Ramada by Wyndham East Orange

Cockroaches turned up both nights: I hid a large one under the trash can so my wife wouldn’t see it and panic, then found another crawling in the bathtub the next morning before checkout. By then the room smelled even worse and gave both of us headaches. The bathtub was filthy too, so we had to shower in flip-flops. I’d booked a non-smoking room, but the whole hotel, including the hallways and elevator, smelled strongly of cigarettes. I don’t smoke, and my family shouldn’t have to stay in that environment. The first room also had a dirty floor, a broken toilet paper holder on the floor, and dirty toilet paper left on the sink as if it had fallen there. When I complained to the general manager at the front desk, he said no other rooms were available and that someone would come clean. A man and a woman showed up, sprayed Febreze on the floor, then wiped it with a mop. That’s ridiculous, not cleaning. They said maintenance could fix the holder the next day. I was too tired to find another hotel after driving for hours and being at an event all day, so we stayed because we had no choice. The room’s TV remote had no batteries or back cover. The manager gave me two batteries but said there was no replacement cover. I told him I hoped I wouldn’t be charged for the missing cover or the broken holder that was already like that at check-in. He assured me I wouldn’t be charged, but guests shouldn’t have to worry about that. The payment was another problem. My reservation clearly said I’d pay at check-in, but the hotel charged the full amount in advance plus a deposit, without telling me or asking permission. No one called or emailed first. The fast check-in was the only positive part. Breakfast was advertised online, including on the hotel’s own website and Expedia, as continental breakfast from 6 AM to 10 AM. When we asked an employee, she was rude and nearly hit my wife with a broom while pointing us toward the front desk. There they handed us two small white boxes, each with a muffin, small bag of chips, orange, juice, and yogurt. When we asked for coffee, we were told, “It’s in your room.” The coffee maker was missing its pod tray, the two cups were unsealed, and everything was set up beside the bathroom door, which felt completely unhygienic. Around 10 AM at checkout, I politely asked for the breakfast boxes again. The woman at the desk sounded annoyed and said, “Breakfast is from 7 AM to 9 AM, but fine, I’ll give it to you.” I calmly pointed out that the hotel and Expedia advertise continental breakfast included, though what they serve is far from that. I’ve stayed at Ramada hotels in Orlando before, and they’re completely different: clean, pleasant smelling, with professional staff, excellent breakfast, and a welcoming environment. This place uses the Ramada name but doesn’t represent the brand at all. It was a terrible, disappointing stay. I’ll never return and strongly don’t recommend it to anyone.

The room was clean, with fresh linen, and the air conditioning worked well, which we needed because the hall walls were very hot in the outside temperature. Parking behind the hotel was free, though tight for my large pickup. The stay cost half as much as a hotel in downtown New York, about a 25-minute drive away. The building was put up as a Holiday Inn in the early ’60s, and it seems to have been built to a much higher standard than other Holiday Inns I’ve visited. If the tile is original, it looks only about 19 years old, though the place definitely has a ’60s feel and a cool retro look. I wasn’t used to the neighborhood, but I walked around late at night without any issues. If you grew up in a small town in eastern Canada, it’s a different kind of neighborhood than you’re used to. I drove 25 minutes to Libert State Park to see the NYC skyline, and this hotel worked well for that trip. I’d stay there again. I wanted to add the details about the clean room because some reviews weren’t so kind.

I’d been in the room less than five minutes after paying when I saw a roach crawling on the bed. I jumped up and rushed straight out. The clerk said she couldn’t reimburse me when I asked. They offered another room, but I was already so grossed out and disgusted. They seemed so relaxed when I explained what happened that I felt like they were used to it. I booked right there in the building, and this was the worst possible experience. Never again.

I was stranded after my car broke down and needed a last-minute room, so I took the closest available place. It was disgusting. There were roaches as soon as you walked in, and the room smelled like a smoking hot butt room. I asked the front desk for bleach and roach spray. He said they didn’t have bleach and handed me Hot Shot flying insect killer, smfh. The TV wouldn’t connect to the internet, and the jacuzzi didn’t work right either. Overpriced for no reason. I’ve stayed in low-budget hotels, but this was the worst. I would’ve been better off sleeping in my car until morning. Don’t waste your time or money.