Staybridge Suites Round Rock by IHG

The pool wasn’t open, and most of the breakfast food was expired. The yogurt tasted spicy and burned my tongue, the milk was spoiled, and the bread was hard. The food upset my stomach. There were also nats on the muffins, the bread case, and the fruit. When I told Letty or Betty at the front desk, she said, “I guess this hotel isn’t up to your standards,” and offered to check me out because I had a “whole laundry list” of complaints. I’d tried to book elsewhere, but it was Memorial Day weekend and everything cost much more than the $179 I’d paid. She was no help and needs hospitality and customer service training. The first room was horrifying: stains on the comforter and couch, a broken TV and coffee machine, and a smell like the carpet hadn’t been cleaned in months. The replacement room was somewhat better and definitely cleaner. The two front desk agents I dealt with were both rude, and neither wore a name tag. One woman gave me a name that sounded like Letty or Betty. The elevator’s certificate of compliance was expired, and the elevator made noise and moved as I stepped in. The stairs were worse, with a black carpet stain, a bad smell, and a sticky railing. We unfortunately have to stay here, but the way we were treated made it seem as though we were the problem. They need to maintain the hotel with cleaner rooms, safe facilities, fresh food, and better staff. It’s a disgrace.

The staff were friendly and accommodating, and the beds were comfortable. For a basic stay with a decent free breakfast, it worked fine. The room was clean enough for our needs since we spent most of the day out, though the carpets need a deep vacuum and shampoo. The hotel could use updates. We stayed more than a week, and I wish we’d gotten one midweek refresh with clean sheets and a thorough clean. At check-in, nobody explained the housekeeping setup: fresh towels had to be requested each day, and used ones left in the hall. We made a few trips to the front desk before learning that. It felt odd at first, but places do things differently. After we raised it, towels were brought directly to our room. If you want daily room turnover and full housekeeping, this might not suit you. I’d choose another hotel if I planned to spend lots of time there or wanted a more luxurious stay. Three out of five.

I’m giving these five stars because of Monica at the front desk. She went above and beyond for guest service, especially with the laundry. Only one washer and dryer unit was working, so she kept checking the remaining time, calling each room to let guests know when to come down, and maintaining a list to keep everything on track. I personally saw her doing this for at least a dozen guests. She even brought finished laundry to the rooms for guests who wanted that service.

The beds were very comfortable, and the room looked neat when we walked in, but a closer look showed messy paint splatters and water damage on the bathroom walls. Breakfast was fine as food, but the quality has a serious problem: there were tons of fruit flies in the dining area, and more when I looked through the kitchen doorway at the clutter inside. There’s no ice machine either. If you want a big room and breakfast isn’t a priority, this hotel is perfectly okay. If breakfast matters and you don’t need the extra room, it’s not a great choice.