HomeTown Inn by Red Roof East Syracuse

The online rate through Booking.com was about $52 a night, but at check-in we were charged $72 for the night plus a surprise $50 deposit that hadn’t been disclosed when booking. The reservation was made through Booking.com, not by me personally. That pricing was deceptive. Our room had no working phone and no cable or TV, and basic amenities were missing. Staff communication was so poor that simple problems were hard to resolve. When the issues became clear right away, they still refused to refund our Uber transportation. I contacted Red Roof corporate, but they did nothing. Hidden fees, inconsistent pricing, broken amenities, and no accountability. Don’t stay here if you can’t accept surprise charges and being brushed off after they have your money. Added to this review: I was a paying guest at HomeTown Inn. After I left a one-star review, I was kicked out even though I’d paid up. From what I’ve seen, this seems to be how they treat guests who leave honest reviews. I promised both the hotel and the police that a lawsuit would be filed the next day, and I kept my word. I’ll happily see you in court.

There was no coffee or breakfast, and the elevator was out during our stay. The bathroom door and walls had holes, and the sheets were stained when we checked in. Housekeeping has to be requested, but when I asked to have the garbage emptied, they said we hadn’t requested housekeeping and that there was a garbage can we could use. We shouldn’t have to empty our own trash, and when we ask for housekeeping, we should get it. I’ll never stay at one of these places again. It was as bad as Motel 6, if not worse.

I felt very unsafe in this place. There were cigarette burns on both bed coverings, and bugs in the sink and on the bathroom floor. A prostitute was staying a few doors down. I understand why they wanted a deposit. I’d flown into Syracuse from TN and just needed somewhere to sleep until a family member could get me the next day. After 10 hours of travel, I arrived at midnight to find all the doors open. The desk clerk was on the phone, then complained about his job when he got off. He seemed annoyed when I asked how to find my second-floor room. Nobody gave me a Wi-Fi password, though by then I didn’t care. I also had to pay a $50 deposit, which they’d only started enforcing two days earlier. Never again will I try to save a few bucks for an eight-hour stay.

The owner refunded me as soon as I refused to stay, which is the only reason I gave service four stars. The first room was filthy and disgusting, and I felt there might be bugs around. The online pictures had really misled me. I’d paid for two days, but there was no way my 14-year-old and I could stay in that room. They moved us to another one, which was a little better, but the A/C filter smelled like it was three years overdue for a change. It smelled BAD, so I asked for a refund and got it. Every other hotel was full, so we slept in the car and showered at a truck stop in the morning. I’ll never come to NY again.