Monte Carlo Inn Barrie Suites

The welcome was warm and friendly, and the room was clean. After a long drive, it was nice to have a bathtub and relax before bed. Sleep was harder, though: the bed and pillows weren't very comfortable, and the heater or air conditioner was extremely loud, switching on and off every few minutes. Breakfast felt awkward. I needed a voucher, but only found that out after getting coffee and going for oatmeal. The woman at the counter wasn't very friendly, and once I got the voucher I felt watched. I'd probably stay again, but I'm not sure what to do about the air conditioner noise. Maybe I could bring my own pillow.

The lobby and hallways were clean, and the room was tidy apart from splash marks on the bathroom wallpaper. But the elevator floor had grime stuck in all four corners and didn't run smoothly. The mattress dipped in the middle and was uncomfortable. This was my second stay, but I'll try another hotel next time.

After a month of trying to get my money back, head office stonewalled me at every turn. The hotel refused a refund because we'd booked through Booking.com, and Booking.com said we were past its 24-hour cancellation window. We hadn't cancelled. The room was uninhabitable, even though the hotel disagreed. One night in Barrie ended up costing us over $600 after we paid for another hotel. NEVER STAY AT MONTE CARLO. The claim that it's newly renovated is a joke, and there was no satisfaction from head office. Maybe this review will get their attention. The room was damp and musty, with soaking rugs and such a strong deodorizer that I had a full asthma attack and had to leave. We asked to move rooms before dinner and again when we came back, but they wouldn't move us the first time, then said no other rooms were available. This is some of the worst customer service I've ever had at a hotel. They aren't severe asthmatics, apparently.

There wasn't much nearby for walking around, and we didn't have a car. We also ran out of body wash in both of the rooms we were offered. After finding bed bugs on the beds in our first room, we asked if anything could be done and the receptionist offered us another room. That one still had stained, dirty sheets and things left by previous guests, including a child's toy above the safe. We wanted to go swimming, but the lights were flickering and hadn't been fixed.