Clarion Pointe Lakeland I-4

I don’t know why this hotel has a 2-star rating. It’s small, but clean and comfortable. Cracker Barrel is right across the way, with a Denny’s and gas stations nearby. The women at the front desk were very nice.

The place was very clean, and they checked the room before we went in. My wife and I have stayed at plenty of places, and this one felt exceptionally hospitable, with very polite staff. The breakfast was nice and simple, and the price was excellent. We enjoyed our stay and will definitely return. If they keep things as they are, I think the business will do well.

The rooms are bare bones, but clean. I started itching badly after about 20 minutes on the sheets, and the pillows were awful. I’ll have to buy my own so my face doesn’t break out. So much for hypoallergenic. The mattress is super soft, which I personally hate. The internet is very slow, and the highway noise is unbearable. Service wasn’t great either. The evening staff member seemed a bit uncouth and not like a proper representative of the place. Around 10:30 or 11 p.m., guests downstairs were loud, so I had to go into the hallway near the front desk and ask them to quiet down. The desk staff were too lazy to do it themselves. Later, I sat in the lobby and mentioned that the sheets had caused an allergic reaction. Management seemed bothered by that. Sorry, not sorry, I have to tell you if they make me react. They also claimed the swing shift had replaced the pillows for me, but that didn’t happen. The woman had said those were all they had. I don’t like staff changing the story. Breakfast was unsanitary too. There was a huge jar of strawberry spread for everyone to dip their hands into. What happened to individual packets? Paint was missing from the walls as well. With what they charge per guest per night, you’d think they could afford paint. Management, the company, or both seem to have given up. Save your money and go elsewhere.

We had plenty of room, and the fridge, microwave, and everything else worked well. The room smelled nice and had a good feel overall. The staff, especially at the front desk, were very friendly, and breakfast was good. Scrambled eggs would’ve been a nice addition to the lighter options, but boiled eggs were fine too. We were traveling from Orlando to Tampa, and this location was right between where we needed to be. Thanks for the stay.