SpringHill Suites Pittsburgh North Shore

SpringHill Suites North Shore is housed in a cream and red-brick-colored building. The interior decor is tasteful and promotes an overall calming atmosphere. The lobby is decorated in green tones and earth colors. The front desks are white with tree branch patterns complimented by a turquoise accent wall. There’s a large central sitting area that’s well-lit and has a wall-mounted flat-screen TV. Booths, tables, and communal tables give guests a chance to gather and relax. By contrast, SoHo, the on-site restaurant, has an intimate vibe set with low lights, wood floors, and leather booths or chairs with tables. The hotel attracts a wide array of guests, but the clientele is usually sports fans on the weekends and business travelers during the week.

Situated between the Allegheny River and I-279, SpringHill Suites Northshore has the perfect location for sports lovers. It’s across the street from PNC Park, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ baseball stadium. Heinz Field, home of NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers is a 15-minute walk away. Consol Energy Center, where the Penguin NHL hockey team plays, takes 24 minutes on foot or a seven-minute drive to reach. Other non-sports sights are also nearby including the Andy Warhol Museum, which is a minutes’ walk. Rivers Casino is a 19-minute walk away, and the Carnegie Science Center takes 17 minutes on foot. For business travelers, downtown Pittsburgh takes 12 minutes on foot or a six-minute drive. There’s a variety of dining options on surrounding streets. Public transportation is also plentiful with a metro stop that’s a six-minute walk away and a bus stop that’s a minutes’ walk from the hotel. Pittsburgh International Airport is a 36-minute drive. For those who want to forego walking to nearby attractions, the hotel has a free shuttle for points of interest within a three-mile radius. But on-site parking incurs a daily fee and is quite pricey.

Rooms are spacious with a standard chain-hotel style. They're generic but functional. A neutral color palette is found throughout the wavy patterned wall-to-wall carpeting, beige walls, white bedding, wooden headboards with soft yellow leather insets, and pale blue pullout sofas. Rooms include desks and ergonomics chairs, dressers, flat-screen TVs, and wet bar areas with sinks, Keurig coffeemakers, microwaves, iPod docks, and mini-fridges. There’s also free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms have a beige and soft blue color scheme and feature shower/tub combos. The granite sinks are set apart from the toilets and showers, which provides extra space. Hairdryers and Paul Mitchell toiletries are provided. Be aware that higher-floor rooms that face I-279 can get traffic noise, and complaints have been made about room cleanliness.

SpringHill Suites North Shore has broad features aimed to appeal to a range of guests. Free breakfast -- a standard selection with eggs, yogurt, and oatmeal -- can be found in the dining area every morning. SoHo, an American restaurant open for lunch and dinner, adds value to the property as well. It also provides room service for limited hours during the day. The well-lit indoor pool may be small but the space is set with multiple loungers and free towels. The fitness center, which features free weights and cardio machines, is open 24 hours a day, as is a small convenience store in the lobby. There's a coin-operated laundry room on-site. The business center has two desktops, two printers, and multiple work areas such as a long communal table and booths. Wi-Fi is free throughout.