Hotel Denham Springs I-12

The room smelled of smoke even though we’d asked for a non-smoking room, and the towels were dirty. When we asked for clean ones, staff said we had to bring the used towels to the front desk first. There weren’t any toiletries, a hair dryer, coffee maker, alarm clock, ironing board, or iron. The online reviews made this seem like a decent place for a quick family trip, but it’s just a gross little motel. I don’t believe the Google reviews saying 4.9. They’re fake.

After staying for a month, we walked through the room together and agreed it was in great shape. I expected to get my $50 deposit back. They printed my receipt, and I thought the $50 had gone into my account, but that same day they processed a payment instead, without warning or explanation. Extra fees kept appearing during the stay. The first was a random $24 charge they couldn’t explain. Then, three days before checkout, they told me it was $50 per pet per week. I’d already been there three weeks with two cats and had no issues before that. They kept adding fees after that, too. If possible, I’ll take them to small claims to recover the extra charges and seek something for the stress this caused my cats and me.

I drove 500 miles for a family gathering after booking weeks ahead, only to get an email saying the hotel was overbooked and couldn’t accommodate me. The attendant was rude and didn’t even try to find out why my reservation had been cancelled. I had to demand that they look into it. The place clearly needs care and new staff. I’m glad I didn’t end up staying, since I’m sure I would’ve been eaten alive by bedbugs or something like that. I found a nice, clean, comfortable room across the street at the America's Best Value Inn and Suites for only a few dollars more per night. After this experience, I wouldn’t let my dog stay in this run-down slum.

Housekeeping was a very nice and helpful family, and two employees were decent. The rest barely seemed competent. The room didn’t look like the pictures, the amenities weren’t available, and nobody offered alternatives. Smoking rooms were available. The app was no help, and the 800 number for customer service was useless. There’s nothing else about this location that deserves a mention in its favor. They left us outside with nowhere to go for 7.5 hours before letting us check in. Then they didn’t check us out for two days, leaving us with nowhere to stay. This isn’t suitable for FEMA transitional housing. Facts are facts. I gave the rating one extra star, and that was generous. Don’t ask again.