Finding a place to crash near Newark or Wilmington usually leads people to one specific corridor. It's that stretch where I-95 meets Route 7. You know the one. It’s busy. It’s loud. It’s packed with options that range from "fancy enough for a wedding" to "please let the sheets be clean." The Days Inn Churchmans Road Delaware—formally often listed as the Days Inn by Wyndham New Castle/Newark—sits right in the thick of this madness.
It’s an interesting spot. Honestly, it’s basically the definition of a "utility" hotel. You aren't booking a weekend here to celebrate your tenth anniversary or to feel pampered in a spa. You’re booking it because you have a 7:00 AM meeting at the Christiana Hospital, or you’re moving your kid into the University of Delaware and every hotel in Newark proper is charging $400 a night.
Staying here is about trade-offs.
What You’re Actually Getting at Days Inn Churchmans Road Delaware
Let’s be real for a second. When you look at the Days Inn Churchmans Road Delaware, you're looking at a budget-tier property. That means the experience is highly dependent on your expectations. The location is its biggest selling point. It sits at 900 Churchmans Road, which puts it about as close as you can get to the Christiana Mall without actually sleeping in a Nordstrom dressing room.
The rooms are standard Wyndham budget fare. Think patterned carpets, heavy drapes, and those bulky desks that were clearly designed before everyone started working on 13-inch MacBooks. Some rooms have been refreshed more recently than others. It’s a bit of a roll of the dice. You might get a room that feels crisp and managed, or you might get one that smells faintly of the 1990s.
One thing people often miss is the layout. It's an exterior-corridor style building in parts. This is a love-it-or-hate-it thing. Some travelers feel more secure in an internal hallway. Others love being able to park their car right outside their door so they can keep an eye on their luggage or just make a quick exit in the morning. If you’re hauling a lot of gear, that ground-floor outside access is actually a godsend.
The Logistics of the Location
Location is everything. If you're coming from out of state, Delaware's lack of sales tax is a huge draw. Being on Churchmans Road means you are less than five minutes from the Christiana Mall.
The traffic? It's a nightmare.
Seriously, if you are trying to turn left out of some of these properties during rush hour, God help you. The Days Inn Churchmans Road Delaware is positioned such that you need to be strategic about your exits.
- Christiana Hospital: It’s right there. Literally across the highway. For families visiting patients, this is often the most affordable "closest" option.
- University of Delaware: You’re about 10-15 minutes from the Newark campus. When UD has a football game or graduation, this hotel fills up fast.
- Delaware Park: If you're into horse racing or the casino, it’s a straight shot down the road.
The "Budget Hotel" Reality Check
We need to talk about the reviews. If you go on TripAdvisor or Expedia, you’ll see a wild mix. One person says it was the "worst stay of their life" because the ice machine was loud. The next person says it was "perfectly fine and cheap."
Why the gap? It’s because the Days Inn Churchmans Road Delaware isn't trying to be a Hilton.
It’s a place for contractors working short-term gigs. It’s for families on a road trip who just need eight hours of shut-eye before hitting I-95 again. The amenities are basic. You get a TV. You get Wi-Fi (usually decent, sometimes spotty depending on how many people are streaming Netflix at once). You get a coffee maker.
The breakfast situation is usually a "Grab and Go" or a very light continental spread. Don't expect a chef-manned omelet station. We're talking muffins, cereal, and juice. If you want a real breakfast, you're better off heading to the Metro Diner nearby or the Cracker Barrel down the road. Honestly, Delaware has great diners. Use them.
Safety and Cleanliness Standards
This is where the rubber meets the road. Wyndham has certain "Count on Us" standards that they implemented a few years back to beef up cleaning protocols. In a high-turnover area like New Castle County, this is vital.
When you walk into a room at the Days Inn Churchmans Road Delaware, check the basics. Check the corners of the bathroom. Look under the bed. Most of the negative feedback for this property over the years has centered on maintenance issues—leaky faucets or older AC units that hum a bit too loudly. If you find something wrong, speak up immediately. The front desk staff here handles a lot of volume, but they are generally used to fixing quick issues like a dead remote battery or a missing towel.
Why This Specific Area of Delaware Matters
New Castle is a weird geographical hub. You have the heavy industrial vibe of the shipping ports and the DuPont plants mixed with the high-end retail of Christiana.
Staying at the Days Inn Churchmans Road Delaware puts you at the nexus of that. It's not a "pretty" area. It's a functional area.
If you're a business traveler, the proximity to the corporate offices in the J.P. Morgan Chase or Barclays circuit is a big deal. Many of these companies have offices tucked away in the office parks along Route 4 and Route 7. You can save $100 a night by staying here versus the downtown Wilmington hotels, and your commute might actually be shorter.
Local Secrets for Your Stay
Don't just sit in your room. If you’re staying at the Days Inn Churchmans Road Delaware, you actually have some decent food options that aren't chains if you know where to look.
Most people just go to the mall food court. Don't do that.
Head over to Old New Castle if you have an evening free. It’s maybe a 10-minute drive. It looks like a movie set—cobblestone streets, historic houses from the 1600s, and a view of the Delaware River that is actually peaceful. It’s the total opposite of the suburban sprawl surrounding Churchmans Road.
Navigating the Costs
Price-wise, this Days Inn usually sits in the $75 to $115 range.
If you see it spiking higher than that, check the local calendar. Is it a NASCAR weekend at Dover? Is it UD graduation? If the price hits $150, the value proposition starts to disappear. At that point, you might as well look at the Courtyard or the Hilton across the way.
But at $85? It’s a steal for the location.
One thing to keep in mind: Delaware has a lodging tax. It’s currently 8%. It’s not the highest in the country, but it adds up if you’re staying for a week. Also, watch out for "incidental" holds on your credit card. Budget hotels like this often hold $50-$100 for "just in case" damages. If you're using a debit card, that money might be "gone" from your account for a few days after you check out. Use a credit card if you can.
Common Misconceptions About the Property
People often confuse this location with the other Wyndham properties in the area. There’s a Super 8 and another Days Inn closer to the airport/New Castle proper.
The Days Inn Churchmans Road Delaware is the one specifically positioned near the hospital and the mall.
Another misconception is that it’s "unsafe." Look, it’s a high-traffic area. There are people coming and going at all hours. Like any hotel near a major interstate, you should keep your car locked and your valuables out of sight. But it isn't a "dangerous" spot. It’s just busy. The local police (New Castle County PD) are very active in this corridor because of the mall traffic.
Actionable Advice for Your Visit
If you've decided to book a stay here, there are a few things you should do to make it better.
First, request a room away from the highway side. The noise from I-95 is constant. If you're a light sleeper, that low-frequency rumble of tractor-trailers will keep you up. The "back" side of the building is significantly quieter.
Second, check your plumbing as soon as you drop your bags. Turn on the shower. Flush the toilet. If there’s an issue, it’s much easier to switch rooms at 4:00 PM than it is at 11:00 PM when the hotel is at 100% capacity.
Third, leverage the tax-free shopping. Since you are so close to the mall, use the money you saved on the hotel room to shop at the Apple Store or the various outlets nearby. The savings on a new MacBook or a pair of expensive sneakers can literally pay for your night’s stay.
Fourth, download a traffic app. Between the Churchmans Road construction (which seems eternal) and the I-95 bottleneck, you can be stuck for 30 minutes just trying to go two miles. Check Waze before you even pull out of the parking lot.
Staying at the Days Inn Churchmans Road Delaware isn't about luxury—it's about logistics. It’s a place to sleep, shower, and move on to your real destination. As long as you know that going in, it serves its purpose perfectly well.
Final Logistics Checklist
- Confirm your check-in time: Usually 3:00 PM. If you arrive early, don't expect a room to be ready unless you called ahead.
- Wi-Fi password: Get it at the desk; don't wait until you're settled in and realized the sign in the room is missing.
- Parking: It’s free. In this part of Delaware, that’s a given, but still a nice perk compared to Philly or Baltimore hotels.
- Pet Policy: Days Inn is generally pet-friendly, but this specific location may have weight limits or specific "pet rooms." Call ahead.
Pack some earplugs just in case, bring your own travel-sized shampoo if you’re picky, and enjoy the fact that you’re staying in one of the most convenient transit points on the East Coast without breaking the bank.