Sonesta Simply Suites Austin South

I've visited 55 countries and booked more than 200 hotels over the past 25 years, and this was the worst stay I've had. Don't waste your time or money at Sonesta Simply Suites South Austin. The front desk representative and manager were rude, aggressive, and unprofessional, and didn't seem to know how to treat customers. When I asked questions, they kept speaking in a language I didn't understand, possibly Hindi, in front of me. The room hadn't been serviced, with many things missing, including plates, forks, tissues, body wash, shampoo, and more. There were scratches, dents, and rust on the entry door, fridge, and mirrors, plus broken outlets. The thermostat didn't work, so I had an extremely hot night. The bathtub and taps didn't work properly and water stayed in the tub. The clothes hanger was broken. After the hotel's response, I want to add that the room was available, but they wanted to charge me for something I consider nonsense. Calling me a liar is wrong. This feels like taking advantage of customers, not enforcing a policy. The poor quality room service and the photos I took show how bad it was. I'm also going to complain to the BBB so other travelers don't have a stay like mine.

The front desk staff were very kind and helpful. We had a large room with a full kitchen, a comfortable bed, and good bedding. Since we were on the top floor at the end of the hall, it was one of the quietest places we've stayed. We never heard people talking or other noise from the hall or neighboring rooms during our six nights. We wouldn't have booked if we'd known there would be no housekeeping at all during the stay. We had to bring dirty linens to the front desk, pick up clean ones, and handle our full garbage ourselves by putting it in the hall. No replacement bags were provided. After a tiring day on vacation, it would have been nice to come back to fresh towels, a clean bathroom, and a made bed. For what we paid per night, that was a real disappointment. We also didn't notice the $5 daily parking fee when booking. The hotel is right beside a busy overpass, so getting there is easy but there's some traffic noise. The area is industrial, with no good restaurants nearby, and the hotel has no breakfast. The AC came through a vent from the main room and didn't cool the bedroom enough, even set to 60. Still, the front desk team were pleasant and helpful throughout.

After visiting 55 countries and staying in more than 200 hotels over the past 25 years, this was the worst hotel experience I've had at Sonesta Simply Suites South Austin. The room wasn't serviced and had no plates, forks, tissues, body wash, shampoo, or many other items. Its entry door, fridge, cabinets, and mirrors had scratches, dents, and rust. There were broken outlets, a nonworking thermostat that left me with a very hot night, and a broken clothes hanger. The bathtub and taps didn't work properly, water stayed in the tub, there was hair in it, and the sink leaked. Rust was also all over the place, including on the lights. The front desk representative and manager were rude, aggressive, and unprofessional, and seemed not to know how to treat customers. While I was speaking with them, they kept talking to each other in a language I didn't understand.

It's a budget place, so you get what you pay for. The renovated hotel smells good, and the new management has done a decent job. Experienced travelers will still see that it needs more work, with rusty showerheads and creaky bathtubs, though nothing was bad. The room and mattresses were clean and neat. The location is a definite plus, with eateries and shops just a five to ten minute drive away. A few things to know: there's no housekeeping for stays of 1-4 days, parking is $5 a day, and the security guard is always on the phone. There's no kitchen or breakfast. The gym is small, but enough for a day or two.