MainStay Suites Clarion

The stay felt very unpleasant, and we didn't feel welcome. My boyfriend is African American, and the owner followed him around the lobby and watched him wherever he went. The room we had booked wasn't available, so we ended up paying more for a much smaller standard room. I booked through Priceline, and they called to try to resolve it, but nothing was offered and the owner wouldn't refund any money. He also wanted to charge me $30 for early check-in, though I thought that came with Choice member rewards. Our room was across from active construction, with banging and noise until nearly 9 at night. The lobby and hallways were full of boxes from work throughout the hotel. At 7 a.m. the coffee was cold, so it seemed to be left from the night before. When I ran the shower, steam came out the door and he accused us of smoking.

The room was dirty, there was no hot water, and the staff was awful. At 7:45 a.m., I got a call on the room phone demanding that I bring my credit card to the front desk, even though the room was fully paid and I had no extra charges. When I asked why, the clerk became more insistent and aggressive. I hung up, and he called back, but I didn't answer. As a woman traveling alone, I felt uncomfortable and unsafe, so I packed up and left as soon as I could. I travel for work often and have never had an experience like this.

We checked out yesterday and were really happy with our stay. The woman at the desk was kind, and the room was spotless and smelled nice. The bathroom was lovely too, with no visible mold anywhere.

For three weeks, the rooms felt tiny, almost like hospital rooms, and they were hot. The air was set to 68° even when it was nearly in the 90°s, and the heat would come on in the middle of JULY. The front desk was rude and the showers were lousy. Our room also wasn't cleaned for almost the first two weeks. Still, when you're in the area, this may be the best option since everywhere else costs an arm and a leg. Bring a fan and your own towels if you're staying more than a couple of days.