Red Roof Inn Jacksonville - Orange Park

Back in the winter of 2005 I stayed here for a week, then came again for a weekend in 2006. The weather was nice, and I remember comfortable rooms, big beds, a quiet, cozy feel, and listening to Jones College radio on my own radio. They had free coffee in the lobby, and the place was very clean. I came back to see a room around 2011 or 2012, after staying way up north in Jacksonville near the airport. It looked run down, and the bed was lumpy, nothing like the thick, comfortable mattresses I remembered. I decided not to stay. I slept in my car and tried other motels around Orange Park. The area near Red Roof Inn seemed to have changed for the worse, with lots of people loitering and people screaming late at night. I was followed while walking past car dealerships, then hid for hours in a showroom I found open and called 911 because I was afraid of someone screaming outside. Orange Park police never came, as I was told they were busy. Someone at the dealership said to stay inside. Police finally arrived early in the morning, and I told them what a scary night it had been. The area seemed to have changed by then. I’m down in east Texas now and may come back for the rest of winter before heading back to the Chicago Northwest Indiana area. I’d like to stay here if it’s been remodeled and has new beds. Dan.

The staff were friendly and the place was clean. Breakfast had a nice selection of continental options, and the coffee was excellent. The beds were small, though, full size rather than the queen size I was told about at check-in.

I wouldn’t recommend staying here. I paid for a room and told the employee, but for some reason I still couldn’t get in. There was cigarette smoke in the room even though my wife and I don’t smoke, and she spotted black mold. The place badly needs repairs.

The location near restaurants is about the only good thing I can say. Our room smelled bad, the tub hadn’t been cleaned, and the floor needed washing between guests. The bed was hard, the pillows flat, and there was only a sheet and bedspread, no blanket. It was noisy, with people lingering outside their rooms, talking and laughing, and kids in the hallway. We got the sense that many guests lived there. The grassy spot for dogs was tiny. We complained soon after arriving and asked to move. A clerk came to look and agreed the room was a problem, but the manager said there were no other rooms and offered two bottles of water. We packed up and looked elsewhere, ready to lose our money. After a short discussion, the manager reluctantly refunded it and apologized.