Best Western Plus Bradenton Gateway Hotel

We had a comfortable bed and a nice breakfast spread, and the front desk staff were very pleasant. The room had a slight musty, smoky smell, though. For one night it was worth it. The location is handy for getting straight to Anna Maria Island, about a 15-minute drive without traffic. I'd suggest they work on attracting people for longer stays.

I went in hopeful, but the hotel and room didn't meet my expectations. The ceiling in the first room was covered in mold, so I asked for another room and gave them the benefit of the doubt. The floor in the replacement room was swollen from a bathroom flood, and the furniture had stains all over it. I tried to stay, but my throat got itchy and it was hard to breathe, possibly from pet dander or mildew.

I felt safe the whole week, and didn't worry about our cars even though they were packed with all our belongings after we'd just moved out of our house. The employees were kind, and the coffee was delicious. The room had a bunch of problems, though. The AC fan wouldn't shut off, so it was always loud and cool. There weren't enough outlets by the bed, or really anywhere in the room. The refrigerator was gross inside, though we only needed it for water, not food. The shower had such weak pressure that my 76-year-old husband joked he could pee harder. I couldn't have washed my hair in it, since rinsing out shampoo, let alone conditioner, would've taken all day. The towels felt like sandpaper. On our first night, someone upstairs banged on someone's door for about an hour and woke me up. The carpet felt disgusting, so I never walked on it barefoot. Even though I slept without socks, I put them on if I got up in the night to use the bathroom. It was a pain, but I didn't trust that carpet. Our key only worked once, so my husband had to keep getting replacements until the second-to-last day.

The staff at the Best Western on Cortez Road in Bradenton were amazing and so friendly. Daniel, Ashley, Crystal, and Nina made our stay really pleasant. Our room was clean, comfortable, and quiet, and we'd certainly stay there again.