We were die hard LQ customers for YEARS, but the last couple years the quality seems to be suffering. We've started staying at Comfort Suites whenever possible instead. Our recent stay at the Newport La Quinta was just okay. The staff is very friendly and helpful, but the rooms are dated and in dire need of upgrading. The breakfast room is far too small and hot for a hotel this size, and every single morning we had to juggle our plates and bring breakfast back to our room because there wasn't a single place to sit and eat down there. Not to mention how hot and stuffy the breakfast room was. For the high coastal pricetag, I expect better.
We arrived after the stated check in time, after a long drive, and were told it would be at least another hour before our room would be ready so we were asked to "go do something and come back". Really? Not something we wanted to do with a car full of luggage and my laptop, so we hung around the lobby until our room was ready, when all we wanted to do was shower and rest.
I was sad to see that Newport, in general, has gone downhill. The streets/shops/etc just seemed more run down and dirty compared to all our previous visits. Someone mentioned that they were one of many towns affected by the loss of federal timber funds, which is a bummer, but to keep the tourism industry going, they may want to find a way to invest in cleaning the town up again. We decided that Newport is no longer on our desirable travel destination list for summer getaways.