Travelodge by Wyndham Cleveland Airport

Sammy's has been here for 25 plus years, and it’s a bar on site. The location worked well for me, not far from the airport. The Wi-Fi was good too, though faster internet would be better.

The bed was comfortable and everything in the room worked, so for the price that part was okay. The place itself is badly run down and seems about 20 years overdue for renovation. At check-in, I waited at the counter for at least 10 minutes while the man worked on his computer and phone before he even spoke to me. He said he’d be a few minutes, then carried on with whatever he was doing. After that, he told me there was a $100 cash-only deposit, which hadn’t been mentioned when I booked through priceline and prepaid. I had to sign rules acknowledging the cash deposit, and he held up the bill, apparently where a camera could see it, while reciting that I’d get it back after the room was checked the next morning. Nobody actually checked the room when I left, but he gave me the deposit back. Another couple arrived behind me; after I went to get food and came back 25 minutes later, they were still checking in and looked frustrated. A man outside said the hotel advertised a free airport shuttle, but when he asked for it they wanted $20. If you’re looking for customer service, this isn’t the place.

I had to move rooms three times. In 405, the toilet kept running; in 407, the door wouldn’t lock; and in the last room, a black line ran straight across the middle of the TV. The server was on the phone the entire time. Worst hotel I’ve been to.

The room was disgusting, with no hot water, stains all over the wallpaper, and paper peeling off the walls. On arrival I waited in the lobby for 30 minutes before anyone appeared, and when someone finally drove up, they told me I had to pay cash and use their ATM, even though I’d reserved with a card. Leaving was the same kind of wait: nobody was there, and I stood around for at least 20 minutes to check out. The woman who showed up was hostile and accused me of smoking because I’d brought in a cigarette butt from outside and put it in the toilet. Apparently the toilet doesn’t flush. I told her I wouldn’t smoke in the room because my wife doesn’t smoke and won’t let me smoke near her, but she got an attitude and threatened to charge me $1,200, blah blah blah. It was obvious I hadn’t smoked in the room, or it would have smelled like cigarettes. I’d avoid staying here at all cost.