Holiday Inn Express and Suites Charleston Ashley P

I just needed somewhere to sleep and hadn't tried this hotel before. The elevator wasn't working, but the front desk guy was cool and got me checked in. My studio-sized room was simple, clean, and fairly quiet, and I slept well on the comfortable bed. It was a decent stay.

The front desk attendant was nice, professional, and apologetic. He seemed genuinely embarrassed by the condition of the place and cared about the guest experience. After showing me three other rooms that were the same or worse than the first, he gave me a full refund. The property was grotesque and nothing like the photos online. The floors and grounds were filthy, the elevators didn't work, and the couches and chairs were torn up with furniture falling apart. The windows wouldn't close or lock. There were cockroaches on the kitchenette stove, with gross food left uncleaned, and cigarette burns on the bedding, mattress, and pillows. The whole place smelled of cigarettes. See the property and rooms in person before spending money here. It's badly misrepresented online.

The bathroom and kitchen were good, and being right off the interstate made the location convenient. We only got two towel sets, though, and got a sneer when we asked for more. The room was large, but its furniture was rough. The pullout couch had cigarette burns all over the arms, and when I opened it for my 5-year-old, there was what looked like animal stool underneath. The mattress was awful, and I wouldn't recommend it for anyone bigger than a 5-year-old. Booking.com listed a king bed, but it was a queen. That mattress was pretty bad too, and the bed frame squeaked a lot.

The elevator has been out for a while, so getting your bags up to a room is difficult if you're not on the first floor.