Hotels at Amtrak connection points nationwide

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As a reason to explore Los Angeles Union Station (and of course a good excuse just to ride #3 and #4 between Kansas and the SW Chief end point) I've often thought of arriving at LAUS on #3 and returning on #4 the same day. Of course that's a 10-hour layover.

So I've wondered about booking a room at the Metro Plaza for a mid-day nap. If I did that, would a taxi ride be advisable instead of walking? I wasn't sure how pedestrian-friendly the neighborhood was or if vagrants were a problem in the area.

(Of course if much of LAUS is closed because of the pandemic this might not be the best time to 'do Los Angeles Union Station.')

And is this a dumb question or not? Would anyone know if in the heyday of the golden age of private passenger rail, did railroads maintain anything like nap rooms at their depots for passengers who were transferring between trains?
With LA going on a Curfew and Lockdown, I would think it's not a good time to be traveling to anywhere in California ( San Francisco is doing the same) till 2021 when its Safer and things are starting to return to normal.
 
It may be handy to make a list of hotels that are either physically attached to the Amtrak station or are literally across the street. Here's a start -

Denver, Colorado Union Station -The Crawford Hotel. - Attached to the station.

Indianapolis, Indiana. - Crowne Plaza Hotel. - Sidewalk Underpass from the hotel entrance to the station entrance.

Memphis, Tennessee - The Central Station - Attached to the station.

Jackson, Mississipi - Hilton Garden Inn - Directly Across the street from the station.

Newark, New Jersey - Doubletree - Attached to the station via a covered walkway.

Kansas City, Missouri - The Westin at Crown Center - Attached to the station via a covered walkway.

Dallas, Texas - Courtyard by Mariott & La Qunita Inn - Directly Across the street from the station.

San Antonio, Texas - Staybridge Suites - Directly Across the street from the station.

Tucson, Arizona - Hotel Congress - Directly Across the street from the station.

Emeryville, California - Hyatt House Emeryville - Pedestrian Bridge over tracks connects hotel parking lot with train station.

Sacramento, California - Vagabond Inn - Directly Across the street from the station.
 
It may be handy to make a list of hotels that are either physically attached to the Amtrak station or are literally across the street. Here's a start -

Denver, Colorado Union Station -The Crawford Hotel. - Attached to the station.

Indianapolis, Indiana. - Crowne Plaza Hotel. - Sidewalk Underpass from the hotel entrance to the station entrance.

Memphis, Tennessee - The Central Station - Attached to the station.

Jackson, Mississipi - Hilton Garden Inn - Directly Across the street from the station.

Newark, New Jersey - Doubletree - Attached to the station via a covered walkway.

Kansas City, Missouri - The Westin at Crown Center - Attached to the station via a covered walkway.

Dallas, Texas - Courtyard by Mariott & La Qunita Inn - Directly Across the street from the station.

San Antonio, Texas - Staybridge Suites - Directly Across the street from the station.

Tucson, Arizona - Hotel Congress - Directly Across the street from the station.

Emeryville, California - Hyatt House Emeryville - Pedestrian Bridge over tracks connects hotel parking lot with train station.

Sacramento, California - Vagabond Inn - Directly Across the street from the station.
Nice list. Here's a couple more I can vouch for:

Chicago Union Station - JW Marriott - 3 blocks east on W Adams.

New York Penn Station - Fairfield by Marriott - 1/2 block northwest on W 33rd.

Buffalo Exchange St. - Full-service Marriott hotel across the street, Courtyard about 1 block further.

Burbank Bob Hope Airport station - Marriott hotel 1 1/2 blocks away, hotel shuttle will drop at station.

Toronto, ON, Union Station (Amtrak service currently suspended) - Multiple hotels within two blocks, two connected by covered walkways.

Boston Back Bay - Westin and Marriott hotels within one block, connected through shopping mall.
 
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So I've wondered about booking a room at the Metro Plaza for a mid-day nap. If I did that, would a taxi ride be advisable instead of walking? I wasn't sure how pedestrian-friendly the neighborhood was or if vagrants were a problem in the area.

(Of course if much of LAUS is closed because of the pandemic this might not be the best time to 'do Los Angeles Union Station.')
If you look at Google Maps, you will see how close Union Station is to the Metro - only a block and a half. If you don't feel comfortable taking the straight route that short a distance, you can walk a few feet directly in front of the station to Olvera Street which is a touristy street with shops and restaurants on both sides. That will take you most of the way to the Metro. Note that Olvera is between Alameda and Main Streets. Pedestrian only.
Screenshot from 2020-11-30 09-27-24.png
 
Nice list. Here's a couple more I can vouch for:

Chicago Union Station - JW Marriott - 3 blocks east on W Adams.

New York Penn Station - Fairfield by Marriott - 1/2 block northwest on W 33rd.

Buffalo Exchange St. - Full-service Marriott hotel across the street, Courtyard about 1 block further.

Burbank Bob Hope Airport station - Marriott hotel 1 1/2 blocks away, hotel shuttle will drop at station.

Toronto, ON, Union Station (Amtrak service currently suspended) - Multiple hotels within two blocks, two connected by covered walkways.

Boston Back Bay - Westin and Marriott hotels within one block, connected through shopping mall.
Did you forget the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth in Montreal upstairs over Central Station?
 
Did you forget the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth in Montreal upstairs over Central Station?
I hesitated over that one and probably shouldn't have added Toronto either, since both routes are suspended for who knows how long. The QE is a great option though - connected directly to the station, as is the Marriott Chateau Champlain (meh) and a really good Sheraton is a block away.
 
So I've wondered about booking a room at the Metro Plaza for a mid-day nap. If I did that, would a taxi ride be advisable instead of walking? I wasn't sure how pedestrian-friendly the neighborhood was or if vagrants were a problem in the area.
I'm thinking that most hotels would charge you for 2 nights for a mid-day nap given typical check-in and check-out times. However, as some others have alluded to, maybe some of the motels that rent by the hour could be re-purposed for napping. I wouldn't know how to find such places, although while driving in certain cities I have seen such motels with hourly rates advertised outside the establishment.
 
As @jiml mentioned, the Fairfield Inn and Suites (325 W. 33rd St.) at which I stayed on a layover in New York City is right outside the new Moynihan Train Hall. The hotel was fine; the room was of course small but did not feel cramped. There was a good breakfast. I got a city view room; the rooms on the other side of the hotel look out at another building a few feet away.

Here's the view from my room (the green roof will be Moynihan):

IMG_6634.jpeg

This is the view from the lobby:

IMG_6647.jpeg

This is from the Empire State Building, showing Madison Square Garden and the Farley Building (but with the hotel out of view on 33rd St.):

IMG_6637.jpeg
 
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There are several older hotels surrounding Pennsylvania Station, NY...the original PRR built Hotel Pennsylvania is directly across 7th Avenue, with a subway entrance practically in the hotel. The Hotel New Yorker is on 34th Street and 8th Avenue, also with a subway entrance that is linked to the station.

Forgot to mention the Grand Hyatt, connected to Grand Central Terminal as well as a couple others, since Amtrak doesn't regularly use GCT any more...
 
For anyone vacationing in the Northwest or connecting to the Alaska ferry, Bellingham is a great place to stay and the Fairhaven Village Inn, just a couple blocks from the station, offers fireplace and balcony equipped rooms in a great neighborhood for restaurants (the hotel also offers a continental breakfast). This is the view from our hotel balcony of the northbound Cascades train departing the Fairhaven Transportation Center as the Alaska Marine Highway ferry MV Columbia waits to load passengers later in the afternoon:

IMG_7296.jpeg
 
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The Embassy Suites in Seattle is right outside King Street Station, although rooms can go north of $500 if there's an event at the nearby stadiums. I have stayed there twice in a Water View Corner Studio for $299, but for the (canceled) Gathering I was going to stay at the airport because the Embassy Suites was too expensive.

View from my room:

IMG_7477.jpeg

Artwork featuring rare 6-6-0 locomotive:

IMG_7473.jpeg
 
The Fairfield Inn and Suites (325 W. 33rd St.) at which I stayed on a layover in New York City is right outside the new Moynihan Train Hall. The hotel was fine; the room was of course small but did not feel cramped. There was a good breakfast. I got a city view room; the rooms on the other side of the hotel look out at another building a few feet away.

Here's the view from my room (the green roof will be Moynihan):

View attachment 19679

This is the view from the lobby:

View attachment 19680

This is from the Empire State Building, showing Madison Square Garden and the Farley Building (but with the hotel out of view on 33rd St.):

View attachment 19681
Agreed. Excellent location for events at MSG too, needless to say.
 
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I'm thinking that most hotels would charge you for 2 nights for a mid-day nap given typical check-in and check-out times. However, as some others have alluded to, maybe some of the motels that rent by the hour could be re-purposed for napping. I wouldn't know how to find such places, although while driving in certain cities I have seen such motels with hourly rates advertised outside the establishment.

As long as the hotel has rooms available they will typically let you check in early and only charge you for one night. Some hotels charge an early check-in fee but this is usually waived if you have loyalty status with the hotel chain.

I've checked into hotels as early as 7 AM when coming in from an early flight or train. In addition to loyalty status, choosing a larger hotel will help since it increases your odds that rooms will be ready.
 
My wife stayed at the Hotel Pennsylvania across from Penn Station, and was disappointed in the room and the service. I guess there are things which budget forces people to accept, especially in New York City: almost all rooms, for example, are restricted in size, but it's nice to not feel cramped.

In Emeryville, we stayed at the Hyatt House for an evening while waiting to catch a northbound Starlight. The room and service were fine, and I'd add that there is an elevator in the pedestrian track crossover for easy access to the station.
 
My wife stayed at the Hotel Pennsylvania across from Penn Station, and was disappointed in the room and the service. I guess there are things which budget forces people to accept, especially in New York City: almost all rooms, for example, are restricted in size, but it's nice to not feel cramped.

In Emeryville, we stayed at the Hyatt House for an evening while waiting to catch a northbound Starlight. The room and service were fine, and I'd add that there is an elevator in the pedestrian track crossover for easy access to the station.
The Hotel Pennsylvania needs to go the way of the PRR!!!
 
The Embassy Suites in Seattle is right outside King Street Station, although rooms can go north of $500 if there's an event at the nearby stadiums. I have stayed there twice in a Water View Corner Studio for $299, but for the (canceled) Gathering I was going to stay at the airport because the Embassy Suites was too expensive.

View from my room:

View attachment 19683

Artwork featuring rare 6-6-0 locomotive:

View attachment 19684
I stayed there last December and had an excellent corner room for which I paid for with a combination of points and cash. Great room, extremely convenient and not too expensive.
 
If anyone is interested in a 1910-era bed and breakfast in Seattle, maybe 10 years ago I stayed at the Panama, about 3 short blocks from King St Station. It's very quaint, on 2nd floor of the building (long staircase going up, no elevator that I recall) to get to the front desk. Community restrooms and shower/tub down the hall. But the price was definitely right, in my book. I'd go back there any time.

This was taken from my bedroom window:

IMG_6464.JPG
 
For those of us that like a quick overnight between Amtrak trains, the NY Times travel section mentioned the citizenM hotel chain. Currently have a hotel in Boston, NY, DC and Seattle. Let's hope they add Chicago. Looks like a minimalist type place with rooms about the size of an Amtrak bedroom but well appointed. Tough to find another hotel for around $100 in those cities especially with their black Friday saie at about $80 for Seattle.

Let me heartily endorse the Citizen M, if you find one in a city where you need it. The rooms are small, but exceptionally well laid out--probably about 3-4 times the size of an Amtrak bedroom. Amenities include a bar and onsite casual restaurant, and plenty of public computers and lounging/chatting area (assuming we can ever do that again). My first stay was at the Citizen M at CDG Airport in Paris-and it was so comfortable and convenient--adjacent to the RER rail into Paris--that I was happy to stay there for three days and train into the city as needed. I've stayed at the one in Times Square NY, the one in Amsterdam, and the one in Kuala Lumpur. All squeaky clean, chic, and very reasonably priced. I would happily stay in the Citizen M in New York or Seattle, if you had an Amtrak layover, and had booked the Citizen M in Boston for a trip in May that, obviously, was COVID cancelled.
 
There is an Embassy Suites immediately next door to King Street Station in Seattle. All you have to do when you get off the train is walk out the entrance of the station and cross the street.
In New Orleans, the Hyatt Regency and Holiday Inn are only a 2-3 blocks away. In New York City, Hotel Penn is right across the street from Penn Station. In Washington DC, the Hotel Kimpton is one block away across the plaza in front of Union Station.
 
Older hotels such as the Hotel Pennsylvania, over a century old, were built when commercial traveler's all travelled by train, and most of their business was conducted in the downtown area's. The hotels were built with vast amounts of rather small rooms, which is what the market wanted in that era. Many of these historic hotels that were preserved from destruction, were completely renovated into larger, spacious rooms to serve the modern market, although, it seems that there is a trend for tiny rooms coming back in demand. Apparently the Hotel Pennsylvania was only partially renovated...
 
The Embassy Suites in Seattle is right outside King Street Station, although rooms can go north of $500 if there's an event at the nearby stadiums. I have stayed there twice in a Water View Corner Studio for $299, but for the (canceled) Gathering I was going to stay at the airport because the Embassy Suites was too expensive.

View from my room:

View attachment 19683

Artwork featuring rare 6-6-0 locomotive:

View attachment 19684
We stayed there in October. Although it can be pricey, the convenience of its proximity to the station was great. My mobility impaired wife handled the walk across the street/next door just fine. We arrived on #7 and an early check-in was no problem. I suspect in these days of light bookings (Covid) helped enable early check in here and at other hotels we stayed in. BTW...had the same artwork in my bathroom!
 
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I hesitated over that one and probably shouldn't have added Toronto either, since both routes are suspended for who knows how long.
Not both! Arrow tells me that while Maple Leaf service is held in abeyance out to the 11 month limit, service on the Adirondack to and from Montreal is set to begin on 10 July...
MTR - NYP.png
and partial service (no early morning train) on the Cascades to and from VAC is set to begin on 1 January...
VAC - SEA.png
 
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