Howard Johnson by Wyndham Pigeon Forge

There was a bug in the crease of the mattress on one bed. At first I thought it was food crumbs, since there was dried lettuce on the box spring, but my husband shone a flashlight on it and I could see its legs and whiskers. I left right away and went to check out. I showed the front desk worker my pictures, and she said the owner never believes her, as if this is an ongoing problem. I asked for a refund since I couldn’t stay there, but they said they couldn’t help because I’d booked through Booking.com. I contacted Booking.com, which tried calling and emailing the hotel without an answer. They refunded my room and first offered just $28 to help me find another place. After about seven calls, I finally got $128 toward moving from my $350 room. This was my birthday trip and it was ruined. The owner never offered to speak with me, though he was near the indoor pool. An apology would have been better than nothing. When I arrived, the outside didn’t look like the pictures, but I figured some wear and tear was to be expected and checked in. I take photos so I can’t be blamed for damage. As soon as I opened the door, I worried the bed looked slept in and the TV was on. There weren’t any belongings, so it wasn’t double booked, it just hadn’t been cleaned well and the TV was left on. The toiletries were tossed on the counter. There was no iron to check the bed for bugs. I also found a hair on one pillowcase.

The pool was warm, but much smaller than the picture makes it look. The rooms were okay, though thicker blankets would’ve helped. They could have put a coffee pot in the room if they weren’t serving breakfast. The staff weren’t very friendly, but I’ve stayed in worse hotels and would come back. I’ll bring my own coffee pot.

We found a bed bug on the edge of the bed after coming back from the Rocky Mountain Coaster Halloween event. We’d checked into the room at 10 and returned around 1:30. We went straight to the front desk, then an employee came back with us and took pictures. We left for the night and paid more to stay at another hotel without issues. When we came back the next day, they refused a refund, saying there were no bed bugs. The night employee then lied and said I’d messed up the bed. There are cameras all over the property, and they could show I didn’t disturb anything. I was in the room for about 10 minutes before going to the desk. On Sunday the 19th, I waited around 15 minutes at the desk before anyone came to address my concern. The place shouldn’t be open, and I don’t understand how it can keep operating with bed bugs and no help for customers trying to get their money back. The Google rating was already 2.7, and I should’ve checked before staying. If you do stay, check the beds and cabinets, and inspect everything. They have bed bugs. Be concerned for your and your family’s health.

There was hair in the towels and washcloths, which were dirty and marked with makeup. The shower wasn’t clean either, and my daughter only noticed the hair on the wall when she was about to shower. I’ll never stay at this hotel again.