Comfort Suites Pell City

My husband and I always stay at Comfort Inn Suites in Pell City, Alabama. The location is right where we need to be, and it smells so good every time we walk in. The staff are thoughtful and helpful, and we really like the breakfast.

I called within minutes of realizing I'd booked the wrong date online, but I couldn't change the reservation. Two people I spoke with said the booking couldn't be refunded because of the timing, though I had called within about three minutes. I had trouble understanding them even though they understood English. I contacted my credit card company and cancelled it. I'm calling the BBB tomorrow. This felt like a scam.

We got back from dinner and settled in for the night, with my husband keeping the remote and channel surfing while I worked on my computer. Earlier, we'd changed into warmer clothes and walked to Cracker Barrel behind the hotel. That's when we noticed a napkin and bandaid covering the peephole. We were heading home from Arkansas, arrived on a wet early evening, and found luggage carts right by the entrance, so unloading and checking in went quickly. The receptionist checked us in efficiently after finishing a conversation with her friend. The couch was another problem. When I packed my work back into the backpack on it, I saw hair on the pillows and several white spots on the armrest and seat cushions. The AC worked far too well. I was in pajamas under four blankets with my feet tucked against my husband and still froze. The pillows were tiny and flat, and neither of us had a good night's sleep. In the morning I saw black mold or mildew around the bathroom exhaust fan. Behind the restroom door there was hair on the floor, and the grout around the tub base was mildewed. That's disgusting and unsanitary. The hotel also didn't offer late checkout. There seemed to be only 15-20 rooms occupied Sunday evening, and I doubt Monday afternoon brought a rush of reservations. We probably won't stay at this location again.

The bed was so comfortable, with soft sheets and just-right pillows, and the room itself was better than some high-end hotels we've tried. We checked in on November 28th, and even the clean, fresh smell when we got off on our floor stood out. This may be the cleanest, freshest-smelling hotel I've walked into. The person at the counter greeted me with a pleasant smile, and the attention to quality surprised us. Breakfast was the one letdown. Maybe we caught them on an off day, but the eggs and meat were warm rather than hot, and it was the usual free hotel breakfast. That's the only negative we found, so they get far more right than wrong. I don't usually review a one-night stay, but this one felt worth mentioning. Book with confidence if you want a good night's sleep.