Joy Park Hotel

I ended up leaving halfway through a planned three-night stay because I felt too frightened to remain there. The inn is deep in the mountains, and I felt I had no way to get out. I wouldn't recommend it to a woman traveling alone or to an elderly guest. The trouble began with the washing machines. There are two side by side in a glass room next to the front desk, and it was hard to tell which one was for guests. On the first day I accidentally used the machine marked “Staff Only.” The next day, after I used the other machine and was about to start the dryer, the manager came out shouting, “Hey, you've done it twice!” and “Come here!” He dragged me into the laundry room, then kept saying things like “Why are you using this?”, “I'll kill you!” and “How are you going to take responsibility?” I know I was partly at fault for not noticing the sign, but being treated that way as a guest felt abnormal and intimidating. His behavior was so strange that I asked to contact the management company. I was told that wasn't possible, and they gave me no contact details.

The room itself was clean and roomy, which made the awful smell all the more disappointing. It seemed to come from the bathroom ventilation, maybe mold or the drain. With the bathroom fan running all day and night, the odor spread through the room. I woke up over and over and felt like I might throw up several times. Some guests from other companies asked to switch rooms on their first day. At first the manager said no, claiming the building was full, though there were plenty of rooms and it didn't look full to me. After more discussion with him, they and I got moved, but he looked very unhappy about it. I wanted to ask for a room change too, but his expression put me off, so I kept quiet. It's a shame, because the room was so clean and the smell was so bad.