La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Lackawanna

The room was the letdown. There was a clear stain on the sheets, dirty towels and wash rags, and marks on the floor. I know it’s a La Quinta and not a five-star hotel, but housekeeping still shouldn’t be neglecting the basics. Someone needs to be held accountable for that. My friend and I only stayed one night, and the receptionist was wonderful from the start. He welcomed us, helped us check in, kept our luggage while we were traveling and got to the hotel very early, and even upgraded our room for free. He’d worked a double, too. He deserves a raise, or his hospitality will be valued somewhere else.

We paid $430 and walked into a disgusting room. The sheets and pillowcases looked unchanged, with human hair and other spots on them. We’d traveled all day and gone to a Bills game, arriving around 9-9:30 pm exhausted, just wanting to get dry and sleep. I showed the front desk woman the bedding and asked for clean sheets so I could change them myself. She brought some, and I also asked for sheets for the other bed and six pillowcases since all six were gross. She said she didn’t have six clean ones, so three of us had only two pillows with cases. The rest couldn’t be used. There was a bug by the bed, which I showed her, but she didn’t seem concerned. The bathroom was disgusting, too, and the light switch in there was filthy. The door latch was broken as well. I wouldn’t give this place even one star. They should’ve paid me to stay. Don’t spend your money here. I’d rather sleep in my car or pitch a tent.

The hot breakfast was enjoyable, with the usual waffle maker, scrambled egg patties, sausage links, cereal, bagels, toast, Danish, and a good choice of coffee and juice. Checkout was quick and easy in person. I also liked the decor, the comfortable bed, and the plenty of outlets. The bathroom matched the website’s accessibility details, with grab bars and a roll-in shower with a handheld wand. There were enough towels and washcloths, and hot water was plentiful when I got up early. The small bars of soap were fine, though the shower’s bottom track looked poorly maintained. The room’s problems are why I’m giving it two stars. I arrived after 11 pm and just wanted sleep, but the curtains were fitted incorrectly, part of the inside security lock was missing, and the door stop was pushed into the wall. The clock wouldn’t set because its battery compartment was empty and missing its cover. Getting out in the morning was a hassle. I couldn’t make the left turn onto the street at checkout. At check-in, the desk staff initially ignored that I’d checked in online. They also demanded a $100 deposit that hadn’t been disclosed in advance and wanted a physical copy of my ID, which I refused since I’d already uploaded a picture during pre-check-in. I suspect housekeeping may not be trained to report problems promptly, and management may not be fixing defects when they’re reported. I’ve seen this sort of thing commonly at Choice Hotel properties, which is why I’ve stayed at Wyndham properties for the past nine months. I would’ve picked a Wyndham this time, but when I booked at the last minute I couldn’t find one with an accessible room.

I booked through Booking.com with a confirmed reservation marked “Pay at the property,” and entered my card details there just to hold it. Today, a woman claiming to be from the hotel called demanding my credit card information. I told her I’d already put it into Booking.com and wouldn’t give it to her. She got furious, said she’d cancel my booking, and became aggressively hostile when I said it sounded like a scam. I’d avoid this hotel. I also saw other reviews, including one from two months ago mentioning bed bugs.