HomeTowne Studios Salt Lake City - Mid Valley

I stayed for work because it was closer to the jobsite, but I have mixed feelings about staying there or recommending it. The first room was disgusting and nothing like the website pictures. The receptionist moved me, and the second room was a little better, but it reeked of cigarette smoke. I could honestly feel the secondhand smoke from lying on the bed. The floor and room were filthy, so I bought cleaning supplies and plug-in air fresheners to make the stay more bearable. I still haven’t received my $200 deposit. I’ve tried calling, but nobody answers.

The front desk staff were incredibly rude and inconsiderate. After a long day of work, I arrived with my Booking.com reservation and asked for some water. They said they didn’t have drinks. Then a woman started going on about a background check, not being allowed to have visitors, and needing a deposit. I was tired and probably didn’t look my best, but they had no reason to treat me like an animal. She asked for my debit card for a $200 deposit, but charged me for the room again instead. I showed her my Booking.com receipt, and she argued that it wasn’t paid. Eventually she found the reservation and said she would refund Booking.com and send the money back there, even though she had just taken it from my card. I read the hotel policies carefully, including the Red Roof heart franchise information, and that wasn’t what happened here. The room was absolutely disgusting. At 9:00 the next morning, the manager came pounding on my door, even though checkout was at 11:00, and tried to have something, but he looked like somebody off the street, so I turned him away. I brought up the refund issue while checking out and had to argue with the manager again. She said she’d refund me by the next day, but charged me again instead. I was a disabled gentleman and had trouble walking. The manager made fun of me, saying I was dirty and a streetwalker. That was awful to hear. You don’t want to experience this.

I regret not reading the reviews before booking. The hotel asks for a copy of every guest’s photo ID and gives out parking passes, which should have tipped me off. The room was disgusting, with a strong smell of dirty animals. The beds had no pillows, only empty pillowcases that looked freshly removed, and the linens didn’t look changed. There was no trash can, the toilet had dark brown stains, and the bathtub looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in a long time. It didn’t seem to follow even basic cleaning practices, let alone COVID sanitation procedures. We left in under five minutes and asked for a refund. The clerk said I’d get a full refund and gave me a receipt showing that. Several days later I noticed only two of the three nights had been refunded. I contacted the Red Roof Corporate Office, which manages HomeTowne Studios, but the General Manager refused to return the rest. She claimed I had the keys for over 30 minutes, which was a blatant lie, and said the clerk had told me the first night wouldn’t be refunded. I sent her the receipt showing a full refund was promised, but it didn’t change anything. Terrible hotel and management. I’d never recommend it or stay at another Red Roof Inn or HomeTowne Studios.

The room had a dirty floor that looked like it hadn’t been mopped for a week, a broken or breaking cabinet, a ripped door, and a light switch that didn’t work. I also saw a man walk out smelling of smoke, despite the claim that smoking isn’t allowed near the premises. That rule seems like a lie. They’re charging $200 for incidentals and another fee that wasn’t mentioned. They should have money to fix these problems if guests are paying that much. Definitely wouldn’t recommend staying here.