During the hurricane Sandy, which has left almost all jersey population without power, my sister and I decided to stay at this location until our power is restored. We were welcomed as if we had visited our own family. Later, the Sonesta hotel also lost power unfortunately that day late evening, but that didn't prevent their dedicated staff including a kind general manager from caring for their guests; they did it with a professional attitude and a smile on their face, overall they went above and beyond what was required of them to make us home. Power loss had surely cancelled almost everyone's plans but this place managed to keep it going! You could see the general manager cooking breakfast for everyone and barbecuing in the morning, and you can get almost anything you need from the front desk (from flashlights to extra linens and towels etc), without forgetting the movies they showed every night; just to keep that smile and rest on families hearts. We stayed there for a week during which they managed to get a generator and power back, but our experience and memories of what, such generous people can do for each other would remain unforgettable.

My family moved from another hotel to the Sonesta Suites the night that Hurricane Sandy hit, we had to make a reservation at the last minute as our flight was cancelled. From the moment we walked into the welcoming lobby we were aware that this place was quite different from the Holiday Inn we had been staying at across the road. It was much more inviting. We received a very warm welcome from the gentleman at the desk who had an excellent sense of humor. Our room was very functional, clean and more like an apartment with a small kitchen. But the real surprise was ahead, when we got to see just how incredible the staff were through the storm and for the next three days that we were there for while waiting for a flight home. All the staff, without exception, went beyond what was expected of them. The wonderful ladies cleaning the rooms continued to do so with a smile despite being in the dark and having not seen their families because they couldn't get home, they stayed on at the hotel. The general manager led the way to service excellence, immediately setting up the barbecue outside in the pouring rain, with a hastily erected awning, so that we could all get a hot, extremely generous breakfast despite there being no power. I don't think any of us, including the staff, had gotten very much sleep during the night as the stormed passed over us but none of the staff let it show. Full of smiles they made sure everyone had enough to eat, in a very personal way. This went on even when it became clear that we were not going to have power for some days. We were provided with entertainment as the General Manager and his dedicated staff spent the day tracking down a generator and setting a movie screen in the lounge to project movies from the computer. Everyone was given the opportunity to charge up their phones via the generator and the food and treats just coming in ever more creative ways. We all felt taken care of, by everyone. It felt like being a guest in someone's home. When we finally left they had no power and actually they may be part of the 200,000 people who still have no power in New Jersey, but I don't doubt that they are still taking care of their customers like family. My husband and I were truly amazed how well they turned a bad situation into one that we will never forget. These days, one hotel looks just like another, so how do you choose? Well, not all staff are the same, they make the difference. Don't hesitate to book here, you will treated very well indeed.

Business travelers be advised: The internet service in this hotel is awful, worse than my dial-up was in the late 90's, for real. I politely advised the front desk - the woman was (1) barely an English-speaker, and (2) told me, at only 4pm when nobody's checked-in yet, that "a lot of people must be online." So I called the IT helpline, and they were just as useless, said they "ran some tests but would get back to me" but of course they did not. The connection was so bad I couldn't download a single pdf attachment from email all night, and I was here on business. Very disappointed, won't be staying here again in the Princeton area.

Unfortunately, we did not get to stay at the Sonesta ES Princeton. Our daughters had a lacrosse tournament that was cancelled at the last minute when the n'oreaster dumped snow on the fields after recovery from Sandy. The hotel cancellation policy is by 4:00 the prior day to your reservation. I called at 6 and Pat, who answered the phone, went out of her way to help me cancel without penalty. She was friendly and helpful. Thanks for being flexible!