Jordan S.
2/5
This stop was my first stop on a solo trip (female traveler) down south. I’ve traveled solo many times before, and have had a lot of experiences- even smaller 2 star hotels, hold some of the best memories for me. This hotel however, was not that.
Now, location is pretty convenient. There’s gas, a 24hr nice Meijer across the street (definitely ended up being useful), a Waffle House and McDonald’s right before pulling up to the drive, and close to expressway.
The hotel itself is a little confusing to get to if you’ve been driving all day, and you’re tired. You take the drive down, pass a hotel and WH, and it’s down the drive a bit behind there.
When I first walked into the hotel lobby, there were two gentleman working. Smelled freshly cleaned with purple Fabuloso, had a plastic pane between me and the receptionists, and a nice rack off to the side with a bunch of brochures. Nothing fancy, but I wasn’t expecting fancy for what I paid. Another older man came in and worked grave shift.
All of them were very nice, however one of my biggest pet peeves is when receptionists at hotels say your room number out loud, and loudly announce the kind of room you have. Being by myself as a woman, you can imagine I was uncomfortable with the group of guys behind me knowing I was by myself and what room I was in for the night. I kept it to myself, hoping the guys behind me didn’t hear it, and walked back to my car.
I opened the door to the room, and it was awful. It was damp, rank, REAKED of cigarettes and old smoke, and looked unclean. Mind you, I booked a queen bed room that was NON-smoking. I smoke cigarettes myself, but I don’t want to sit in what smells like grandma’s house in the Everglades that she’s been covering with nicotine for the last 50 years. I checked the bed for bed bugs and saw none. I immediately went to Meijer to grab extra cleaning supplies (Lysol wipes (which I usually carry), tub bleach spray, and air fresheners.
When I came back and saw it for the second time, and saw tiny roaches, I really realized how 🤢 it was and how it truly just wasn’t my job, budget or not, to clean the rooms properly. I wouldn’t have been able to if I tried- the 📸 DO NOT do it justice. The floors and mattresses were awful.
I went up to the receptionist (he happily switched my room for me, gave me no grief), and the one that was available was a “NON-smoking” queen bedroom… directly ⬆️ my room.
I go in, and it’s still humid and damp, still smelled like cigarettes and old smoke (WAY less though, maybe it came from below into the room). At this point it was way past the time I needed to be in bed, so I checked the beds, turned the AC on, wiped EVERYTHING down, sprayed the bleach in the tub, cleaned it, and took a shower. I’m not OCD. You would have too.
The beds are not very comfortable, but I didn’t really expect them to be. The pillows are wrapped in a sanitary (hopefully) pillowcase before put in the actual pillowcase. They’re not bad, they feel like down or down alternative. If you’re like me and know better than to sleep with the top blanket of ANY hotel- then you’ll be left with a VERY thin blanket and a sheet. I had to turn off the AC (which helped the dampness), sleep in my pj’s, thick robe, socks, and the two blankets. I felt like the kid at the sleepover who ends up having to cover up with a 🍕 box because they can’t find covers.
Rooms have a fridge. 💡 need to be pressed twice to not have them buzz and blink (At least in room 129 and the one ⬆️ it). Had broken buttons on AC- got it to work though. Room 129 has a hard time locking (one kick would break that door) & the card reader for room above stopped scanning my card to get in, so I had to have the receptionist redo my room # on it.
Next morning was the return. I left as fast as I could honestly. Do not let the five stars mislead you- they have to be friends or something, because they’re why I came here, and why I needed to write this review. Again- I love budget hotels. Sanitary & basic needs met is fine. It didn’t even meet those standards in two separate rooms.
