Our last minute trip to the Cincinnati area for Day Out with Thomas came with needing last minute hotel arrangements. Needing a hotel room on a whim is one of the many reasons I enjoy collecting and using reward programs to help make things happen.

We are pretty full on Club Carlson points at the moment due to this past summers promotions; however, hotels around Cincinnati were either at inconvenient locations, had poor reviews, or were high on points for a $100/night stay. So overall, I was not completely satisfied with our options and looked to Priority Club and HHonors to evaluate our options.

While not the best redemption option, fortunately Hilton had the Hampton Inn Cincinnati-Riverfront (Downtown Area) located near the aquarium (another stop on our trip) at an affordable cash and points option. We always know that we will get a reliable product at Hampton Inns as we have stayed in many, so it is an easy sell. The free breakfast is also a nice benefit, especially with little hungry boys. Our Gold status with HHonors also afforded us a free bottle of water and a candy bar. Who says status does not have its benefits?

Really, there is no need to glorify a standard Hampton Inn. Our room had two beds and met all our families expectations for the night. The room also featured a fridge and microwave, both perfect for heating the boys late night snacks.

	A note for the expected?

We spent a good deal of the evening in the pool, seeing as ours at home had been closed down for the season. Several other families and their kids spent a good deal of the evening at the pool too, making for friendly conversation among the parents and excellent kid interaction.

Our room overlooked the Ohio River and downtown Cincinnati. Look at the picture and the beautiful scenery! Even that Cleveland Browns bus was interesting to look at, and there in lies the one problem.

I had no idea Cleveland was playing Cincinnati this weekend in football (queue the non-manly horns). So I thought it was interesting seeing the bus outside our hotel window. Well low and behold, every other drunk idiot in the area (the hotel is surrounded by liqueur stores, bars, etc.) also thought it most fascinating to look at, touch, and who knows what else happened all night long. The bus just seemed like a large target asking to be destroyed, and the noise and ruckus went on into the night. So much for a tranquil, river view. 🙂

Apparently carrying and drinking liquor outside is legal, as is apparent around the Hampton Inn.

Breakfast was the typical Hampton affair, with cereals, breads, pastries, yogurts, fruits, hot sausage, eggs, waffles, and sausage gravy. While the food was all rather bland, the staff was amazing and accommodating. I have never stayed in a more friendly breakfast staff Hampton before, as they not only kept the food supply full, but also cleared the tables as you finished eating.

Overall, the Hampton Inn Newport was exactly what our family needed, and thanks to a couple of points, we were able to have the cost down to $40 for the night. Despite the noise outside the hotel, which I can not blame Hampton on, we would absolutely stay at this property again.

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