Holiday Inn Express & Suites South Haven

The Jacuzzi suite cost over 200, and I expected a great stay. Instead, the first issue was that the keys for suite 315 weren't coded, so I had to go back downstairs to get them fixed. The Jacuzzi had a big clump of soap scum and a used bar of soap in it. The clerk said someone would be notified, but there was no other staff. Then I found the remote held together with a rubber band wouldn't change channels, and the TV wouldn't work properly either. I managed to get Comedy Central on, but neither the remote nor the controls on the TV and box would respond. The whole hotel looked filthy: the second floor ice machine had a buildup of grime, the vending machine was broken, and the building seemed to be falling apart. I was told someone would clean the Jacuzzi. We went to dinner and came back an hour later, around 6:30, but nobody had arrived. I offered to clean it myself if they refunded me and provided cleaning supplies. The desk said she'd ask the manager, but an hour later she still didn't have permission to give me anything. I waited more than four hours for someone to come and got no updates. After 8pm, I cleaned it with body soap. They eventually offered to move me to the other Jacuzzi room, which had no bed couch, so I turned that down. I wasn't offered any discount, just that downgraded room after I kept contacting the front desk. My update is that I was told no cleaning materials were available. The pool was nasty too, with clumps of hair floating on the surface and lying on the deck. The door lock was so loose it shook in the wall and looked like it had been kicked in. On one of my many trips to the desk, a homeless man I'd seen earlier at an intersection with a cardboard sign came in, talking to himself and carrying a garbage bag. He was shaking and jerking, showed me a wad of cash, and asked if he could rent a room using my ID because he had no ID of his own. I looked around for an attendant and found nobody. He started reaching over the counter and sorting through room keys. I pointed to the camera, he said, “you told on me,” and put them back. About five minutes later a clerk finally appeared, but again couldn't help because there were no cleaners or manager. I left her with him, sorry. It felt unsafe as well as dirty. Around midnight, a clerk told another employee what had happened, and he just stared at me while counting the register cash. The next morning, when I went to get the cart, the same guy only glared again. I emailed the manager because this was the most expensive room and felt like sleeping in a tent beside the highway, but still got no reply. How many generic apologies will they give before trying to change? I'm beyond mad. I may take the pictures to Choice Hotels and Radisson to see if that gets anything moving.

The elevator wasn't working when I arrived, so the front desk canceled the room I'd booked on the Choice app. Getting my refund took more than a month of back and forth. Management has to issue it, but they were never there and didn't return calls. Do yourself a favor and stay at the Comfort Inn next door. The front desk woman was nice and wanted to help, though. Corporate should visit and see whether they'd stay there themselves or bring their family.

The pool ruined the weekend we planned around letting the kids swim. The water was visibly dirty when we arrived and literally brown the next morning at breakfast. There were about six little kids running around in it with their diapers falling apart, and one baby threw up on his mom in the water. It was gross. I told the front desk Saturday evening; she said she could only leave a note for the manager. The next morning a man also said there was nothing he could do. We won't ever come back. I work in hotels, and this is completely unacceptable.

Breakfast was the same every morning, and when food ran low or ran out, nobody replenished it. The rooms weren't what I'd call clean, though at least there were no bugs, and we never saw housekeeping. In the elevator, coffee drips stayed there for our whole visit. The front desk staff would go into the office and shut the door, so if you needed someone you had to yell. Our first room had no working heat, and we were told maintenance would take at least an hour. My husband asked for another room, and we got one.