Radisson Hotel Fort St. John

The second room wasn’t any better. The sheets and pillowcases were stained, and you could see stains on the mattress through the sheets. We booked as a group for a volleyball tournament, but our team ended up switching hotels. The first room they put us in was unsafe and dirty, with stains and a smoke smell, so we had to move. It felt like a prison cell. Management was horrible, and this place was absolutely disgusting. They charged my card three days before arrival and wouldn’t refund either the night’s stay or my damage deposit. This place should be shut down.

The room itself was okay, but the face cloths had stains on them. I used one to wipe up some tea I spilled on the desk, and they charged me $10 for it. At breakfast, the coffee was extremely weak, so you’re better off going to McDonald’s. They only use Folgers. Breakfast never changed during the almost two weeks I was there: sausages, boiled or scrambled eggs, and hash browns or potatoes. No bacon, pancakes or waffles. The plates were those flimsy paper ones you can fold around a hot dog, pretty useless. When I first arrived, staff didn’t acknowledge me while I stood there waiting. I turned to leave, and only then did they notice me. I should’ve just left. The manager also parks an SUV in front of the main entrance, making it hard for guests to unload. I thought it belonged to a customer and parked behind it, and I saw other guests do the same. A couple days later, I saw the manager get in and drive away. Unprofessional. Looking back, I should’ve left after the first night.

The wall design and decor made the room feel like a prison cell. The service was very poor, and the room was unacceptably dirty. The carpet was filthy, and the sheets clearly hadn’t been changed, with yellow stains on them. The bed was terrible and uncomfortable. I didn’t even want to use the bathroom, and I didn’t.

The fire alarm went off throughout the building around 3:20 a.m. We were told to leave our rooms, and it was almost two hours before we could go back, with no directions, head count or concern for guests. This happened in the middle of the night on three of my six nights, and there was no compensation. I was also charged $50 plus tax for late checkout, and they held my $300 damage deposit over mascara marks on one towel. My total was $1,284, plus the late fee, and they kept the deposit, so $1,684 for six nights. I felt singled out by the staff, though I’m a quiet 40-year-old single white woman who doesn’t cause trouble. I don’t know why they get away with keeping people’s deposits. It seems like they can make up a reason and keep the money, especially cash deposits, without a paper trail or accountability. That’s apparently their reputation in town, and I’m not the first or last person to lose a deposit with no way to get it back. They advertise a pool online, but there isn’t one. I’d strongly recommend staying elsewhere. It’s too costly and you’ll be disappointed. I paid $214 for the first three nights, booked before arrival, and gave them a $300 damage deposit. When I extended for another three nights, my brother had checked in and was paying $114 a night, taxes included, for the same room. Online, my room was listed at that same $114 rate. The manager refused to lower my price and said I had to keep paying the rate from check-in until checkout. I’d checked in at 4:30 a.m. and was stuck with the ridiculous rate or had to leave. If I rebooked at the lower price, they said they were fully booked. Guests checking in next to me had booked online and were charged $89 a night plus tax.