Harbourside Inn

The room was only fair for cleanliness, and there wasn’t much smell in the corridor, but the bedbug concern and the window looking onto the community kitchen pushed me to find somewhere else. In the lobby there was chaos, with shady-looking guests, tobacco smoke, and a smell of piss. Others had reported bedbugs. This felt like a crack house dressed up as a hotel. Stay away.

We arrived to check in after booking online and found junkies lined along the front, t-shirts covering the windows, and garbage and shopping carts in the parking lot. The lobby was a disaster, piled with stuff. We cancelled at the last minute and stayed elsewhere, possibly losing our money. It was horrible, and I’d give it zero stars if I could. Why is this even on Expedia? The 4.4 rating turned out to be out of 10, not 5. Lesson learned.

We left as soon as we saw the condition of the hotel, without even getting out of the car. Several windows were boarded up or had broken glass, and some rough-looking people were sitting by the front door. We heard the hospital books rooms here for patients in detox so they can return for their remaining treatments. In our view, this should be funded as a support centre and no longer listed as a hotel. We consider the money we lost a donation.

The worst part was spending the night itching and crushing bed bugs full of blood. I’m not fussy and can put up with noise, smells, or worn furniture, but this place was beyond that. It’s currently partly being used as a homeless shelter. I booked with card points and have contacted my provider in hopes they’ll remove it as an option. I tried to switch hotels around midnight, but everywhere else was full. So I spent the morning washing and spraying all my belongings with isopropyl. Sound fun? Seriously, avoid it. Forget the points and move on.