Gateway Inn - Savannah

I only needed a bed for one night before continuing to the island where I was staying for five days, and this turned into the worst booking experience I've ever had. I've traveled across four continents and nearly every US state, and never dealt with anything like it. I booked through Booking.com, but the place felt more like a motel than the hotel I expected. I was charged before arriving, then charged twice for one room, though the owner said I had booked twice. I hadn't. I never stayed there. When I went to the small reservation counter to sort out a refund, other guests were checking out almost as soon as they had checked in. They said the rooms were filthy and they couldn't stay. The owner gave me a paper saying a charge had been refunded, but wrote “no-show didn’t charge” on it. Later, Booking.com emailed that I was a no-show, which wasn't true. I tried to check in at 3 PM, and went back a third time at 2 AM after seeing another charge. My elderly mother, who uses a cane, was with me. The owner wouldn't let us inside, came out to the car, told us to go away, and was rude to her. He said there were no vacancies, although the parking lot didn't look crowded. Booking.com had sent me back to the same location after giving me another hotel's name. I called around 9 AM and got no answer. Every time I called Gateway, the owner hung up on me. I contacted Booking.com at least 10 or 12 times, and they didn't resolve anything either. The charge is still on my card and my card company is disputing it. I felt like I was being scammed and passed around to people who knew each other. The area was busy for a holiday and most hotels were sold out, so I had very few options and just wanted to rest. I've had much more professional service in Africa at places that cost much less and were beautiful. If the charge isn't removed, I'll seek litigation. I had to pick a star, but this deserves zero. I won't use Booking.com again, and I'm deleting the app.

I didn't feel safe here at all. The door's security latch was missing, and there was no smoke detector. The sheets had stains, and the shower was filthy. It was a total pigpen. The pictures tell the story. Worst place I've stayed, don't stay here.

My room was dirty and had bedbugs, plus a maggot. The staff were rude too. Absolutely don't stay here.

Unclean and unsafe, and the whole place felt really sketchy. I would sleep outside before staying here. Absolutely horrendous, 0/5.