Howard Johnson Express Staunton

We weren’t sure what to expect with rates so accommodating. We were pleasantly surprised to find a clean room, professional and friendly staff, and easy accessibility.

This is an inexpensive motel adjacent to downtown.

Arrived later in the evening. Front desk person was seated on the couch watching TV. Was pleasant and extremely quick in getting us a room and key. Room was on the third floor. Room was definitely not the cleanest room I have ever seen but was fine. We were staying one night and it was close to everything and within walking distance of the historic downtown. Quiet, did not hear anything throughout the night even though the hotel seemed to be full. Had a continental breakfast, which we did not go to so cannot comment on that. Otherwise, quick check-​in, great location and decent hotel.

We pulled in around midnight after working and driving all day with two exhausted kids. We were met with smiling faces and a clean room. The staff were friendly and helpful. Be sure to check out the vegetable garden near the pool area. They grow the food to give away to others. Good people.

The building is an antique (not in a good way) in a town that is trying very hard to survive. The facilities are shabby, but the staff are kind.
It looks like something that was built in the early 1960s, but doesn’t have any of the HoJo’s of that era’s HoJo’s quality.
It wins on proximity, being the only affordable lodging within walking distance of the American Shakespeare Center.
Feel free to try it, and support Staunton and the ASC. Maybe they’ll do well enough to renovate into this century.

We just needed a place at. 0200 to get out the storm and get our 7 and 10 yo a warm bed for a few hours. Super nice staff, clean room, inexpensive and great continental breakfast for the kids. Highly recommend.

First of all, if housekeeping were the sole criteria for ratings, I would give this place NO stars. The location of the motel, cleanliness of the lobby, courtesy/​helpfulness of the desk clerk were all fine. It was the condition of our room that was appalling (yes, appalling). Being occasional light smokers, we opted for a smoking room. Where do I start? The TV and microwave were visibly smudgy. They looked to have been cleaned with a dirty rag or something. I had some Windex Wipes, and cleaned the TV myself. The kicker was the bed. The sheets didn’t fit right, and kept pulling up to expose a filthy mattress that had blood stains on it (yuck!) I asked the clerk if the non-​smoking rooms were cleaner. I figured a more respectable clientele probably used those. There appeared to be several low income families living at the hotel. The clerk allowed me to inspect the room. It was barely cleaner. The only difference was that the mattress looked less filthy. That’s it.
The shame is that this could be a great place to stay. I don’t need fancy. Just satisfactory. A clean, comfortable place to wash and sleep. The location is great, the town is nice. There’s nothing wrong with the motel itself. The management or Howard Johnson Corporate needs to crack the whip on the cleanliness standards there. Howard Johnson used to have a reputation as a decent (not fancy) place to stay. I stayed at the HoJo in Isle Verde, Puerto Rico, and found it to be clean and comfortable.
Someone needs to shape up!

The front desk staff was super helpful and gave us great recommendations for dinner and dessert. This is a great hotel within walking distance to downtown Staunton. We greatly appreciated the baby bed and that they accommodate dogs.
What a great value! The room was very nice and the bed was comfortable. We had a great stay! We’ll be back if we ever travel to Staunton again!

Five stars for a Howard Johnson would be pushing it but this one gets four and a half. The location, a five minute walk from wonderfully eclectic downtown Staunton, merits four stars alone. This is the only motel (notice I say «motel») near downtown. So you won’t have to shell out $ 200 a night for the Stonewall Jackson.
It’s a rather quiet part of town, despite being so close to downtown, although the fire station is a block away. Luckily this isn’t St. Louis, Detroit or Atlanta… so the station wasn’t very busy.
I’m used to the Choice chain (Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, EconoLodge, et al), so not having a micro/​refrigerator was new to me. We just kept our food and drinks cold with ice and the old Igloo cooler. Beds were very comfortable — firm is good. Nothing worse than a saggy, soft bed in a motel. The shower stall was made for a midget — I kept hitting my head on the shower head. But another minor quibble. The place was clean, everything was working properly, the front desk staff was friendly and efficient, the breakfast room was okay (very busy). But there is a Hardee’s across the street so you can forgo the free breakfast. It wasn’t much anyway — cereal, bread, bagels. No eggs.
WiFi was pretty spotty but then again, I didn’t come here to work.
Despite not being my usual chain, this location is worth future visits. Primarily for the location. Not taking our car out all weekend was a great bonus.

It’s cheap and convenient to downtown. Free wifi and easy access to the rooms. But if you need a cheap place to lay your head down for a night or two this fits the bill. This is my go-​to location when I am in town for military duty.

Impossible to find in the dark without GPS. Staunton doesn’t exactly have big street signs. Check-​in super easy but the beds were rocks covered with sheets. Absolutely the hardest beds we’ve slept on — should have slept on the slightly softer floor. Also, no plugs to use but next to the sink — a horrible place to charge your cellphone. Truly wish we’d found a better motel. Reviews fooled us.

This is a good hotel. It was super cheap, the location is great, it’s pet friendly, and very clean. I would definitely recommend it to friends and family.

If you’re expecting luxury, you won’t find it here. The rooms are clean and in relatively good repair without any special frills. The bed was comfortable, the staff very friendly and the breakfast adequate. A good value for the money — I didn’t feel creeped or grossed out, and I’ve been known to use Lysol wipes all over hotel rooms in the past. I’ll definitely stay here again when visiting for American Shakespeare Center performances.
BTW, if you want to exercise I recommend the park nearby. I’m sure the kind staff can send you in the right direction.

This is now a Howard’s Johnson — good value if you want to be within walking distance of downtown Staunton. Huge parking lot is a plus. If you are pinching pennies you should consider it…