Home2 Suites By Hilton Thunder Bay

Is this really a hotel? It feels like an apartment, without a hefty contract, and those fancy Japanese sliding washroom doors are a plus. I didn’t try the complimentary breakfast, but the place had good vibes. Just be aware of the air traffic at night, though it’s very mild. Whether it’s worth $200-$300 a night is for you to decide.

EV owners, check the charging fees before booking. We picked this hotel for a cross Canada road trip because Expedia listed an EV charger, and we accepted a higher room price on that basis. The charger was painfully slow and cost $1.75 per kilowatt, plus a $15 connection fee. At most other chargers we pay $0.15-0.30 per kilowatt, and many hotels offer free charging. The hotel says it can’t take responsibility because the charger is run by a third party, but it shouldn’t draw customers in with an on-site charger without making the cost clear. I felt misled by both Expedia and the hotel. The rooms were great, the hotel was clean, and the staff were lovely. Charging fees are our only complaint, so call ahead and ask about them.

I’ve always had good stays at Homes2 and the Hampton Inn next door, where I spend about $3500 a year or more. This time I was there for a hockey tournament with my elderly parents and teenage daughter. The sliding bathroom door was stiff and wouldn’t close properly. On our last night my 73-year-old mother got stuck inside for about 15-20 minutes. She has claustrophobia and high blood pressure and was panicking. I couldn’t open the door, so I went to reception. There was no housekeeping or maintenance staff at that hour, but they called over another receptionist from the hotel next door. Together they got the door open. It stopped working altogether and had to remain open for the rest of our stay, which made privacy difficult. If my mother had been alone, she would have had no help and might have panicked even more. I asked for compensation and was told a manager would call the next day. The offer was $50, which barely covers one night’s taxes, plus an upgrade to a larger suite on a future stay. The manager refused to reimburse that night and made it sound as if we had broken the door, claiming it could only happen if it had been shut aggressively. My 73-year-old mother and 90-year-old father did not slam it. I also never got a chance to explain what happened to the manager, who didn’t seem interested in listening and rushed me off the phone. I’m writing because I didn’t appreciate my elderly parents being blamed. I’ve never had a bad stay here before and plan to keep coming back, but management should do better at addressing customers and hearing them out.

I booked a week at this hotel almost a month ahead. Within the cancellation window, at least 24 hours before check-in, I asked to shift check-in by one day. The front desk agent was disrespectful and unhelpful, saying the rest of the stay would cost $20 more per night because of limited availability. I cancelled and booked the dates I needed, one night fewer than the original reservation, at the original rate. I don’t understand why the agent tried to charge more when availability didn’t seem to be an issue. The 24-hour notice required to leave early is also frustrating for people in town for work, where a job may finish ahead of schedule. That’s different from my experience with other major chains, though maybe I was lucky. Customer service clearly isn’t a priority at this front desk, and the manager is “never available”. After the company replied, I was shocked to hear that raising your voice and being disrespectful to clients was part of its policy. The agent was unprofessional and unhelpful. Saying rates change with availability doesn’t explain why the remaining nights would cost more when I was only removing the first night. I also managed to rebook the actual dates I needed, minus that first night, at the original rate. I respect that staff have policies to follow, but it still doesn’t add up.