Cambria Hotel Omaha Downtown
I’m certainly not in Nebraska often. Visiting on a hot September night isn’t high on my list, either. I was just passing through on my last visit via Amtrak sleeper on the California Zephyr – one of my favorite travel experiences ever. More than a decade later, I returned to see another fave – comedian Joe Pera. In the market for a quick, low-maintenance award stay, I chose the Cambria Hotel Omaha Downtown for a few reasons. Overall, I wasn’t disappointed. I actually experienced a few pleasant surprises during this stay. Let’s take a look.
A Large Suite with Small Points
Perhaps the primary reason I selected the Cambria Hotel Omaha Downtown was for the outstanding room selection at reasonable award rates. As a reminder, many Choice Privileges properties allow members to redeem the same amount of points for a suite as a basic room. Choice seems to have tightened up these options over time, but plenty are still available with just a bit of effort. The Cambria Hotel Omaha Downtown was luckily in the latter category. For 16k Choice points, I booked a one bedroom king suite. The alternative all-in cash rate was $220.38 for the same night.
I entered a huge suite, almost awkwardly so for a solo stay. The spacious dimensions made the ample furniture feel somewhat inadequate. Despite a large, four-person couch, easy chair, bar, and table and chairs, I could’ve played a pickup basketball game in the living room. The space could benefit from a coffee table, but the handy pull-in tray tables suffice. The adjacent bedroom offered a large chaise against the floor to ceiling windows in addition to another easy chair on the other side. The generously-tall chest of drawers sat below the mounted television. A huge-but-unnecessary-for-me closet sat in the corner. The bathroom was large and bright but otherwise average.
An Excellent Fitness Center
Perhaps one of the more unpredictable non-luxury hotel amenities is the fitness center. (Actually, luxury properties sometimes miss the mark, too.) What looks serviceable online often turns out not to be the case in person. And will all of the equipment actually work?
The fitness center at the Cambria Hotel Omaha Downtown delivered big-time. All cardio and weight machines performed fine. The monitors attached to the treadmills gloriously televised high-definition broadcasts. What a nice experience after years of non-functioning bricks sitting atop such equipment.
A Hotel Unicorn?
How often do you come across a downtown property which also provides a complimentary shuttle to and from the airport? I don’t remember the last time I have, so I wholeheartedly appreciated this option from the Cambria Hotel Omaha Downtown. Of course, such an option has become more impractical over the years, with airports moving farther away from city centers. But Eppley Airfield is remarkably close to downtown Omaha. I received a spontaneous mini-tour of the city from a gregarious shuttle driver on the way to the airport just before departing. Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but think of all the properties calling themselves “airport hotels” that don’t come close to providing a reliable shuttle. Finding such an option from a downtown property is a bit of a unicorn, in my view.
Maybe Don’t Bother with Dining
The Cambria Hotel Omaha Downtown provides a full-service restaurant adjacent to the lobby which is open for breakfast, happy hour, and dinner. I checked out the menus, which offer the American fare and price point you’d expect, but ultimately decided against a meal or drink here. Plenty of local options exist within walking distance, including Zipline Brewery Taproom and The Old Mattress Factory Bar & Grill, which I enjoyed. That said, I expect many guests, particularly those on longer stays, will find the hotel restaurant worth a visit.
Cambria Hotel Omaha Downtown – Conclusion
My suite and the furnishings within the five-year-old property are showing age here and there, probably due to inconsiderate visitors more than anything else. Plus, I can imagine the suites are very popular for hosting large groups, probably in conjunction with College World Series games at the nearby Charles Schwab Field. But common areas are well-kept, and I always received bubbly service from the front desk. I’d happily return to this hotel on a future trip to Omaha, but I can’t say I’ll have a need to return to Nebraska any time soon. Nonetheless, I expect the Cambria Hotel Omaha Downtown will continue delivering the slow and steady I seek out, much like Mr. Pera.
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Best valued hotel downtown, especially using points. The Suites truly are super nice & large. Cannot beat the location!