Best Western SureStay Plus – Vernal/Naples Utah Review

When I’m on a road trip, I find myself staying in a lot of Best Western hotels. I love traveling to National Park units and the Best Western chain seems to have a much larger footprint in the smaller towns near the parks than a Marriott or a Hilton. Plus, Best Westerns are much more pet-friendly and have reasonable pet fees than other chains. I’ve mentioned before that I’m more of a Marriott girl, but there are many times that it’s just not practical to stay in a Marriott. That, or the price of a hotel like this just forces your hand to give it a chance. That’s why I stayed at the Best Western SureStay Plus in Vernal Utah.

I mean, I paid $60 to stay here, when the nearby Fairfield Inn wanted twice that. I’ll take my chances and save my money.

I’ve never stayed at a SureStay Plus until I stayed here in Naples, a town near the more populated Vernal, Utah, and close to Dinosaur National Monument. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I had my preconceived notations that a SureStay Plus was a step down from a regular Best Western. That it would be more like a Motel 6 for longer stays.

And I wasn’t too far off base. So let’s get to the review of the Best Western SureStay Plus in Vernal/Naples Utah!

Related: Enjoy my hotel reviews? Read them all over here!

Best Western SureStay Plus Naples Vernal – Location:

Naples is a small town just outside of Vernal, but it’s a 5 minute drive to Vernal. If you’re staying here to visit Dinosaur National Monument, Naples or Vernal are good choices either way. There is a bigger selection of nicer hotels in Vernal, such as a Holiday Inn Express or a Fairfield by Marriott but the price difference was almost double. Being that I was traveling solo with my dog, I like to look for places with cheap or no pet fees, as that cost can add up quickly.

The hotel is located off the main highway. It seemed to be more of an industrial area – there were no restaurants – just a lot of auto repair shops and storage units. For food, you’ll have to drive the 5 minutes to Vernal.

Rooms

The most important thing to know about this hotel is that they still (in 2024!) allow smoking in designated rooms! I don’t know about you, but I just take it for granted that hotels are all non-smoking but there are some hotels in some areas of the country that still, to this day, allow smoking in their room. Be careful when you’re booking, as you might end up staying in an ashtray.

I did get upgraded to a larger king suite, which was nice. In fact, it’s one of the handful of times I’ve ever been upgraded at a Best Western, and I hold Diamond Plus status, which is their highest tier. So big ups to you, SureStay Plus!

This is an older hotel, and you’ll find some wear and tear in the rooms. Nothing that said to me, OMG I’LL NEVER STAY HERE AGAIN, but the rooms and common areas could use some TLC. Remember that this brand is on par with a Motel 6, so temper your expectations.

Amenities

The Best Western SureStay Plus has a pool, hot tub, and a fitness center. I didn’t use the pool or hot tub, but the fitness center was a huge disappointment. Every piece of cardio equipment (which was a treadmill and a bike) was broken, so it was a complete bust. I’m a complete fitness nut so I get antsy when I haven’t had a workout in a few days.

Breakfast

The breakfast was actually pretty decent. I was expecting a small table with a handful of granola bars, shrink-wrapped pastries, and a toaster with a loaf of Great Value white bread by its side. But no, this was on par with your typical 3-star hotel breakfast. There’s eggs, sausages, biscuits and gravy, a waffle maker, case of pastries, cereal and coffee. Not bad.

SureStay Plus – Vernal Naples Utah – Final Thoughts

Pros

• Cheap
• No pet fee
• Nice enough room for one night
• All rooms have kitchenettes
• Good location for Dinosaur National Monument

Cons:

• This hotel still allows smoking in designated rooms – before booking, make sure to double check that you are reserving the correct room type!
• Hotel could use some updated and TLC but for $60/night, what do you expect?
• Location is in an industrial area with no nearby restaurants.