La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Richmond South

We were just stopping after a long drive, so the location only mattered insofar as it was right off the highway. There seemed to be plenty of fast food nearby. Our room was large, clean, smelled good, and looked recently updated. The pet stayed for free, and the rates were reasonable. Free breakfast, too. Great value.

The staff were great, very pleasant and helpful, and I assume the building problems are outside their control. It really needs general maintenance. The room felt stuffy and rundown, and the AC barely ran. When it did, it sounded like a truck engine. Other guests were already complaining about the heating and cooling while I waited to check in. The gym equipment was worn out or broken, and the keycard unit on the door shut down until staff replaced the batteries.

There wasn’t enough light in the room unless it was daytime and the windows were open. The bed made a loud, tinny snare-drum sound when someone sat on it. On the plus side, the room was a good size, with two queen beds, a larger newer fridge, and a TV with a nice size and clear picture. The fridge had no freezer. The bathroom was also roomy, with a newer sink and faucet. The bathroom fan needs cleaning and roars loudly. The tub drain was discolored and looked filthy, though I’m not sure what condition it was in. The area around the tub looked adequate, but the popcorn ceiling was peeling.

We arrived at 10pm after eight hours on the road and were gone by 7am, so we only wanted a decent place to sleep. Instead, the room was awful: the TV didn’t work, bathroom paint was peeling, the tub was so gross my wife wouldn’t shower, and the beds were old and rock hard. The front office staff member was great. She apologized, came to try fixing the TV, and offered another room. We were half unpacked and already in pajamas, so we stayed put. We couldn’t wait to leave in the morning. Wyndham offered 2,000 points for its rewards program, which was useless to us. I’ll steer clear of La Quinta in the future.