Comfort Inn Matthews - Charlotte

This is a handy place to stay when work takes you to Charlotte but you don't want to be in the city itself. Food is just around the corner, there's a gas station across the street, and Sams Club is nearly in the parking lot. I've stayed at the Comfort Inn in Matthews twice and plan to keep it as my usual North Carolina hotel. Check-in took about two minutes, the staff were friendly, the hotel was very clean, and the other guests were quiet and caused no problems. I had no issues at all.

At around 3 a.m., exhausted after a late arrival, we found mold and mildew as soon as we entered our room. There was visible growth on the curtain, walls, baseboards, and in the bathtub, and roaches were crawling on the ceiling. I reported it at the desk, but the manager was rude and said we could leave without getting a refund. We weren't offered another room or an apology. I took photos and recorded the room, and plan to send them to the state health department and environmental health division. The hotel was filthy, and the way we were treated was just wrong.

The breakfast setup needs work. The area gets very crowded and smells like chlorine or bleach, the food was just fine, and I could have used more variety. Those potatoes were an affront to God and man. There's also a tip jar at breakfast. I know that's becoming common, but paying workers a fair wage should be the employer's job. Coffee in the room and at breakfast was pretty awful, and there was no half-and-half for the in-room coffee. Internet was slow, too, and I had to sign back in on all my devices repeatedly. There's no trash bin in the toilet room. Still, the room was quiet, with no neighbor or street noise, and the bed was more comfortable than I expected for a budget hotel. The adjustable office chair, working HVAC, blackout shades, and easy parking were all good. Those positives nudged my 3.5 stars up to 4.

The room was very quiet, and the front desk staff were pleasant and accommodating. But it smelled damp and moldy, rain leaked through the large windows, and I had to put towels on the sills. There was mold on the bathroom ceiling, and the rooms badly need renovation. The refrigerator was freezing cold with no dial to change the temperature. I'll find another hotel next time I'm in town.