Quality Inn Dry Ridge

The room was clean and the hallways fairly clean, though there was some construction dust. The pool area was borderline cold, and the gym treadmill stopped working after five minutes. We booked through Hotwire and chose a room with a tub, but got one with a shower. Maybe Hotwire messed that up. The hotel was in the middle of major construction: the main entrance was completely blocked, and it took me five minutes driving around the neighborhood to find the right parking lot. The lot was completely dark, and we had to enter through a side door that gave access to the elevators and rooms before you reached the front desk. There was no security. Since it was late, I didn’t try to cancel and go somewhere else. With construction like that, they should either close or provide much better lighting and directions to the parking area.

Inside, the rooms were clean, comfortable, and very nice. Even though the hotel is right off the highway, they were remarkably quiet, with no noise problems at all. Staff were friendly and helpful, and our room already had extra linens for the sofa bed. The toiletries provided were more than enough for our family of five. The hot breakfast bar was really yummy, with lots of options. The pool was too cool for me, though my kids thought it was warm enough, and pool towels were available right there. The entrance and parking could put you off because of construction and limited spaces, but it was a surprising gem. We’d love to stay again.

We reserved a room while driving from Florida to Michigan, but when we arrived, the hotel was under construction and looked run down and disgusting. Walking down the hall to check in, it didn’t look like a Hampton Inn at all. I wouldn’t have felt safe staying there, and it was the worst-looking place I’ve ever reserved. We were delayed by a traffic jam in Kentucky on Nov. 11th, caused by a 10-car pileup on U.S.-75 in the sleet. Even if you’re late or cancel for any reason, they still charge you. They took $117 after we canceled, even though the hotel didn’t seem busy and could have rented the room to someone else. We’ve stayed at lots of nice Hamptons Inn along the way. The Hampton Inn chain should check this location themselves. A good reputation for what you offer people is what keeps you in business.

The rooms were clean and breakfast was sufficient, but the indoor pool was closed both days we stayed and nobody told us ahead of time. That was a bummer, since I booked this hotel because my kid wanted to swim in the pool.