avid Hotel Bellefonte by IHG

The one bright spot was the night employee, who was genuinely kind and tried hard to get the heat working. The room stayed freezing, though: the heater blew cold air on one side and hot on the other, so I asked for extra blankets and slept under three. A green fire alarm light blinked all night, and the motion-activated bathroom light woke me when I got up to use it. A small night-light would have been much better. The walls are so thin I could hear outside and the next room, and the harsh fluorescent bulbs didn’t help. It may look modern, but the construction feels cheap. There were no bathroom cups or in-room coffee maker, so even getting water meant going down to the first floor, where the coffee service and the hotel’s only ice machine are. No mini fridge either. Instead of a real closet there are just hooks, which might be awkward with two people. My “mountain view” was mostly the parking lot and a small hill. I’d just driven from California to NYC, and this was the worst hotel of the trip. As my mother says, you can’t put lipstick on a pig. Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, and Bonvoy by Marriott have all been better. It’s also a bit of a drive from 80, so choosing this place was my mistake. They charged my card $50 for incidentals in case I damaged the room. There wasn’t much to damage, and I’m curious how long it will take to get that money back, especially after spending less than 12 hours huddled under blankets to stay warm.