Super 8 by Wyndham Cottonwood

We noticed leftover food in the room when we arrived, and that was what made us start looking around. It was filthy. The furniture was worn and dirty, there were bugs on the painting, webs above the bed and all over the ceiling, and dead cockroaches in the AC unit. The heater didn’t work. The floors were sticky, there were cigarette burns in the sink, toothpaste residue on the plug, and mold in the shower. Paint was chipping off the walls. There were uncovered wall plugs with exposed wires under the desk, too. We told the front desk about the mess. They said their cleaning lady would come and clean it, and that she was very good at cleaning. After we went hiking for a few hours, the room had been partly cleaned but was still filthy, with webs and dust everywhere. Both lamps had dust on top and what looked like soda spilled around them. They refused to refund us when we said we didn’t want to stay. We’ll never come back. It’s run down and dilapidated, a disgusting place. Beware, don’t stay here.

The room itself was fine, and the concierges were amicable, but they seemed trained to follow the manager’s preference for being as cheap and ungracious as possible. I had to accept what I got because I was on the road and needed somewhere that night. This Super 8 charges over $200 on weekends, and I’m not sure who they think they are. So much for staying in Cottonwood. Many people at hotels like this don’t care about their reputation, just the money. Next time I’ll pay more or drive farther and stay in Camp Verde, Sedona, VOC, Cornville, or Flagstaff. The issue started when I asked the concierge directly whether the prices were the same as online. She said she thought so and had been told they were. I’d just seen a 10% discount on the computer, but she charged me the standard rate. After that there was no way to get a refund. Each front desk woman said she wasn’t allowed to do it and I’d have to speak with the manager. I also had a AAA card, which I’d forgotten to use, but nobody asked about it. I went back to show them the discount on my computer. The evening concierge said it didn’t show up that way on hers, as if that settled it. I explained that you have to clear the cookies or use a private window to refresh the rate. She didn’t do that, and even if she had, she wasn’t allowed to apply the discount. The manager’s name is Raman. I left her a note asking her to do the right thing and refund what I’d overpaid. She didn’t. I was told in advance she wouldn’t, so I didn’t waste time calling to argue. At a much bigger hotel in Monterey, California, the week before, I’d been told in person, “We will match any rate you show us online, no questions asked.” Don’t expect that kind of hospitality from this Super 8.

Room 103 had clean sheets and towels, but little else was right. Breakfast was just coffee, and there were no coffee cups in the room, only thin plastic ones. Two of the four lights didn’t work; one had a broken neck and seemed like an electrical shock hazard. I’m adding this 30 minutes after writing my last sentence because the internet went out, so I took a shower. I needed both hands to turn the faucet, and the clogged tub drain left me standing in six inches of dirty water.

The room was clean, parking was close, and the one-night price was very reasonable compared with the other hotels around town. I’d stay here again.