Bannerman Park Suites

We ended up cutting our planned six-week stay at Bannerman Park Suites down to 12 nights because the condition of the place made a longer stay impossible for us. In the first day, we were moved between three rooms. The first smelled strongly of urine, and the damp carpet soaked our socks. The housekeeper tried washing it three times, but the smell stayed. She kindly moved us to another room for the night, which we appreciated, and the next morning we chose a room without that smell. That room had no curtain over the bedside window, so we hung a towel over part of it. We told the hosts about the curtain and several other missing amenities, but they didn't help. Both rooms we used were missing fire alarms. We found the alarms taken off their ceiling mounts and tucked in drawers, then put batteries in them ourselves. When we raised it, the response was that the alarms would be in place for the next guests. That didn't help us. I also stumbled into a basement office while looking for the laundry room. Its door was ajar, and all the room keys, including ours, were hanging on a wall where anyone who made the same mistake could reach them. That was the last straw. We told the hosts we were leaving over that and the other problems, and they said the electrician had left the door open the week before. Their messages showed a shocking lack of accountability. When we said we'd be leaving early, they told us to read their many five-star reviews. That didn't change what we'd experienced: urine-soaked socks and rooms without fire alarms. In NL, a working fire alarm is the requirement for a hotel to get even one star. We felt much more comfortable in the motels we used on our road trip here. We'd tried to deal directly with the hosts instead of going through Airbnb, and that was a huge mistake. We missed the 72-hour refund window and lost several thousand dollars. We feel completely robbed. The hosts then offered a partial refund only if we withheld this review, which breaks Airbnb's terms of service. I won't do that. The place is advertised as a “5-star experience fit for a king,” but the rooms were filthy, listed amenities were missing or broken, and the hosts showed blatant disregard for guest safety. They promise a “once-in-a-lifetime experience,” and that turned out to be true, just not in the way anyone would want.

Michelle let us check in an hour and a half early, which was a huge help since we were badly jetlagged and needed a nap. We loved the suite: the bed was so comfortable, and having a big tub separate from the shower was a real plus. The location worked well too, across from Bannerman Park and near downtown.

Michael really looked after us, with helpful recommendations and ideas for places to see. Since we didn't have a car, he even took us on a little tour, and gave generously of his time whenever we needed anything. My wife and I had a great weekend at Bannerman Park Suites. Our room was spacious and clean, and there were lots of good places within an easy walk. You can get to pretty much all of downtown St Johns in 20-25 minutes. We'll stay here again on our next visit. SJ is a wonderful place, with great people, food and bars, plus lots of breweries popping up. There's plenty to see too. I'd say a hike up signal hill on the lower path and over to Quidi Vidi is a must.

It may suit elderly guests, but I found the place far from functional. You could hear people in other rooms through the paper-thin walls, and the hot water tank couldn't keep up with the property's needs. The fixtures were dated and gave us trouble. For the price, it wasn't worth it.