At first glance, Omaha’s Candlewood Suites is just another airport hotel. Seen one, seen them all, right? But the Candlewood has some good things to offer health-conscious travelers like me. Here are five things I appreciated about this hotel.
- This room is spacious! Plenty of floor space for morning yoga, or a session with the resistance band and jump rope you packed. You didn’t forget your jump rope, did you?
2. You have your own kitchen. This means you can prepare your own health food. Or if you go out to eat, you’ll feel less inclined to stuff all that delicious restaurant meal down your gullet knowing you can stow leftovers in your hotel fridge.
3. Too tired to go out in search of food? Ready to hit the vending machines and dine on peanut butter crackers and Red Vines? Hold on. Down in the lobby gift store, you can get an actual vegetarian or vegan frozen dinner. I don’t know when I’ve ever seen Amy’s brand foods in a hotel gift shop. I was impressed.
4. The hotel gym is small but adequate. In addition to a couple of cardio machines, there’s a rack of free weights and a few of those intriguingly versatile hotel gym machines with lots of attachments. Best of all, you can try out The Bean. This as-seen-on-TV exercise product looks like a giant inflatable bean. The Candlewood Suites thoughtfully left a manila folder full of The Bean exercises. This was my first encounter with The Bean. While I don’t plan to buy one, it made for an entertaining workout.
5. Ready to go outside? Right across the street from the Candlewood, Carter Lake offers lovely flat paths for a walk or run. It’s also a popular place for urban birding. Watch for geese and ducks. If it’s a sunny early morning like the one during my recent stay, don’t be tricked into thinking that sunny means warm. You might need a hat and gloves.
