Travelodge by Wyndham Water’s Edge Hotel - Racine

We checked out a day early after returning to find police across the hall arresting people over a domestic disturbance. They wouldn’t refund us, and we won’t be back. The room was dirty, smelled strongly of THC, and had no hot water. In the lobby, there were vomit stains, a moldy smell, and a health department sign on one door saying “this unit can not be used for human habitation occupancy or use.” The front desk woman was also very rude when we checked out. Probably one of the worst hotel stays of my life. For the love of all that is holy, don’t stay here.

We were gone within minutes of checking in at the Travelodge by Wyndham Water’s Edge Hotel in Racine, Wisconsin on October 19, 2025. We’d prepaid through Southwest Vacations, so we got no refund. What really disappointed me was seeing the Wyndham name attached to a place so far below what I’ve come to expect after staying at many of their hotels. The lobby didn’t have anyone at the desk when we entered. A man came back in jeans, a leather jacket, and a baseball cap, with no uniform or name tag, and checked us in. I wasn’t confident he worked there. Through the lobby window, the former pool area seemed to have become a bar, with an open vodka bottle on the counter and patrons hanging around. It felt like a dive bar. Outside, several vehicles in the parking lot looked like people were living in them, and two nearby guests were carrying trash bags as luggage. The hallways were dirty and unvacuumed, with spills and construction debris. Our room smelled overwhelmingly of bleach, like someone had tried to scrub away a crime scene. There was no mattress cover, the bed was poorly made, two lamps didn’t work, and a lamp base had been used to prop up a piece of furniture. We didn’t feel safe, so we went straight back to the desk, said we were leaving for another place, and left. The attendant didn’t seem surprised or concerned. I’m sharing this to help others choose. If you want a safe, clean, professional hotel, look elsewhere.

I enjoyed talking with the staff at check-in and the cleaning staff when I left. The rooms are clean and smell nice when you walk in. Usually I need to light a couple of candles in hotel rooms because of the smell, so that was a pleasant change. One of the best low-cost hotels.

We booked two rooms for about five days. One was clean, but the other hadn’t been cleaned before we got in and didn’t have the refrigerator it was supposed to. I normally clean my rooms again anyway, so we cleaned it ourselves and moved on without saying anything. The staff were super nice and friendly. It was pretty decent for the price.