Baymont by Wyndham Fulton

My family has chosen this hotel for years because it’s convenient for our visits to Missouri for family gatherings. After our latest stay, we won’t be back. The property has declined badly, with little apparent investment in upkeep, cleanliness, or the guest experience. The breakfast was extremely limited and poor quality, and even basic items like “Do Not Disturb” signs weren’t provided. There seemed to be too few staff. When we arrived, nobody was at the front desk, so guests had to call a number just to get someone to come assist. It made a poor first impression and was an unnecessary hassle. The rooms also raised concerns. There was a strong unpleasant odor and various maintenance problems. One bathtub needed resurfacing, the shower curtain had visible paint marks, and the temperature knob wouldn’t hold steady, suddenly turning extremely hot and potentially putting guests at risk. In a different room, the water never got hot. Furniture was outdated and stained, the refrigerator had visible mold buildup, and the dirty curtains were hard to operate. The towels looked dingy and had stains. The place doesn’t meet reasonable expectations for cleanliness, safety, or hospitality, and I can’t recommend it.

We ended up moving the party to our house, and I wish we’d skipped the hassle. About five years ago, we rented this hotel’s conference room for our child’s winter birthday and let the kids swim afterward. It was a hit, so we wanted to do it again. Around three weeks ahead, I called to book the room for three hours and asked whether swimming would still be possible. They said yes, with a $10 charge per swimmer. I gave my contact details, but no credit card information, then sent invitations to about six kids. The day before, I called to confirm. After about four minutes on hold, they confirmed my name, the time, and the room details, read back my number, and said everything was set. When we arrived the next day, nobody was at the desk, so I called the number on a card at the counter. Someone said they’d come help. A man arrived and said the conference room needed cleaning. That was fine, though we could hear a vacuum and smell strong bleach. Then we waited 30 minutes before someone finally came out to tell me the pool was broken. I reminded him I’d called the previous day and had been told everything was ready. He asked whether I’d spoken to a man or woman and what number I’d called. I said I’d called this location and spoken with a man. He kept giving me the runaround, apologized, and offered a discounted room rental, which I declined. When I asked why nobody had told me about the pool, he first said it was broken, then said black spots had been sprayed and the pool wasn’t safe. He claimed this had happened that morning. I asked why I hadn’t been warned the day before and said black mold doesn’t just appear in a few hours. He had no answer. I was almost willing to bet they’d sprayed straight bleach on the walls and in the pool after we arrived. I was furious and told him I had at least ten calls to make to alert the guests, while he’d only needed to call me when he knew the pool wasn’t available. I left it there because I wanted to set a good example for my kids. As we headed to the car, he followed us out and offered a free room for the night or a free party. I asked what kind of party I could hold for a nine-year-old in a conference room with only the food and cupcakes I’d brought, and said there was nothing he could do to fix it. He knew he’d messed up badly.

I was desperate for a room, so I stayed, but I’d have looked elsewhere if I’d had another option. The room was large and just as dirty as the entrance and hallways. There was grime and fingerprints on nearly every surface, and the carpets had been poorly vacuumed, with especially filthy stairs. I almost felt I had to clean things myself to feel welcome. I hope your stay is different.

We booked two queen beds but got two lumpy full-size beds with tiny pillows. At 6'3", I can tell pretty quickly when a bed is shorter than I expect. The front desk guy argued they were queens, but he was very short and probably couldn’t tell the difference. We had a tape measure and checked: the beds were 55' wide, while queens are 60". They clearly don’t have queen beds here. That’s false advertising.