Days Inn Pontoon Beach

Our room change in the middle of the night caused a lot of disruption. We arrived around midnight with seven young children, and within five minutes management told us we had to move rooms. We complied and ended up in a two-room setup around 12:30 AM, so we lost a lot of rest. Since the owner knew we were there and why, it was especially frustrating that at about 10:30 the next morning, an hour after the pool was supposed to open, he stopped us from using it. We had booked specifically for the heated indoor pool after confirming by phone that it was working and open from 9:30 AM to 9:30 PM. We had already left another hotel late at night because its pool wasn’t heated. The pool had no closure sign, was unlocked, and looked open, but the owner said it had just been chemically treated and would be shut for several hours. All seven kids were there ready to swim. When we said we wouldn’t stay and were unhappy that the advertised amenity wasn’t available, the owner became hostile. Checkout was 11:00 AM, and our Wyndham Rewards status entitled us to late checkout, but he began repeatedly demanding we leave at around 11:05. From about 11:05 to 11:35, we had to say we would contact law enforcement if the harassment continued. The children were visibly upset. We were packing, had found other accommodation with a Hilton property, and had our luggage loaded by around 12:30, but kept being told we had “five minutes” to go. The only good parts were the housekeeping staff and the man at the front desk when we checked in. They were warm, helpful, and clearly doing their best. The property itself is extremely run down and dated, with wear that suggests it hasn’t had meaningful updates in decades. It needs a full remodel, not just routine cleaning. We didn’t feel comfortable sleeping in the bedding and used our own blankets. There were sticky traps for bugs and mice in the rooms. The hotel seems mainly occupied by long-term service or contract workers, which might suit extended stays but didn’t feel like a family or leisure hotel. There’s also no elevator. Guests have to use a manual wheelchair lift to move luggage between floors, which is inconvenient and impractical. I’d tell families and other travelers to stay elsewhere.