Garner Hotel Brookings by IHG

The room was clean, but the renovation was poor. The furnace made a vehicle-starting sound every half hour, like an unwanted 30-minute alarm. There was an inch-wide gap under the door, so we could hear everything in the hallway. It seemed like the wrong door had been put in the opening: the dead bolt had nowhere to go, and the door wouldn't latch. The bathroom door also needed a hard push to stay shut. We booked so our kids could use the pool and slide, but the slide was closed. The pool area and water were very cold, and the hot tub was about as cold as a pool should normally be. It was probably too cold for the slide anyway. We should have asked for our money back and left. The worker was very nice and seemed concerned when I told her about the problems, but unless the owner reaches out to make this right, we won't return.

Call ahead to check whether the waterslide is running if that's why you're staying here. Several groups had disappointed kids tonight, and many had chosen this motel only for the broken slide. Recent reviews said it was supposed to be fixed over three weeks ago. Without the slide, the pool is shallow and cold, and any other Brookings motel with a pool is better. Those places are all cheaper, too. At the very least, this motel should offer a discount when it claims to have a waterslide that doesn't work.

We paid more than we would have at another hotel because of the pool, and were really disappointed. The pool and hot tub were terribly cold. The hot tub was colder than my kids' bath water, and the children didn't want to swim. Their lips were purple, and everyone had goosebumps and was shivering. People who weren't swimming wore sweatshirts and sweatpants and were shaking from the cold. There's paint chipping all over the pool-area floor, too. The rooms and hotel itself are clean, which is good. If you just need a place to sleep, come here, but don't bother if you're hoping to swim.

The breakfast bar was great, and someone kept checking that the food was replenished. Our rooms were super clean, and the staff were awesome. It's a really nice, clean place to stay. We'll choose it again next time we're in Brookings.