Sonesta Simply Suites Philadelphia Mount Laurel

Housekeeping kept knocking on our door, trying to finish the floor while our family was sleeping. Then the young front desk worker called and said we had to leave immediately. We'd only been there maybe eight hours, though we'd paid for a whole night. My husband and I were traveling from Florida to Boston and stopped around 4 a.m., planning to leave at 3 p.m. We explained that to the desk, and they happily charged us for one day and gave us a key. At noon the key stopped working, leaving us outside in 40-degree rain trying to get to the stairs. We had to go in through the front, where the young desk worker had been smoking outside for the previous 45 minutes. Managers need to hire people with customer service skills and make sure the team communicates so everyone is on the same page.

They do return the cash security deposit, as long as you hold onto the torn-up receipt they give you at checkout. Beyond that, it's just somewhere to sleep. Don't expect them to fix problems during your stay. They don't seem to care about your experience. You may not get hot water, and the toilet may not flush. When you ask about it, they'll turn up their noses. It's a shame, and I don't know how they've lasted this long.

The front desk guys were very nice. It's affordable and the rooms aren't horrible, though some things are dated and worn. The elevator may well be out, and the stairwell smells really bad, like urine. Bring extra towels and shower supplies.

The elevator literally smells like it's on fire. The couch was stained, and none of the shampoo or conditioner bottles were full. I took videos showing the empty bottles, but Google review won't let me add videos.