Microtel Inn by Wyndham Franklin

The front desk woman was rude and treated us like second-class citizens. There are only stairs, no elevator, and our room had no mini-fridge. The phone didn’t work, and when I told her, she said she couldn’t help. I’ve stayed at motels and hotels all over the world and never had this problem at Holiday Inn express, Comfort Inn, or Hampton Inn. This was my first and last stay at a Microtel Inn & suites. It has to be one of the worst places I’ve stayed.

Nettie checked us in and was really nice and fun to talk to. The location is good, the staff are friendly, and though breakfast was small, we liked it. Our room smelled fine and the air conditioner worked great. It wasn’t very clean, though. They may have changed the sheets, but that seemed to be about all they did in our rooms. There’s no elevator, but I knew that before arriving and it wasn’t a big deal. The stairwell and second-floor hallway had two distinct odors.

We booked online through what seemed to be Wyndham two days ahead, expecting a queen-bed suite, and got confirmation for it. At check-in, we were given a room with two queen beds, about 60 by 78 inches. The woman at the desk said that was what Wyndham had sent over, and blamed them for the mix-up. Since no suite was available for both nights, we stayed. I asked about a lower price because I’d seen $77 or $85 a night online, but she said the two-queen room cost $100 and wouldn’t adjust it. She also said she’d tell the manager about the light switch, then said this kind of thing happens often and I should call directly next time to avoid Wyndham problems. She accepted no blame. The lobby, halls, and room smelled odd, and the incense candle in the lobby didn’t help. The bathroom light wouldn’t turn off. The switch wobbled and the light flickered, so we had to keep the bathroom door shut all night with the light on. It had been off when we arrived; I turned it on to use the bathroom and couldn’t turn it back off. A bedside night-light plug fell out onto the floor too. Both seemed like fire hazards. The bathroom paint job was poor, with old paint showing through. There were crumbs along one side of a bed and between its mattresses. The shower curtain wouldn’t stay in place on the curved, sloping rod, so water got onto the floor and wall, and a corner looked moldy. The sink tap ran very slowly even after I opened both shutoff valves all the way. The drains were slow, especially the sink, which didn’t hold water with the plug in and had standing water even while the faucet ran. There was no bathroom exhaust fan. The first-floor hallway carpet was old and worn through in big patches. A washcloth and a towel were stained. The upper door lock, which should only let the door open a few inches, didn’t work because its U-shaped part seemed collapsed and wouldn’t catch the other piece. The TV was on Dish Network and took a lot of fiddling to get working. At first only the TV came on, and it showed a game system link. After about ten minutes, we found the input controls on the side, but they didn’t work. Online instructions were no help. A low-battery warning finally led us to put in our own batteries, and then it started working. It only showed a Spanish cartoon channel at first. After at least 20 minutes of searching menus, we found the right setting and changed the output to English. There were no instructions for the TV, Dish Network, or channel lineup, and the lineup online listed channels the hotel didn’t carry, like Hallmark. There was only one chair, a desk chair that looked filthy and stained. We covered it with pillowcases before sitting. The weak security Wi-Fi was very slow and hard to connect to, and 5G didn’t even show up on one phone. There were no instructions for using the Wi-Fi. I’m sure I’ve missed something, and I have pictures if needed.

A 78-year-old Harvard Olympic coach was refused check-in at 12:30 AM despite having a confirmed, prepaid booking. He was traveling alone and had a second local home under repair, which staff said violated their so-called local ban. They claimed they don’t rent to locals because of parties or illicit activity, an insulting excuse given the elderly guest standing there. Jesse wouldn’t call a manager. When asked when one would be available, she said she didn’t know, then guessed 7 AM only after being pressed, without checking a schedule. It felt like they just wanted him out of the lobby. This was dismissive and unacceptable, especially turning away a senior with a paid reservation in the middle of the night. Corporate needs to address it. This man served his country, is in the ski jumping hall of fame, and coached future generations of athletes to rally at national events. Jesse couldn’t even pick up the phone to a manager. Shameful.