Ventura Grand Inn

After a tiring arrival in a snowstorm, I was given a key card to an occupied room at check-in and walked right into another guest’s room. That was a serious failure of privacy and security. The property feels old and poorly maintained. My shower was dirty, the AC was extremely loud, and the sound insulation was so poor I could clearly hear people walking around. Then, at 9:00 AM, housekeeping repeatedly knocked loudly on my door even though checkout wasn’t until 11:00 AM. It was disruptive after an already stressful night. The lack of cleanliness, professionalism, and concern for guest safety makes this somewhere I wouldn’t recommend.

The location is great, right in town and about 8 minutes from Mammoth. The rooms are pretty big. Staff said the property was in the middle of upgrades, and I saw taped off areas and lots of patching that hadn’t been painted. The ad showed a jacuzzi and a nice breakfast selection, but the jacuzzi seemed to be getting demolished. Breakfast was minimal: a couple of bread items, bagels, donuts, and coffee, and you have to ask for milk.

We booked a couple of nights through Chase Travel, but when we arrived, the bathrooms and windows had mold, there was dust everywhere, and the bedding and towels were stained. The rooms felt unsanitary. After we rejected the first room, the manager showed us three others, all in the same condition. We checked out immediately without staying and booked another hotel. When I tried to get a refund through Chase Travel, the hotel claimed we were trying to scam them for a free night. We never stayed there, but I still haven’t received a refund and likely won’t because of what I see as dishonesty from the staff. I felt like I was the one being scammed. The rooms were unsanitary and the management was dishonest. I wouldn’t stay in those rooms for free, let alone pay for them.

The room was spacious, comfortable, clean, and budget friendly, and the staff were friendly and helpful. They even provided breakfast although it wasn’t included in my booking.