WoodSpring Suites Indianapolis Castleton

The shower had two heads, which was a fun bonus. The front desk woman was great, though the check-in paperwork felt like signing your life away. I guess past incidents may have led to that. They have a kitchen area with a sink, hot plate, and microwave, but no utensils, plates, or anything like that, so bring your own. It's a budget hotel, so keep expectations in check. For me, the basics are a clean room, no bugs, and hot water, and this place had all three. They lock the doors after about 9 p.m., which I assume is needed in this area.

The whole check-in ended with one of the women telling us to get out of her hotel and not come back to any of their locations. She then said she would cancel the booking and not charge us, after I'd offered to pay $120 for the inconvenience of two nights. My friend is blind, and during check-in the woman raised her voice at her to demand her license, saying they needed to know who was staying. We had already tried to pay online and by phone. They said they only take advance payments through a valid TPA, which they described as a third-party affiliate, and then demanded a signed, notarized affidavit. I've never heard of anything so ridiculous. This started when we were driving from NC to Indy and found the hotel on Booking.com for $498 for eight days, which seemed like a good rate. Bad roads delayed our trip in an eight-wheeled vehicle. We called to say we'd be late, and a woman said we wouldn't pay for the day if we arrived after three. Around midnight, when we knew we'd be much later, a man on the phone quoted $526 for sheets and taxes, which didn't make sense. After we tried to pay, he hung up a couple of times, then said we'd have to wait for the manager at 9 a.m. I called five minutes after nine and asked for the manager. When I said it was five past, she rudely replied, “we have been here since 9.” She said we could come, as long as it was exactly 3 p.m., so we slept in the truck and drove over. I waited in the building until three. When she came out and asked if I was checking in, I explained I'd been told to wait until exactly then. She said, “come on, I know who you are.” Since my friend was staying too, they needed her ID, so I went to get her and returned to finish check-in. I contacted the Ritz Carlton to close out this complaint. They also had never heard of this requirement; they need a card on file and ID. They don't need to worry about seeing me at their hotels. I won't stay there and will keep telling people not to.

Our vehicle was broken into in the north lot, leaving more than $3,000 in damage. There are no exterior cameras, and that's the main reason we won't stay again. If ownership is willing to skimp on a $1,600 camera system for guest safety, we'll find somewhere better suited to us. The local staff are great, but the hotel is poorly equipped. Check-in involves more paperwork than a mortgage, the coffee station doesn't even have lids, and guests don't observe quiet hours. There are also electrical code violations and safety concerns in the rooms.

By morning I had a clean, beautiful, tidy room that smelled great. Mr. T listened and helped me, and I was glad the staff took care of things. The gym was small but fun, and I enjoyed the workout and the elliptical. The hallways were clean and the elevator smelled fresh. Coffee was free and basic, with no breakfast. The first night of our romantic two-night stay wasn't nice. The room was extremely cold, and the TV remote didn't work. My husband went downstairs three times to get batteries, but couldn't get any because the woman who checked us in had left. We had to get out of bed to turn the TV to a movie. I called on the day we booked and spoke with Mr. T, who quoted me $2 more than the Priceline app. I booked and checked in before 10 p.m., then spoke to a front desk employee in the morning before Mr. T helped with the room.