Gateway Lodge

The location was decent, with the Aquarium very close and beach activities a drive away. Parking was awful. Luckily the hotel had blocked off a space beside the office, or we wouldn’t have found a spot there. The room was okay, but the bed creaked whenever I moved because it was on a metal frame, and part of the TV remote’s side was sticking out. They called it non-smoking, yet it was obvious people had smoked in there. I always bring Lysol, which helped. The restroom looked somewhat clean, though under a black light the area around the toilet glowed. The shower was the worst. It wasn’t very clean, the water pressure was terrible, and the handle was broken. I had trouble controlling the temperature on my first shower: it was extremely hot and wouldn’t get cooler until I turned it off. Getting it to shut off was a struggle because of the broken handle. The tub was capped off too, so taking a bath wasn’t an option.

Don’t stay here. The sheets were old and smelled of smoke, and I couldn’t tell if they were dirty or stained. There was hair on them that wasn’t mine, gross either way. I couldn’t make myself use the sheets or blankets, so I slept with my coat as a cover. The heater vent had mold, the outlet didn’t work and my phone died, and a hole in the blinds left the ground-floor room without privacy. You get what you pay for, and this isn’t worth it.

The walls really are thin, and I’m pretty sure someone went through my room while we were out because I came back to find the door open. There were clear signs of drug use around the area. Management doesn’t seem to know customer service; don’t expect much beyond someone just being there. Now I can see why so many reviews say it’s bad. I wouldn’t recommend this for kids or a family trip.

I was in town taking care of a few business things, The Cut Barbershop, and this was a convenient base for getting around. The room was clean and comfortable, check-in was easy, and the location was solid. No complaints, I’d stay again.