Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Jacksonville

The beds were comfortable, and the man who checked us in was polite. Apart from that, it was a big letdown compared with my stay here ten years ago. The back door lock didn’t work at all, so people could enter without even turning the knob. I reported the safety issue to the manager, who was outside smoking while nobody was at the counter. She said they were working on it. My suite had a living room and balcony and looked clean at first, but I found someone else’s hair in the headboard. There was no silverware in the kitchen, and the lotion, shampoo, and conditioner bottles were half empty, so clearly not new. The ground floor smelled like weed whenever I got off the elevator. Some young men playing basketball harassed my boyfriend as we walked back from the gym. Given the safety and cleanliness issues and what we experienced with other guests, two stars feels generous.

The room was poorly maintained. We found a roach in the bathroom in the middle of the night, there was water damage on the closet ceiling, and the fitted sheet had stains. The shower had almost no pressure and stayed barely lukewarm even after several minutes. One outlet near the bed was missing its cover. The clerk on duty when we arrived seemed unhappy to be working. We left before breakfast because we couldn’t be sure it was safe to eat. When I tried to talk with a manager, I was told none was available on site. I don’t recommend this hotel or Jacksonville.

We’d stayed here in February without any issues, so we chose it again for a family trip and were conveniently put in the same room. It looked and smelled clean: the dishes, bedroom, and bathroom were clean, the room felt airy, and the AC was already on and nice and cold. But the stay turned into a hassle. The key cards kept failing. The living room carpet felt damp, as if it had been shampooed and not dried properly. There was water and trash debris under the sink, and some had leaked onto the kitchen floor. We told the front desk on Thursday, but nobody came to check until Sunday. There was no dish soap, and the sofa bed had no sheet. A sign said rooms got daily cleaning, but no one came, even though we didn’t put out the Do Not Disturb sign and needed fresh towels and washcloths. We had to track down housekeeping ourselves. The front desk attendant acted annoyed when we asked questions at check-in and later when we needed help. That first impression made us expect trouble, and we were right. If we hadn’t traveled from out of town, we’d probably have found another place.

The room felt homey, which was exactly what my son and I needed. It was clean, smelled nice, and had a lovely bathroom and a huge bed. Check-in was quick, and I’m glad I gave it a try. The reviews had made me very hesitant, and I usually let them decide for me. But I needed a comfortable, private place at a decent price and didn’t have another option, so I booked.