BEST WESTERN Plus Paper Valley Hotel

Clean room, comfortable bed, and good showers.

The hallways hadn’t been vacuumed for two days, and they still weren’t clean when we checked out. The place was dirty. Expedia said the room came with a hot tub, but there wasn’t one, and the pool was broken and just cold water.

The night desk clerk and the housekeeper we met were both pleasant and friendly, but the rest of this trip was a mess. I booked online more than a month ahead for an Appleton tournament running Thursday through Sunday, with an itinerary showing a set price. We always call one or two weeks before to confirm, and on that call I asked again about early check-in. They told me it would be “no problem.” After driving four hours, we were told they don’t accept cash, something nobody had mentioned on the phone or website. Then came a $25 early check-in fee that had never been discussed when I booked or called to confirm. There was also a $50 incidental hold they said wouldn’t be charged to my card. It was charged, and more than five days after checkout I was still waiting for the money to go back. The manager was training someone at the desk. I understand that can be frustrating when guests are checking in, but when I asked about the extra charges, she got rude and defensive, kept talking over me to the trainee, and had a bad attitude. It was very unprofessional. A manager should have better people skills and manners, especially as the first face guests see. Why didn’t anyone tell us about the charges or the no-cash policy? It really messed up our trip. I had to use money set aside for my son’s birthday and Easter to cover the added fees, and I was still waiting for the $50 they’d put on “hold.” The pool was cold, and there was no hot tub. When leaving, you can only turn right, then drive around to reach the main road, which is kind of annoying. I checked online while we were there and saw it would’ve been cheaper to pay night by night rather than all three nights at once. I learned a valuable lesson: do your research before booking, and don’t rely on the website alone. Call and ask about all the fees, incidentals, and other extras you might be charged on arrival or when leaving. I wish I’d known that beforehand.