Wingate by Wyndham New Braunfels

We slept fine despite a little traffic sound from the busy area. The location worked well, and the indoor hot tub staying open until 10pm was a nice perk. Clean, comfortable, dependable place, with friendly staff and a good breakfast.

The most alarming thing I saw was an employee drop nearly 30 paper-wrapped straws on the floor while refilling the coffee station, then put them back in the station. The wrappers still have to be handled by guests, and after almost 30 years in restaurants, I found that unsanitary and unacceptable. There were other problems in the room. It smelled musty, moldy, or maybe like spoiled food, and that odor stayed the whole night. We couldn't tell where it came from. Since we were there for one night and had unpacked already, we stayed put and didn't mention it to the desk. My wife also found a black hair in the sheets. I'm bald, and she's blonde, as is our son, so it definitely wasn't ours. The bathroom door was coming apart at the lower corner by the hinge, apparently from water exposure. I was also surprised there were no USB charging ports, which seem like a basic feature in a modern hotel. The stay was very disappointing. We won't return to this property or recommend it to others.

I asked three times for photos of the “damage” they charged me for, and management still hasn't provided any proof or answered my requests. It's been frustrating and unprofessional. I don't know where the good reviews are coming from, these people are scammers. We stayed with family over Halloween weekend. Before arriving, I told staff my son has special needs and would need some accommodation. He made a small mess while eating candy because of his disability, but I cleaned it myself and it wiped away easily. Even so, we were charged for “room damage,” which felt unfair and disappointing. There were spider webs under the bed, so the room hadn't been cleaned properly before we arrived. I picked this hotel for the pool, but when we tried to use it, swim lessons were underway and the instructor made us feel like guests weren't welcome. I'm very disappointed in how we were treated and how the situation was handled. I hope management treats families with children who have special needs better.

The room was quiet, the breakfast was good, and the staff were friendly. The location is great too. The pillows were so uncomfortable that we woke up with neck pain. Cleaning could've been better: the shower and the mirror border were dirty, and the bathroom sink drained very slowly. The room itself was good.