Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Elkhart North

We didn’t even set our bags down before asking for a refund. The room smelled strange, the lights and lamps didn’t work, and neither did the fan. There was a spider above the bed, a stained toilet, red stains on the carpet, and the TV was unplugged with the previous guest still signed into their accounts. We were also charged an extra $100. The lobby was mid-remodel, with dust everywhere, dead bugs by the front desk, carpentry tools around, peeling wallpaper, a bad smell, and a sketchy elevator. Since we booked through booking.com and no manager was there, staff rudely told us to contact the third party for a refund. They were rude and accused us of putting the spider in the room. We won’t be back. If you’re looking for somewhere to stay, try a parking lot with more than three cars. I have video if anyone wants to see more.

I was told by many people this was a good hotel, so I expected a little more. I wasn’t expecting the Hilton or anything fancy, but this stay left me wanting to go home. The pool and hot tub were apparently under renovation along with the lobby. The biscuits were hard as rocks, the cereal stale, and the coffee burnt. I booked a jacuzzi suite through booking.com for my husband’s birthday, with five days’ notice, and had planned everything out. I asked for a couple of balloons and maybe a sign. The hotel emailed that I could set up my own decorations, which was fine. But the lobby floor tile was gone while they re-tiled it, and wallpaper was peeling. I didn’t get the jacuzzi suite because of some kind of mix-up, even though I paid extra for it. They took $170 for the original room, then another $100. I checked out three hours early after a total of $382 had been taken from my account. They’d assured me three times there’d be no more charges after the $270, but in the morning I saw two more charges, $50 and $62. In the bathroom, the panels were open and visible, and there was white powder that looked molded into the carpet. The jacuzzi spout was wobbly and the plug wasn’t where it should be. The shower was laughable, with most of the water coming from the wall pipe connection instead of the shower head.

The hot tub room was great, with a huge tub and a comfortable bed. Breakfast was decent, with the classic hotel waffle, and the staff were nice and helpful.

The room was clean and really nice, with good towels and carpet that looked new. The staff were thoughtful, too. I had a great experience.