Clarion Hotel & Conference Center Northampton

The beds were comfortable, and the location was convenient, just a two-minute drive from Northampton center. That’s about all I can say in its favor. After a long trip, I joined the free rewards program and paid $130 a night, down from the $149 rate, because I wanted somewhere near Northampton without spending a fortune. We expected a queen or full bed and got a double instead. There was no refrigerator, and no continental breakfast, which seemed especially odd when food is available in Northampton. The halls felt creepy, and my girlfriend said the place looked haunted. The room had that Norman Bates feel mentioned in other reviews. For the price, I expected more. I’d have stayed at the Northampton Inn if it weren’t so damn expensive. Avoid this place.

The pools were the bright spot. Both looked clean, the indoor one was lovely though a little warm, and the outdoor one was fine too. Housekeeping, the bar staff, and about half the front desk were very nice. It also seemed like staff were trying hard with limited support, while management and the owners weren’t doing their part to bring the place back from feeling dank and skeezy. The building smelled like someone’s moldy basement and the layout seemed as if a toddler had designed it with Legos. Upstairs, water damage ran down the ceilings and walls. Downstairs, dehumidifiers were standard equipment, fighting a losing battle. If you have allergies, stay away. The rooms had acceptable equipment, if you could overlook the stains and water damage. The bed was okay, and the sheets and towels were clean, but the tub wouldn’t drain and the sink splashed your lap when you turned it on. The restaurant was never open. The kitchen only opened Tuesdays and Fridays for the bar, and otherwise the bar had a very short microwave menu. Half the items weren’t available because they were locked in the freezer and nobody had the keys. They did have delivery menus at the front desk, at least. The other half of the front desk and management seemed either stoned or badly inept. Management and staff didn’t communicate at all, so don’t plan an event here.

The only good part of our weekend was the pool, which was nice and stayed open late. I’m not complaining about breakfast because I was too busy trying to hang my clothes up to dry to make it in time. The rest of the stay was extremely stressful, and I won’t come back. I was at the Clarion Hotel with several business members the weekend of 8/29. We’d stayed about a year before and had a few problems then, including a screaming air conditioner and missing beds. This time there were many more. The air conditioner didn’t scream, but it leaked. The next day I found the bottom of my entire suitcase full of water. My business cards, clean clothes, and makeup were soaked. I was luckier than other performers whose phones were ruined by leaking air conditioners. I waited 15 minutes at the desk while John Merchant watched YouTube before he’d help me. He seemed uninterested as I explained what happened. I took a picture of him watching Ellen while I waited, posted it on Facebook, and planned to post it with the hotel reviews too. When I told him my clothes were soaked, he offered no help and said that if I had a problem I should let them hang out to dry. I also saw how he treated other guests. Some performers had their rooms moved far away from the people they were working with, and I’d heard that you had emails from them about these problems. On Saturday evening, before sunset, I saw John Merchant swear at a woman who asked to move to a connecting room. He berated her and treated her like garbage. She held her head high, but he should find work that doesn’t involve speaking to the public. I felt extremely disrespected too. The charity event was shut down without an explanation. I’ve attended almost every event this charity has held during my four years of travel, and none had been shut down. At another one, we got one warning, turned the music down, and continued. This time John Merchant told us to “get the F out” and said he didn’t need to give a reason. Later he said there had been too many complaints. My room was directly above theirs, and it really wasn’t that bad. You could hear people having fun, but I could easily have slept through it. The entire B-Block had been reserved for the convention, so realistically there shouldn’t have been a complaint from B-Wing. This was the first year the charity didn’t reach its goals, and I’m disgusted by how it was handled. I understand there may have been a rule violation, but John Merchant’s language was disgusting. He then told me he’d done the right thing because he called his Assistant Manager, who agreed.

We stayed for a week. On the second-to-last day, they said we weren’t listed for the room anymore, but the manager fixed it. Then at 8:30 at night on our last night, a staff member told me to pay for the night or get out, even though the general manager had already handled the problem. They took my money but wouldn’t give me a receipt, despite knowing it was resolved. I felt like the guy kept my money. Twice while I was there, I saw men using drugs outside where kids stay: one smoking from a glass pipe in his car, and another using heroin. The people were rude, and I won’t come back. They’re thieves. Good luck!