Comfort Suites Monroe

At $180 a night, I expected a very different stay. There were no lights on in the parking lot, which made leaving the car there at night feel unsafe. Inside, my sheets had a crusty stain and there was a live roach in the bathroom. The carpets were stained, surfaces seemed unwiped, and the floors didn't look vacuumed. Everything felt sticky and dirty. I asked the night staff member for fresh sheets and she was very unpleasant. The morning staff were nicer. Breakfast was sparse even though we got there before 7:30 a.m. The hotel was sold out, but at this price they need to put more into cleaning and replacing old, stained things.

I travel for work as an electrical technician and often have to estimate how long a repair will take when I book a hotel. This time I reserved three nights to cover the worst case, but the job finished early. I checked out at 7:30 a.m. on the second morning, after staying two nights. The hotel then charged a $110 “early checkout surcharge” plus tax, for a total of $128.08. I'd booked a promotion offering 15% off for stays of 2+ nights, and I'd still stayed the required two nights. Even so, they applied the surcharge. The amount charged back was 27%, much more than the advertised 15% discount. They also taxed the surcharge, even though it was for a final night when I wasn't occupying the room. I understand hotels have policies, but penalizing a guest who stayed two nights and left early in the morning feels excessive. Some flexibility for business travelers would help. Given how this was handled, I can't recommend staying here.

I've been here during the work week since April, and the place needs serious maintenance. Most of the king mattresses need turning or replacing. The elevator often goes out of service, and the third-floor call button is broken. People on my crew have had nonworking lights and HVAC, weak water pressure, clogged drains, stains on floors and linens, and outlets that don't work. The building needs attention, but it seems like nothing is being spent on upkeep. Breakfast is hit or miss, with basics like yogurt, milk, bowls, bread, bagels, muffins, or ketchup often missing. The front door is stuck open, though the inner door works. They won't let room keys open the side doors, supposedly for security, but people prop those doors open anyway. I suspect the system linking the outer doors to room keys isn't working. It could be so much better for the price. Most staff are helpful, though some aren't. When a key card failed, they blamed an RFID card issue caused by magnets, but RFID cards don't have magnetic strips. Several people on my crew have complained about problems, and I chose not to use the pool. The water was green until late May, then suddenly clear over the weekend. My guess is they shocked it and overchlorinated it, at least that's what the smell suggested. The area feels rougher when it's warm, with homeless people or freeloaders hanging around. Police were regularly at the hotel until the weather got cold. The location near the interstate and the data center construction workers seems to be what they're relying on. If better hotels were within my budget, I'd stay elsewhere. The Best Western and Quality Inn in West Monroe were worse, but this place is quickly heading toward the lousy standards of the other hotels I've mentioned.

The staff are nice, and the rooms are decent, but getting in was a recurring hassle. My key card kept failing, and for about half the week the desk clerk had to come upstairs and unlock my door with a master key. Coworkers had the same card trouble. Their fridge didn't work and they had no microwave, though mine were both fine. The outside doors didn't work, so after work I had to go around to the front. The automatic doors there were also regularly out of order.