Comfort Inn & Suites Gulf Shores East Beach near Gulf State Park

I can’t believe how dirty the rooms were or how unprofessional the front desk employee was. After we’d traveled for 10 hours, we found dust covering the bathroom door and vent. The fridge light was on, but it wasn’t cooling our food, and the bathroom fan didn’t work. When we asked to switch rooms, an older woman from the front desk came up. She wiped the dust with her bare hand and said it was humidity from where we lived, something we were used to. She blamed the fridge problem on us having too much stuff inside, then said the items were too warm. She had us pull the fridge out so we could check whether it was on and set high enough. I was upset and stopped her. I told her she was dismissing what we were showing her and that staff should make sure appliances work before giving out a room. She said I was rude, asked who booked and paid for it, and insisted she had only asked whether the fridge was on. About the bathroom fan, she claimed it worked silently, but the mold all over the ceiling said otherwise. She dismissed what she saw and acted like she was the victim. We were moved to a supposedly nicer room, but it looked like boogers had been wiped onto the box spring, and the bathroom had even worse mold. When I asked to speak with a manager, she said it didn’t matter.

The rooms themselves were fine, probably on the nicer end for this chain, and the bed was comfortable. I’d bring earplugs, though. The doors slam constantly and loudly, and when a “sports team” filled the adjacent rooms, their slamming, loud talking, and hallway noise kept going. I called three times and threatened to call the police before it quieted down around 10:15, but it all started again in the morning with guests and housekeeping coming and going. Road-facing rooms also get pretty constant traffic noise, though it wasn’t as bad as the doors. Breakfast was okay if you’re happy with sugar and chemicals. The potatoes were the only thing I remember as real, and the coffee came from an instant machine. Staff seemed as described in other reviews. If noise and that kind of breakfast don’t bother you, the place is fine. Many people are loud these days and like sugar anyway, so give it five stars like everyone else. I was surprised I still gave it three, maybe it should be two. If you’re looking for more peace and quiet, maybe an Airbnb in Gulf Shores would suit you better.

We were in town for the Southern Coast Cup. The room was clean and nice enough, with a comfortable bed, a large bathroom and fridge, and a great couch. The A/C cooled it down quickly, and the USB ports around the room were handy. It took about five minutes to get hot shower water. I told the front desk the next day, but he was on his phone, so it didn’t seem like a priority. The ice machine on our floor was out of order. The table was unstable and unusable because the little feet were missing. The microwave should be higher up so you don’t have to kneel to use it, and two lights were burned out.

Our room was quiet and comfortable, and we loved looking out from the balcony at the beach and pier. The beach is only a short walk from the hotel. The woman at the check-in desk last night was especially friendly and helpful.