FairBridge Hotel by Concord Plaza

The Concord Plaza Hotel was ideally located for my husband’s 7 am outpatient test at John Muir Hospital. He’s a former Airborne Ranger and refuses to be late for any appointment, and we got there in 7 minutes. I think I even saw him smile as we pulled into the parking lot. The room was spacious, and the King Bed gave him a great night’s sleep. We also appreciated the excellent service, especially at check-in. First-class service.

The front desk clerk was polite, though wearing a hoodie and an earbud struck me as unprofessional, especially since I’d worked at two hotels myself. Oddly enough, he seemed entirely unsurprised when I came down and said we needed to stay somewhere else. He cheerfully wished me a good night and didn’t ask any questions. We left about ten minutes after reaching the room. I’ve stayed in plenty of older, dated, even somewhat dingy hotels, but this one was filthy. Dirt, stains, and grime were ground into the carpet, which felt almost slimy underfoot. There was hair and dirt in the sheets, no mattress protector, and the mattress was badly torn and stained. Peeling wallpaper and damaged furniture weren’t dealbreakers on their own, but didn’t help. We went to the Hilton Garden Inn at Walnut Creek instead. It cost a little more, but was still affordable and a great experience.

The only people who showed some decency were the older woman and younger man at the front desk. My cousin chose this hotel for their wedding, and we paid thousands for the venue and thousands more for rooms. The rooms were so dirty that I checked into the Hilton the next day even though I’d paid for two nights. When we complained about the rate at check-in, the young woman was rude and didn’t make us feel welcome. The short Indian guy was rude and obnoxious too. I reported our experience to the GM, Dana, but nothing was done. While we were still checked in, Rolo, the maintenance worker, came into our room and said, “I thought you checked out.” Our belongings were still there, even though we’d been moving around. Shortly after he left, I noticed that $1200 worth of gift cards were missing from my bed. Dana and his superior, Francis Penalba, said they’d investigated and found no wrongdoing. I don’t believe there was an investigation; they only took Rolo’s word because he’d worked there for 40 years. We spent thousands and brought business to what I see as a failing hotel. It’s old, filthy, moldy, and feels like a roach motel with horrible staff. Don’t come here. It’s disgusting and privately owned, and they don’t care about cleanliness. They sneak into your room to steal your belongings.

We had a false fire alarm every day of our stay. The hotel felt more like a two-star motel. The rooms were spacious but old and dirty, and the soundproofing was poor. We could hear neighbors, hallway noise, planes, and cars taking off all day and afternoon because it’s beside an airport. The shower worked fine, but it was old and not thoroughly cleaned. It reminded me of a 1950s hospital. Breakfast was continental, with fruit, cupcakes, oatmeal, and toast, basically sugar and carbs without much protein or nutritious fiber.