Super 8 Merritt

We'd booked a room weeks ahead for a stop in Merritt, and after driving all evening we arrived ready to rest. Instead, the woman at the desk told us they'd tried to charge our card for weeks without success and said she'd left a message just a couple of hours earlier. Since we were on the road, we hadn't received it. They'd cancelled our booking and given the room away. It seems there was plenty of time before two hours before check-in to tell us there was a card problem. She also tried to shame us for not having enough credit available. I understand that failed payment attempts are frustrating and that they might prefer to give a room to someone standing there in person. But blaming us and starting the conversation defensively and rudely was uncalled for, and soured the night. On the bright side, the Quality Inn next door was lovely and worth the extra charge on the credit card that apparently wasn't good enough for the Super 8.

The staff were lovely, and the room had plenty of space with everything we needed in the kitchenette for simple meals. The breakfast room was spacious and had a great view. The hot tub was hot, and the pool temperature suited both us and the kids.

I liked the room's decor and found it clean, about what I expected. The shower had good pressure, but the beds were quite hard. Breakfast included things like two cereals, muffins, banana bread, and instant oatmeal.

The room itself was okay, but the welcome was awful. The front desk staff were grumpy and spoke to me aggressively, almost threateningly, about possible damage I might cause to the rooms. They also gave me an incorrect folio with another guest's credit card and address on it. I work in hospitality, and this wasn't hospitable. The signs about having to wash my own dishes or pay a charge were annoying too.