My parents were taking the Explorer of the Seas out of Bayonne, and was I put in charge of making hotel arrangements for the night before our cruise. After reading reviews here on TripAdvisor, as well as on CruiseCritic, I decided that this hotel looked like the best option for safety and budget. I booked this hotel via Hotwire (was fairly easy to determine what I was going to get), specifying a reservation for 3 adults (after testing, I was paying $10 more for the third adult). The room was about $80 after taxes and fees, which represented about a $50 savings over the AAA rate from the Country Inn website for that night. A few days before arrival, I tried several times to call the hotel and confirm the reservation (and make sure we had been placed in a room with two beds), but every time I called (both in the morning and in the early afternoon), the lines were busy and I hung up after waiting 15 minutes.

Upon arrival at EWR and grabbing our bags, I discovered that the Country Inn did not include their establishment in the area with courtesy phones. I called and, to my surprise, someone picked up after about a 3-minute wait. I then inquired about the shuttle, and was told it ran on a continuous basis and that I would be able to pick it up at the ground transportation area (a tram ride from my arriving terminal). We made it to the correct area (about a 15 minute trip) and then proceeded to wait outside for about 30 minutes for the shuttle (while other hotel shuttles had stopped or traded-off about 2-3 times in that period).

Upon arrival at the hotel, there was a small line to check-in, but that is to be expected at around the 3 PM time-slot, though most of the desk staff seemed to be on the phone (not surprising given my calling experience). I was checked in and made sure to note that the reservation was for three adults. We went to the room, and on our first attempt, the key did not work. I went back downstairs, waited for an open clerk (again, phone), and eventually made it back to the room to find ... you guessed it ... a single king bed. I then went back to the desk to ask about being switched to a room with two beds, only to be told that all of those rooms were already booked, though I could certainly pay $10 for a roll-away (which I thought I had at least already paid for in the reservation process). The desk clerk was unsympathetic and insistent that this was not the hotel's problem, and if I wanted a specific type of room, then perhaps I had better book directly with them next time. I did not argue, threaten, or even complain. By the time I got back to the room, the phone was ringing, and it was the desk clerk calling to continue her explanation of how this would not have happened if I had booked through the hotel website. After I graciously accepted blame once again, I called Hotwire, who then called the hotel and, in the end, asked for a roll-away for which I was charged but told that Hotwire would rebate the cost if I sent in the receipt (I was also given a $25 credit for future Hotwire use).

Here's my stance on the situation: I don't know if Hotwire or Country Inn is at fault, but it is absurd to put a 3-adult occupancy on a room with a single bed. Seeing as I was charged for the third person, it seems to me that Hotwire either pocket the money, or Country Inn expected to be double-paid. Either way, it put me in a sour mood, especially the multiple attempts by the staff to explain how this was my fault when I actually DO realize the risk of booking with a discount site (and would normally be accepting if not for specifying the third person).

The area: There is a Ruby Tuesday and a diner next door to the hotel. We chose the diner for our dinner, and it seemed fine with very large portions. After eating, we walked across the street to the Jersey Gardens Outlet Mall which is a huge mall with all kinds of stores (and NJ has no sales tax on clothes). This wasn't a bad walk, and with crosswalks, seemed fairly safe.

Breakfast: Country Inn offers a decent, free breakfast in the morning with make-your-own waffles and the standard bakery, eggs, and cereal items. This hotel seemed to be the jumping-off point for several bus tours, however, as on our first venture down to eat breakfast, we found the room overflowing with guests who were eating before their tour. We headed back to the room and waited for the buses to pull out, the went back to find the area much less crowded.

Internet: Free wireless and wired internet was provided in the room. It was not very quick, but hey, free is free.

Check-out: Fast and courteous.

Taxi to port: Make sure you negotiate the fare before getting in the cab. We had a cab called and got in, forgetting to ask about the fare. The driver then informed us, mid-ride, that it would be a $65 unmetered ride to Port Liberty. I have a sneaking suspicion that we were taken for a ride on this one, so FYI.

Observation: I saw several upset people who were also trying to get to the ship. They evidently had booked a hotel package with transportation to the port, but were upset about how long they were having to wait to get picked up. While several other groups (including us) had gotten cabs, there evidently was a specific cab/van that the hotel had a deal with, so this couple had to/had been waiting for that specific person and were obviously upset about the time it was taking.

Final thoughts: I probably would have rated this hotel as a 4 if I had not had the problems that I did. It was fine for one night ... nothing awful, nothing special. It at least seemed to be in a safe area, and the rooms were decently clean.

We stayed at this hotel prior to a flight so that we could leave our vehicle there and take the shuttle. The hotel was nice for the quick night we were there but... Upon our return to the airport we waited over an hour for the hotel shuttle after 5 phone calls to the hotel advising we were waiting at the airport. After finally being picked-up we were 2 minutes from the hotel when the shuttle driver advised us he was returning to the airport to make another pick-up!!! We could have been home by the time we got to the hotel... horrible ending to a great vacation!!! After speaking with management they told us "It happens" and that was it.
We will never stay there again and would not suggest it to anyone!!!

I stayed here twice - once about year and half ago. During that stay, the room had broken lightbulb at the desk, and the tub could not be used for the children because the drain plug was missing. When I let the front desk know, no one from maintenance came by. I called again two hours later, and they told me that they were too busy. I went down to the desk to offer to pick these up myself, and found that there was no one at the desk, and staff was in the back Over three hours later, a maintenance person came, but the children were already asleep. The manager has since changed, but on this stay I booked the room at discount rate. The next day, I asked to have the day extended only if they have the same rate. They confirmed. The following day at checkout, they tried to charge the full rate of $199 for the non-suite room. After 45 minutes at checkout desk, they finally decided to let me keep the same rate - but making me feel that I had made the mistake of not assuring that the rate was available despite doing so. No smiles. This stay: broken internet cable, sink plug not working. I would highly recommend the Marriott across the way which has not had glitches, and the staff is friendly - with microwave in room, free newspaper, same or less cost.

I have stayed at the Country Inn & Suites in Elizabeth twice this summer, and I have been impressed both times. It's a little gem of a hotel with a very friendly front desk staff. The lobby is small but cozy and beautiful, and it impressed me immediately.

The first time we stayed, my husband and I had a standard king room (typical setup with bed, desk, easy chair and ottoman). The room was small but impeccably clean and nicely decorated.

The second time, we stayed in a king suite, which had a living area with a couch, chair, television, mini-fridge and microwave. There was a separate bedroom with a king-sized bed, large closet, and second television. Again, impeccably clean. Both times, the bathrooms were bright and spacious, with lots of big fresh towels. The Pantene amenities are nice to have as well.

Both of our stays were on Saturday nights, and the desk staff was very busy with long lines, but they were so friendly and sweet nonetheless. Also, both stays, we got a call from the front desk to our room about 15 minutes after checking in, just to see if we were comfortable and if the room was good. No complaints from us, of course, but it was a very nice touch.

The only downside is that it's pricey -- the standard room cost $180 (including tax), and the suite was $230. I'm assuming this is because of the airport location, but that's a little steep for me to stay there regularly when there are more budget-friendly options in the area.