Quality Inn & Suites Big Rapids

The road was getting worse and freezing rain had started on my way to Traverse City, so I stopped in Big Rapids for the night without a reservation. They fit me in and matched the online price, which was an incredible deal. The evening and morning clerks were both friendly and accommodating. My room was large, clean, and quiet. Breakfast was average, with a nice selection but not the best quality. For what I paid, I couldn't complain. Highly recommend!

The morning staff member was decent and made a real effort to help, which is the only reason I'm giving one star instead of zero. There is no way I'd ever stay here again. I don't usually post bad reviews, but after being texted 2-3 times on my personal cell asking me to leave one, here it is. At check-in I told the front desk guy we had no pets. He put us in a pet friendly room anyway, and I'm allergic to pet dander, so the night was miserable from the start. The ground-floor room opened straight outside toward the road and reeked. My pictures show some of it: animal hair on the sheets, yellow stains on body and face towels and the ironing board cover, food debris and grime under the furniture, and stains on the comforter. The photos don't show the full mess. There were chunks of missing drywall and chipped paint on the walls, a cracked bathroom mirror from corner to corner that seemed like a liability, and mold all over the shower curtain. Plumbing behind the faucet hung loose, with large gaps between pipes and wall. Under the mattress and bed frame we found a dirty napkin with something I didn't want to think about. The walls between rooms may as well not have been there. All night I could hear next door snoring and passing gas, plus pets barking in nearby rooms. A stuffed trash can right outside our door made the area smell as bad as the room. My allergies went haywire, I kept sneezing and had a pounding headache, and I got no sleep because of that and the noise. I called around trying to find another hotel, but every place was full because of a college graduation that weekend. We had no other option. The next morning I went to the desk planning to sleep in my car the second night. The morning shift guy apologized and offered a room no one had checked into the night before. It was a slight improvement, but the pillows smelled so strongly of bodily fluids I couldn't get past it. After a couple hours trying to get work done, I gave up, packed, and drove home instead of spending another night there. Breakfast was a letdown too. Not much choice, cold sausage links, bread that smelled like it had been sitting out for days, and potatoes with a sour smell and taste. The eggs were the only passable item.

The kids gave the automatic pancake maker a thumbs up, and we all liked the breakfast. Check-in was simple, and the front desk clerk was kind and knew her job. We were in the building far behind the main entrance. From outside it looked a little like an older motel, which made us nervous, though it was in good condition, just older. Once inside, we liked the room's updated decor and how clean it was. At first the light switch didn't work, and neither did the standalone lamp. We got them working together with the other lights and then were pleased with the room. The toilet tank hitting the wall when you stood up was odd. We enjoyed the movie and TV access, and the beds were comfortable and clean. We'd stay again.

Avoid booking through a third-party service, Chase travel included. The listings may show pictures and promise jetted tubs, but that isn't what you'll necessarily get. Staff said they couldn't control what showed up in their system and told me I "aren't the only one," which suggests they know it's an issue and haven't fixed it. They couldn't help get me into the room I'd thought I'd paid for based on the listing. Instead, there was stained bedding and bed, and loose bath faucets in place of the bath I expected.