Days Inn by Wyndham Camp Springs/Andrews AFB DC Area

This is an old hotel with a lot of problems, but it’s near DC and the Air Force Base, and they are working on renovations. I think they may have changed the smoking policy recently. The rooms still smell of smoke from when smoking was allowed throughout, so if smoke bothers you or you have allergies, this place may not suit you. There are bugs in the world, even in forests and beautiful places many people can’t afford to visit. If your home is so spotless that you never need pest control and never see a bug, you might want to skip this hotel. It doesn’t seem fair to blame the entire insect world on a hospitality business in a review. What the place does have is heart. Real people work here and are doing their best to get by. Many guests paying this price are in the same position, so don’t expect perfection. Try to accept the complicated, beautiful reality of being human, and be kind. A Mermaid wrote this, as one of my Mermaid Proverbs: Peace, Love and Joy. “They” are the answer. Find “Them.” They’re never lost, just look where you last left “them.”

The place was dirty when we arrived, with moldy-smelling rooms. We put up with it because we had nowhere else to stay while waiting for our apartment. The next day we started seeing roaches and mice everywhere. Then workers began harassing us, and we couldn’t get hold of a manager. Partway through the week we were kicked out without an explanation. They first claimed there were no rooms available, but we saw other people checking in. When we questioned it, they said we were the only ones who couldn’t check in, still without a reason, and made up a lie about me and my partner. We’re quiet and keep to ourselves, and we’re not even from here. I felt discriminated against. We paid good money, followed all the rules, and kept our room spotless, so housekeeping wasn’t needed. It also felt like they wanted to look inside our room and see what we had. A male worker repeatedly tried to charge us extra for the room, apparently to pocket the money. When we confronted them, they acted as if they didn’t know him. After that, staff started treating us strangely and eventually put us out for no reason. Very disappointing. Don’t stay here if you don’t want a dirty room or to feel scammed by employees.

We had a good stay for the price, location, amenities, cleanliness, and friendly staff, and would come back when possible. The room was very clean and everyone was welcoming. A few things bothered me: the old fridge made a clattering, metronome-like noise all night, trash bins sat right outside our door, and nicotine and marijuana smells came through the ventilation even though we don’t smoke.

The young man working nights was welcoming, but I didn’t get the same feeling from the day staff. Our room was missing some of the amenities it was supposed to include. I killed four roaches, and there were big black ants in the room too.