Econo Lodge City Centre

The woman at the front desk was polite and tried to find us another room, which is the only reason I’m rating the service above one. But the replacement room’s lock didn’t work, and you could push the door open. I felt so uncomfortable I couldn’t stay there or in that hotel. In the first room, the mattress had dark crumbs around its buttons and signs of bed bugs, and it hadn’t even been vacuumed. The bed and pillows looked rumpled, the sheets didn’t look clean, and there were coffee spills on the door threshold. The rugs were ripped and stained, and the TV wouldn’t connect. I couldn’t bring myself to sit on the bed, let alone sleep in it. This place needs a major overhaul or demolition. The cleaning staff should be fired. Stay clear.

I’ve probably stayed here 50 times over my life, and I’d come back if I needed to be downtown and couldn’t spend more. It’s a no-frills economy hotel, which is what it should be, though it should at least feel worth the money. There seem to be fewer cheap options every year, so I can only imagine what the staff have to deal with as this becomes one of the last affordable rooms.

The location felt really sketchy, and there’s no elevator or wheelchair ramp, or anything for people with disabilities. Breakfast was just cheap bread and a toaster, blueberry muffins and little cereal boxes, with no eggs, waffles, bacon or anything good. The fridge was broken, the TV was messed up, and the one ice machine didn’t work either.

Breakfast was coffee, old apples, boxed cereal and Quaker oats. We should have eaten somewhere else, and stayed somewhere else too. The front desk area looked promising, but the walk to the room was like a fun house. The floor was uneven and the carpet rolled up, a real fall hazard. The first floor stank of mould and pot, and our room smelled like sour milk mixed with mould, maybe. It was disgusting. The pillow was yellow, and they don’t use pillow protectors. Since Kingston was packed with activities that long weekend and nearby hotels were full, we had to stay. We went out and bought new pillows, and the woman at the desk gave us a discount. She didn’t seem concerned about our complaints, but was quick to say the hotel is always busy. I didn’t expect five-star rooms, but affordable shouldn’t mean conditions this far below standard. Don’t waste your money.