The Bard's Inn, BW Signature Collection by Best Western

For under $150, or under $175 with the pet fee, this was a pleasant surprise and earned five stars. The location was nice, and I liked the old wood decor and layout, which fit the European inn theme. It's easy to walk to restaurants with outdoor seating, so it worked well for traveling with dogs. The flat $25 dog fee is also better than what most places charge. Breakfast was barely edible, and both the coffee there and the in-room coffee makers were bad. The front desk staff acted like bored teenagers. If they improved those things, they could probably charge more, so maybe they're not all bad.

The worst part was the beds. They were soft but had no support, flattened right away, and sloped toward the middle so badly that the edges made us slide off. My wife and I had two queen beds and could barely sleep. We only got any rest from sheer exhaustion, and our backs hurt in the morning. The AC and heating didn't work either. By the time we checked, it was too late to call for help, so we had to keep opening and closing the balcony door to manage the temperature. The bathroom had large spiders, which I killed, then cleaned off the floor. After that I was paranoid they'd crawl on me while I slept. The tub had yellow rust on the bottom, so I didn't bathe. The pool was closed, and the hot tub didn't look inviting. Dark green wallpaper made the room gloomy. I was told the balcony room would have a tree view, which I took to mean forest, but all I saw was the neighboring building, bushes, and bare planted trees. There was no microwave, and the refrigerator was tiny, like one you'd put under an office desk. I was too tired and disappointed to try breakfast. When I told the front desk about all this, they offered a $13 discount, which felt insulting. The place ruined the mood of our trip, and after a night with barely any sleep, we wanted to go home instead of continue our road trip. Driving six hours in that state left us weary. Paying for the stay felt like salt in an open wound. Thanks to the Bard Hotel for killing the vacation. Best Western should remove its name from this hotel.

The Bard’s Inn is in a great spot, close to Lithia Park and all the restaurants, and I love that it's pet friendly. Some rooms are quite dated, though, and a few lamps seem to have electrical shorts. The breakfast isn't good for the room price either, especially the powdered eggs. They really need to improve it.

The hotel is spread across four separate buildings in downtown Ashland, and while the location is nice, finding my room was a little tricky after arriving in the dark. Once I got there, I was impressed: the room was clean, the staff were great, and breakfast was especially good. They even had a individually wrapped GF bagel.