Rodeway Inn Groton - New London

The room was run down and didn’t match the photos. Its old carpets were stained and full of burn marks, the tub drained poorly, and many outlets seemed dead. The advertised hair dryer was technically there, mounted to the wall, but it didn’t work and looked old and yellow. Maintenance brought us a bottle of Drano because there was apparently leaking in the room below. One night we heard neighbors screaming at each other and slamming doors, as if they were in a physical fight. Our washer was out of order, and the AC worked poorly. After we sang at night, neighbors asked us to stop, and we did. We hadn’t realized the walls were so thin, and we weren’t being very loud while trying to enjoy our vacation. The next day, a rude manager knocked without identifying himself and aggressively told me our service dog had to leave, repeatedly miscalling it a pit bull. The hotel already knew about the dog. He said, “after ten pm we don't do that round here,” even though there was no noise rule or sign. He kept bullying me about the dog, and it felt like retaliation over that one noisy evening. Some staff were nicer, but the place seemed to operate more like an apartment complex. I wouldn’t recommend it.

I asked for a refund because room 104 smelled strongly unpleasant and looked poorly cleaned. There seemed to be mold, the carpet was lifting and could cause someone to trip, and the room was generally dirty and unsanitary. I felt at risk of getting sick, so this went well beyond ordinary housekeeping and raised basic health and safety concerns. Getting the refund was difficult, and staff responded rudely and dismissively instead of dealing with the complaint professionally. That made an already unacceptable stay even more frustrating. This place and the people who “run it” deserve to be SHUT DOWN.

The front desk staff were amazing, and check-in went smoothly. The room was a pleasant surprise for the price, more than worth it. I nearly skipped this place because of what I’d read online, but I’m glad I didn’t. I’ll make it my place to stay next time I’m in Groton.

The two rooms we booked through booking.com were so grotesque that we checked out just a few hours after arriving. We were told to seek a refund through booking.com, but nothing ever came through. Stay as far away as possible.