WoodSpring Suites Oak Ridge Knoxville

There’s a stove, full-size fridge, and plenty of shelves and storage, so it seems better suited to traveling business people or contractors than to someone looking for a fancy place. We had no hot water for showers on the second morning, which definitely woke me up. I was also uneasy about security: we came and went several times without seeing anyone at the front desk, so anyone could have walked in. Probably won’t stay again.

The beds were awful, like sleeping on concrete, and the walls are so thin you can hear the neighbors talking. There was running and stomping around all night, too. The shower water kept switching from hot to cold during a 10-minute shower. The good part was that the hotel was very clean and the staff were pleasant. It’s basically a cleaner long-stay motel. We’d hoped for better, which is really sad.

The people staying here seemed to include a lot of construction workers drinking in the parking lot, smoking pot inside, and urinating behind the dumpster. When we arrived, our room was overheated, with the heat set to maximum. I asked to switch rooms, but a staff member came up, opened a window that only cracked about an inch, and said, “it will get better.” After standing by the open door for 40 minutes, I asked again and got an annoyed, overwhelmed clerk. The room had two towels and one washcloth, no matter how many people were staying. There was no toilet paper or hairdryer, and none was available even though a placard said otherwise. For a place that feels like an extended-stay motel, it also had no silverware, dishes, or paper towels. “Value hotel” barely describes it. The construction and decor seemed like the cheapest of any chain I’ve seen. I’d rate it lower if I could.

There were four of us, but the room had only two towels. When I called the desk for more, they said I had to come down and “exchange” our towels, even though we hadn’t used them. They had no hand towels, shampoo, conditioner, or hairdryer in the bathroom either. We also had no hot water in the morning. They blamed it on being on the third floor while many guests showered at once, which made no sense to me. Several other people in the elevator complained about it too. I don’t recommend this hotel and won’t be back.