McMurray Inn

I was unsure after reading reviews, so I waited to book until I arrived. The motel looked clean and secure, the lobby seemed newly renovated, and the staff were very friendly. My room was clean, quiet, and secure too, apart from highway traffic that didn’t bother me. The mattress was firm, and the pillows were lumpy from being washed a lot, which I actually see as a good sign. There were clean white sheets, a newer TV, and free Wi-Fi. It’s no five star motel, but for business, work, or travel, I thought it was good value and would stay again when I’m back to teach in the area. Booking requires a $200 credit card preauthorization, which was released on the day I checked out.

I paid $100 for one night, slept, and checked out the next morning. About 30 minutes after leaving Fort Mac, I got a call from the manager saying I’d damaged the room, which I hadn’t. I returned to see what she meant, and it turned out to be old damage that she blamed on me. They kept $100 from my $200 deposit. It felt like a way to get money for repairs they couldn’t handle themselves. This seemed fraudulent to me, and I’d warn others away. I feel like you could get scammed out of your money too.

After I got home, they called to say they were sorry for the misunderstanding and would return my $200. The money had been taken from my card after it was already returned to me, and it took a call to the RCMP for that to happen. It felt like sweet justice hearing the staff who’d been so rude ask for forgiveness once the law got involved. I thanked the constable for helping. I won’t stay there again, though I did learn how to deal with credit card fraud, and I think the staff at Fort Mcmurray Inn learned something too. It started when I went to check in at the fort McMurray Inn and the woman at the counter rudely said my ID didn’t match my card. I told her to look again, and she saw that they did match. I should have left then. There was damage in my room, so I asked the manager to look at it. He said I didn’t need a lock on my door. I was trying to make sure I wouldn’t be charged for the damage from my deposit, but James looked at me as if I were from another planet. At checkout they inspected the room, said it was fine, returned my damage deposit, and I left. Halfway to Edmonton, I got a call saying they’d taken the $200 back from my card. I thought they were charging me for the damage that was there when I checked in, but they said a man in the lobby had stolen a security camera. Since I’d been seen near him, they claimed we were in cahoots and charged me for the missing camera. I had nothing to do with it. They called me a criminal, a lowlife, a thief, and a liar, and threatened to have me criminally charged if I pursued it. I told them I’d get my money back, sooner or later. They laughed, said I’d never get it back, and hung up.

I live out of town, and when work issues came up I called McMurray Inn. The staff stayed at the front desk a little past closing so I could get back into Fort Mac for a room. It usually closes at 10 pm, and I arrived at 10:10. They were polite, the room was very clean, and the bed was comfy. It was quiet aside from some traffic noise.