Keurig has been criticized for its use of K-Cups, or single-use coffee pods, which can't be recycled in most places.
The bathroom was stocked with plenty of extra towels and toilet paper.
Best Western GLo hotels tout their wellness amenities. I wandered down to the first floor to get check out the Lexington GLo's 24-hour fitness center.
Source: Best Western GLo
The gym was nothing luxurious, but it had the essentials: treadmills, stationary bikes, free weights, and medicine balls.
Near the gym was an indoor heated pool, which was empty when I stepped in to get a look at it.
It looked like a pretty standard hotel pool.
The GLo Lexington serves a complimentary hot breakfast, complete with waffles, eggs, ham, bagels, toast, cereal, and fresh fruit.
There was a frozen yogurt machine ...
... and a coffee bar. I wasn't too hungry, so I had coffee and Fruit Loops. Not exactly the most adventurous choice, and not a great way to gauge the quality of the food — but the coffee, at least, was fresh and hot.
For a basic budget hotel, the Best Western GLo far exceeded my expectations.
It was modern and spotlessly clean. The WiFi worked, the shower was hot and high-pressure, and the bed was comfortable.
These may seem like basic requirements, but I've paid $245 per night to stay in a Super 8 with dysfunctional WiFi, no elevator, and barely-there water pressure.
The night before my stay at Best Western GLo, I spent a night at the Kentucky Castle, a four-star hotel with Versailles-inspired décor and rates starting at $295 a night. Although it was a luxury hotel, I had problems with basic things — like the WiFi, the hair dryer, and the phone — not working. And the only breakfast offered was a formal, sit-down meal, which I didn't have time for.
At the Best Western GLo, I had everything I needed and it all worked. Sometimes — and especially for a price of $112 — that's all you really need in a hotel.
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