Quality Inn Harrisonburg I-81

The staff were great and the beds were comfortable, though Charleston, W.VA was nicer by comparison. One room was missing room darkening drapes, and the tub/shower in the other had a crack. Breakfast was a letdown too: the eggs were rounds, instead of the fluffy scrambled eggs we’d had in Charleston the night before.

The front desk woman was incredibly patient when we realized we’d booked the wrong date through a third-party app. She helped us sort it out without losing the non-refundable reservation, which we really appreciated. We paid about $75 through the app rather than the usual roughly $100, so the rate was fair. There were several other hotels nearby at a similar price that we might try next time. This was a decent one-night road trip stop, and the room was about what you’d expect from a Quality Inn: two fairly comfortable double beds and a relatively clean bathroom. The shower got nice and hot after a long day on the road. There were stains on the bathroom wall, hopefully rust, and a very big bug that I chose to call “just a cricket” for my own peace of mind. The walls were thin, so there was a lot of noise from outside, and I couldn’t get the wifi working. I didn’t sleep especially well, but it did the job for a quick overnight before we got back on the road.

The Saturday breakfast biscuits and gravy are better than what I’ve had at most Choice Hotels. The rooms have been clean and comfortable every time I’ve stayed here, too. It’s a quiet spot on the edge of town, but still close to the amenities. I’ve been back several times and it’s always been great.

We had paid in full for a New Year’s Eve booking made through Expedia after the hotel website was down. My friends and I called more than once beforehand to confirm and ask about check-in, but no one mentioned a restriction on local residents, either on those calls or in the listing. Only when we were minutes away and called to ask which documents we needed did we hear that locals weren’t allowed. We were explicitly told we couldn’t stay, so we never arrived or checked in. The front desk staff refused to refund us and the person we spoke with was rude and dismissive, with no explanation beyond saying nothing could be done. With such late notice on New Year’s Eve, we had nowhere to stay and slept in a car in the middle of winter. A hotel can have its own policies, but guests need to know them before a reservation is accepted and paid for. Refusing a stay after taking payment, without prior notice, and then refusing a refund was unacceptable and unprofessional. I strongly suggest confirming all policies in writing before booking, especially if you’re local. This was far below what I expected from a Quality Inn.