La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Ft. Lauderdale Northeast

I’m 83 and have traveled from coast to coast and border to border, staying at almost every hotel chain in the country, from Hilton and Marriott in New York City to Motel 6. Those places have all been what you’d expect for the price. I’ve never written a review before, but after nine days here, I’m not sure I can describe how much I enjoyed the stay. It was beyond exceptional. The entire staff bent over backwards to make sure every need I had was met immediately, especially...

The location worked well for us, and the continental breakfast was good, but the room’s cleanliness made me wish we’d checked out as soon as we saw it. There were what looked like blood stains on the carpet, a dead cockroach under the pullout sofa, and two mouse turds beside it. The shower was cracked and moldy along the seams. When we pulled out the sofa for my son, the mattress was covered in stains, and I couldn’t find sheets. At the front desk, I was told housekeeping had left for the day and they couldn’t get any. I asked if they could take sheets off another bed, but she refused. Only after I said I wouldn’t put my toddler on a bare, stained mattress did someone in the back call her, and sheets suddenly appeared. That’s where the good ended.

The front desk staff were lovely. They were also good about my checking out early and didn’t charge me for it. I left after one night because I didn’t want to touch anything in my room. The musty mold and smoke smell was unbearable, the headboard was torn up, the sheets had cigarette holes, and the room was so bad I wouldn’t even take my shoes off to get in the shower. My colleague’s room was nicer, still run down, but at least it didn’t feel covered in filth. Since the door opened straight to the outside and was in such poor shape, I didn’t feel safe, especially traveling alone. There’s no elevator, so you have to carry your own bags up the stairs. Some rooms had “do not disturb” signs, but mine didn’t. There wasn’t an outlet near the desk, so working was out. The vending machines took money without dispensing anything. That’s where the good things end.

This hotel is gone. I’d had a reservation for over a year and nobody told me the place had been bulldozed. Nobody can tell me whether I’ll still be charged. Wyndham Customer Service is a joke. ZERO STARS!