Howard Johnson by Wyndham Portsmouth

Right off expressway , parkind downtown Hanover Garage 2$ per hour.

Ok location and hotel wasn’t that great. I would book again if I was the area just because of location.

This hotel is conveniently located near I-95 and Route 1-Bypass. That's the good news... and the bad. The biggest problem is the noise, day and night, from the highway immediately next to the hotel. If your room is on the side nearest that highway, it's nearly impossible to sleep soundly. (The car noises...? Not so bad. The steady stream of heavy trucks and motorcycles...? Yikes. Those noises practically echo in the rooms.) The second problem is how tired and outdated the hotel seems. There are the little issues, like no hooks or towel racks in the bathroom of the first room we stayed in. Or the lack of a fan/ventilation in the bathrooms. And the irregularity of the water pressure and uneven water temperatures in the shower. Then there are the more worrisome issues, like the way the hotel elevator does a little jump when it starts moving, and shudders much of the rest of the time as it moves between floors. Also, soundproofing between the guest rooms seemed nonexistent. During the afternoon, it sounded like we were next to a daycare center; at least three children were shouting and shrieking while throwing things (a ball?) at the wall between their room and ours. And, while breakfast was surprisingly good, with a wide array of options, from yogurts to breakfast sandwiches, the breakfast room is fairly small and cramped. (We ate in our bedroom, where the microwave worked better, as well.) The one really good feature about the hotel is its staff. The morning after our first sleepless night, Robbin at the front desk immediately moved us to a far nicer, quieter room on the other side of the hotel. He did this in a friendly and professional manner, and that was much appreciated. Also, both of our rooms were very clean, even if the furnishings were... well, a bit tired. The bed in our second room was on some sort of metal box support. On one side, it creaked and squealed every time I got out of bed. (To be honest, my husband and I laughed every time. It reminded us of the sound effects in the old "Addams Family" TV series.) Robbin deserves five stars for being helpful and very professional. Otherwise, this would have been a one-star review. (I was tempted to give this hotel a three-star review, but I just can't get myself to say this hotel is "average." So... two stars is the best I can do, and only because Robbin and his staff are so good at their respective jobs.) If you're a very sound sleeper, have great earplugs, or travel with a white noise machine, this hotel might be fine... tired and in need of improvements, but fine for an overnight stay, nevertheless. We would not return to this hotel, mostly because the highway noise kept us awake both nights. Even on the quieter side of the hotel, it was still too loud for a good, uninterrupted night's sleep.