Comfort Inn Danvers - Boston North Shore

We visited Salem from north of Toronto, Canada, driving about 10 hours. We booked at the end of August for September 26, 27, and 28, checking out the morning of the 29th. The Canadian dollar cost was $1191. Check-in was easy, and at first the room looked decent. After a closer look, though, we found coffee spilled by the garbage, hairs on the bathroom counter, spit in the sink, dirt in the kitchenette sink, handprints on its counter, and a lot of dirt under that sink. The AC was dusty and dirty too. The beds and toilet looked clean, and we were exhausted from traveling with our toddler, so we stayed. On our last night there was a MOUSE in the room. I called the front desk right away. They apologized and offered a refund, though I still don’t know how much, and somehow I was charged another $1.43. The cleaning issues I might have overlooked, but not mice. With the cost being so high, I’d look elsewhere for a Salem visit. Update: $161 was refunded.

**Edited to add** On our last night, we found roaches in the bathroom. The place felt run down and smelled musty, and it didn’t look clean or well cared for. Most of our pillowcases were dirty, and there were hairs in the bed under the covers. When we told the staff, the cleaning crew offered to change only the top blanket, even though the whole bed was dirty. The floors were dirty too. Our towels had hairs and unidentified bug shells on them. There was shampoo, conditioner, and lotion, but no body wash. The first night, the fire alarm sounded just after we got into bed, then stopped a couple of minutes later. I wish I’d paid more to stay somewhere nicer.

It was an uncomplicated place to stay, and staff were helpful. The room seemed clean, and my business trip was fine since I wasn’t in it much. Still, the thin walls and floors meant I heard everything in the hall and every step overhead. On my first night the second floor smelled strongly like hot dog water. I had to block the gap under my door with a towel to keep the smell out. I also saw a little bug that night, which I could ignore, but before checkout there was a small roach or beetle of some kind wandering on the kitchenette counter.

My daughter stayed here and was charged three times for a one-night stay, nearly $1500. Management refused to take responsibility or compensate her for the trouble, and the charges wiped out her account. She struggled to make the 12-hour trip home. The management and Choice should be ashamed. Calling Choice is difficult because there’s no local number, and you get directed overseas to people who don’t understand the issue. Don’t assume you’ll save money by staying outside Salem. Stay in Salem instead. This was horrible business practice, and I wouldn’t recommend the hotel to anyone. I’ll keep posting this for people looking for a place in the area.