Ramada Florence Center

We got a clean, quiet room to rest before our next load, and felt we got more than our money’s worth. I’d seen the older reviews and noticed they seemed to improve over time. Our priorities were truck parking, a pet-friendly stay, and a tub that held water. The manager had a staff member fill the tub before we even got our gear off the cart and down to the pet-room end, just to show it worked. That was a nice touch. It was a quiet Saturday night, and the pet rooms are at the back, across from a grassy area where our dogs could run and do their business. We always get two double beds for enough pillows and blankets, and that worked well since the AC kept us cool. The pool looked inviting, but it’s not our thing. The TV, microwave, and fridge were good. No bugs, no smells, clean sheets, and the room was in perfect condition. I’m guessing management is renovating as they can, and we may have gotten one of the newer rooms. The property is on the edge of a questionable neighborhood, but there are other hotels and good places to eat around it. We didn’t see any riff-raff on the property, and we stayed alert when going out, which is normal for us truckers.

I was worn out after a long overseas flight and the drive from New York to Florida, so I stopped for the night. I’d looked at reviews, but I was too tired to be picky. The place could use a small makeover, maybe, but I only needed to sleep, shower, and move on. My room was clean, with no smell or bugs, and the shower was hot and refreshing. Breakfast was nice: coffee, tea, milk, O.J., cranberry juice, oatmeal, four kinds of cereal, waffles, toast, bagels, muffins, Jimmy Dean sausage biscuits, hard-boiled eggs, apples, bananas, peanut butter, jelly, cream cheese, and butter. The room was $65, around the market rate, though I thought that was a little high. My room could also connect to another, which would be handy for larger families. I’d stay again.

We stopped around 12:30 a.m. to sleep. The lobby looked modern, large, and beautiful, but the motel itself didn’t look new or modern once we drove around to the room. The room smelled fresh and was clean, though one bed’s bottom sheet had a burn hole. The towels were thin, there was no body lotion, and breakfast was poor, with limited choices and nothing fresh. We won’t stay at a Ramada again.

I travel for work, and this place is a great value. It’s motel-style, cheap, well located, and has pretty clean rooms with a fridge, microwave, good internet reception, and pet acceptance. The grounds are spread out, which is great for walking pets. They have a bar too! I don’t know what happened for the people who left negative reviews, but rooms under $75 usually aren’t perfect, and that’s a realistic expectation. For a brand-new room, go to a brand-new hotel and pay more. This place is an outstanding deal for the price.