OYO Hotel Dundee By Crystal Lake

I left without staying the night and checked out the next day after spending the night with a friend. I was that disappointed. The room was in awful shape: holes in the comforter from cigars, a broken TV, no trash can, trash in the dresser, and no toilet seat. When I asked the front desk for another towel so I wouldn’t step onto a wet floor after showering, I was told each person gets only one towel per week. Getting checked in took just a few minutes, and the lobby’s side looked like it was being remodeled. But once I parked and walked toward the room, I saw construction with no warnings about trip hazards. Hoses ran from first-floor rooms toward the pool while it was being pressure washed, and room doors were left open as someone, apparently an employee, moved furniture and mattresses around without regard for guests. The room was nothing like advertised. I wish the rating could be zero. This was a horrible place to stay.

I was so disappointed that after the wedding I drove all the way back home to St Pete instead of spending the night there. The place felt unsafe, with renovations underway in half the rooms and sketchy people around the property. It looked nothing like the listing on hotels.com, and I’d say I was catfished when I booked it. When I arrived, no one was at the front desk. A random guy, who seemed like he might be the desk worker’s boyfriend, greeted me and called her. She showed up 5-10 minutes later with no apparent rush to check me in, while I was already running late for a wedding. It was more motel than hotel to me.

We wound up buying our own towels after getting nowhere with staff. More than 24 hours passed before we could find anyone, and when we finally did, we were told rudely to “shh and get to the point.” The person who seemed to be the owner said we should find housekeeping ourselves. We never did. Around 7 p.m. we tried the office again, but it was locked and nobody answered the door or window. A woman eventually came from behind the building, accused us of possibly breaking the door by knocking, then said she wouldn’t serve us because we knocked when we explained we just needed towels. She disappeared again. Back at the property, we saw that same woman letting someone in through a side door. Nearby rooms stood wide open and were a mess, and it seemed most people there were long-term residents rather than travelers. The pool was half full of sludge, mold, and stagnant water. Our room was filthy, with dirty floors and surfaces. The beds had cheap bed-in-a-bag style sets from Walmart, with stains and burn holes. There were no towels, phone, working TV, or Wi-Fi, and we had only half a roll of toilet paper with no spare. This was easily the worst hotel stay we’ve had, even though we travel often. It felt like a low-budget horror movie set, not a working hotel. Stay far away.

For one night, the price seems okay, but I wouldn’t stay several days. The room had no refrigerator, although the photos showed one, and it didn’t match the pictures. I arrived at 9 a.m. and paid for early check-in, but still waited almost four hours and didn’t get a room until nearly 1 p.m. It was a two-bed room but had only one pillow. It also hadn’t been cleaned well or inspected before I was given it. Hotels should check rooms after housekeeping finishes. My tip is to inspect them after they’re cleaned.