Grand Vista Hotel

The room was spacious, the bed comfortable, the bathroom clean, and the blackout curtains and soundproofing helped despite a poor view. The pool was nice, and there’s a decent restaurant and bar, though I found the menu way overpriced. The hotel also sells some basic convenience items. Shops and a Safeway are described as walking distance, but having a car is better. The staircase felt super sketchy. For the price, it’s good value if you mainly need a night’s sleep. They charged $14 a night for parking, which was disappointing since that wasn’t mentioned when I booked. My flight arrived at 11am, and because I’d let them know a month ahead, they kindly let me check in at noon for free. They even sent a free shuttle for the three-minute trip from the airport.

The rooms are nice and the staff are pleasant, and the room rate is cheap. But the extras add up. Breakfast costs $15.99 without meat or $18.99 if you want bacon or anything at the buffet, and it wasn’t that great. They give one coffee in the room for two people, then charge $4.99 for coffee. Parking is another $14 per vehicle each night. Other motels aren’t much more and include breakfast, coffee, and juice.

We changed hotels on our second night and slept and breathed much better across the street, for the same price. We’d picked this place because of the rate, but the parking charge felt like a deceptive surprise. They charge a two-digit amount to park. The room was clean apart from a sticky ring on the nightstand, but the air smelled musty. The square pillows, rather than rectangular ones, turned out to make a big difference. If you want the amenities, maybe the extra fee is worth it. We only wanted a shower and a good night’s rest, maybe a pool and breakfast, and I’d choose somewhere else for that.

Check-in went fine, but they put a $128 hold on my card, then charged me $28 for parking. I wish I’d known when booking that parking wasn’t free. Expedia also charged an extra $10 for another person, even though I’d entered how many people were in my party. I won’t use Expedia again. My husband joined me, so we had to pay for two vehicles. $28 for parking is insane, and if I’d known, I could have parked and walked over. Room 504 smelled of cigarettes and mustiness. The bathroom hadn’t been cleaned, the bed wasn’t made, and someone had left clothing in the closet. The front desk were very kind and moved me to room 525, and gave me a free breakfast meal, though I would have had to pay for my daughter. That room smelled musty, old, and like pets. After a 12-hour drive, I needed rest and should have left anyway. The bed was the worst we’ve ever slept on, hard and old with springs you could feel. The sheets had marks and stains, and we found hair in both rooms. They needed a good cleaning. They gave me a free meal ticket after the room change, but my daughter’s meal would still cost extra. I didn’t want to give the business another dollar. The thin walls meant you could hear people talking, even on the fifth floor, and I got no sleep on those crappy beds. The carpet was nasty, the rooms smelled like animals had accidents, and the wallpaper was peeling and bubbled. The rooms look dark and old, like they were updated in the ’90s and painted over cracks. The hall is nicer than the rooms. They hide the extra fees, so in the end it costs as much as staying somewhere else. Skip this hotel and spend the extra money elsewhere.