Howard Johnson by Wyndham Harrisburg

The staff were friendly and got our problems sorted fast. The TV wasn't working, and our room had no smoke detector, so we called the desk. They sent maintenance up within minutes, and he fixed everything quickly. At checkout, another guest said their detector had no batteries, too. I suspect previous guests may have removed them to smoke indoors, though they hadn't called about it before sleeping there. For a cheap hotel, the room was about what I expected. The private balcony, mini fridge, and microwave were nice extras. I used Wyndham points, so I paid nothing out of pocket, and I'd recommend it for an inexpensive stay with friendly staff in Hershey. Just check the smoke detector and expect the room may have been smoked in. If you're sensitive to smoke, this might not be the place for you.

The room decor itself wasn't too bad, but everything else made our weekend stay a hassle. We found a stain on the blanket, torn wallpaper, a nearly broken chair, and a smoke alarm taped up. The hallways and stairs smelled so strongly of weed that I held my breath walking through. The TV only changed channels if we held the remote at just the right angle, and the pool was green and unclean. WiFi worked on only some of our devices. My family friend's room even had a stranger in it at check-in, so they had to move rooms. Our key reset every day, which meant another trip to the desk for a replacement. I also didn't feel safe knowing a new key could be handed out without checking who was staying in the room. I know it's a lower-priced motel, but I expected better and never felt comfortable there.

The rooms were spacious and nicely decorated, with good lighting, and the price was hard to beat. For a family, having one sink in the bathroom and another outside made getting ready in the morning much easier. The modern vanity mirror with lights was a nice touch, too. The room matched the website photos, and the front desk staff were very nice. During our weeklong stay, staff replaced our towels and linens. One of the best budget motels in the Harrisburg and Hershey area.

I came up from Florida after booking two nights two weeks ahead, and checked in late. The first room looked fairly clean, but it had no smoke detector, hangers, soap, or coffee cups, and the wallpaper was peeling. The desk offered another room, so I carried everything to a different wing. As soon as I turned on the light, roaches ran across that room. I was tired of hauling my things up and down the stairs, so I went back to the first room. They offered a third room downstairs, but I declined. Instead, someone came to install a smoke detector at 12:30 a.m. The vending machine was empty, and the morning coffee was awful. I checked out the next morning and cancelled night two. I felt the whole night should have been comped, but they gave me 20% off. Never staying there again.