Staybridge Suites Augusta by IHG

The WiFi was awful, and my phone hotspot was much faster. The TV was small and sounded terrible, especially for what they charge compared with similar hotels. The rooms were nasty. They seemed to do little beyond taking out trash and changing bedsheets, with no vacuuming or mopping. I’d wash the dishes before using them, and I wouldn’t walk barefoot in the room. Breakfast was a small selection of very bland food. I can’t see why this place has four Google stars.

The fourth-floor hallway was clean throughout our stay, with no unusual carpet smells. Parking was free and there were plenty of daytime spaces. The hotel is in a nice Augusta area, within walking distance of a lot of places, and we didn’t hear much noise despite being close to the highway. Breakfast was decent, with the usual waffles, eggs, and toast. We had a two-room suite because I was traveling with my kids. The main bedroom was spacious, with a king bed and a nice bathroom. The second room had a queen bed and its own bathroom, plus there was a pleasant living room and kitchen. When we found that the kids’ bathroom door wouldn’t close right, I told management and a handyman fixed it within 15 minutes. A lower-right section of a panel was broken too, but for our three-day stay it didn’t bother me. The hotel was being renovated while we were there, and check-in was easy. Staff greeted us and invited us to the Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday social, where the food was nice. I wasn’t thrilled with housekeeping, though. My wife said our daughter found blood on her pillowcase despite having no injury. We removed the bedding hoping they’d replace it, but they didn’t, so I had to go downstairs to ask. I don’t know whether the request was passed along. The manager was going to speak with housekeeping, but I told him maybe they’d just forgotten, and we’d take care of it. The work going on in the building gives me hope they’ll improve the service and housekeeping too. Despite that bedding issue, I don’t have much negative to say. It could be a great place to stay, and I’d recommend it. If I return to Augusta, this hotel is on my list.

I booked through priceline, and the desk clerk charged my card too, so I was billed twice. Once I pointed out the mistake, they promptly processed a refund. Still, it’s a holiday and I’ll be without that money for a week, then lose 10% to the third-party service fee. I’ve learned my lesson. A priceline deal can look appealing, but the hidden fees leave the merchant paid while the mistake costs me. It also looks like priceline.com may use targeted pricing. Booking late the night before a holiday, I was charged 7% more for the room than the merchant’s direct rate.

The room was clean and had everything we needed for a longer stay, and both breakfast and social hour were great. What made the biggest difference was the staff. They were so kind and personable, they brightened every day we were there. Highly recommend!