The Monarch Hotel

The location was fantastic: the parking garage was only a block away, and my daughter and her friend were going to a concert just a block from the hotel. We had a great time and will definitely return. When we arrived, the place was clean and inviting, and Maria welcomed us warmly. I explained that my daughter had brought a friend and we needed another bed. She arranged another room at no extra charge. After reading the reviews I hadn’t expected the rooms to be so nice, but they were clean and comfortable, with ceiling fans that kept the temperature pleasant. I walked around to see the homeless situation and didn’t find many people. I did meet two officers from the Homeless Division, who said they patrol the area regularly and told me not to worry.

I hesitated after reading reviews, but my cousin said the hotel was decent, and I’m glad I booked it. The staff were great, the place was clean, and people were helpful. It was noisy, as you’d expect in the middle of the city, but homelessness wasn’t an issue for me. The location was handy for tourist sites, and I enjoyed the stay enough that I WILL book again. Don’t always rely on reviews like I did. One downside: you have to pay to get a blow dryer.

For what I paid, this was a decent place to sleep since we spent the rest of the day exploring. Downtown was about a 10-minute walk, and the Wi-Fi was great. Our room was clean and the bathroom worked, though the bed was only somewhat comfortable. The hallway felt creepy, like something out of The Shining. Looking out the window was unpleasant too, with so much garbage around. The area seemed shady, with lots of homeless people. On arrival the receptionist was very nice and made check-in easy because everything had already been paid through Expedia, one of my favorite travel sites.

The staff were friendly, the lobby was fine, and the price was right, but I’d never stay here again. The room was a decent size, though its floor creaked badly. The bed felt like one big spring that dipped in the middle, and there was no hair dryer. It smelled musty and seemed moldy, while the whole hotel had a nasty odor almost like urine. This was a depressing first and last two-star hotel experience. Don’t stay here.