Comfort Inn&Suites Vernal - National Monument Area

This is a basic hotel, nothing especially bad or good about the rooms. The front desk service, though, was unbelievably lazy. The desk attendant lives in room 200 above the lobby, about 20 feet and 20 steps away, and seemed unwilling to come down. He was there when I checked in, then didn't show up when my key stopped working. He told me to take one of the three spare keys on the counter. I don't know whether they could be programmed remotely or whether they were master keys. Breakfast is supposedly served from 6 to 9, but there was a sign saying it wasn't available the morning I arrived, or the next morning when I checked out. Maybe I just happened to be there on a bad couple of days, but I got the impression the sign might be there all the time. The only change at the desk the second morning was a container left out for key cards. When I checked out, I had to call to ask for a receipt. They email them, which isn't convenient for putting it into my expense report, but fine, go back to sleep. There's a table set up in front of the desk for some reason, even though there seems to be room for the phone and other things on the desk. I'm not usually one to write reviews, but this was just ridiculous.

The pool and hot tub were clean and working, which was about the brightest spot. There weren't many pool towels, and the used towel bin stayed full for two days. The automatic entrance doors didn't work, so they were propped open the whole time. The place felt lifeless, and the decor gave the impression nobody cared about it. It was clean enough, just dull. My room was old-fashioned but had decent furnishings, a comfortable bed, and linens that seemed clean. The bathroom was another story: worn, stained, not very clean, and reeking of cigarette smoke despite this being a non-smoking hotel. Nothing was done after I complained. Fortunately, the windows opened, so I aired it out while I was out all day, and I bought Febreze to spray every surface. It helped some, but my sinuses stayed irritated throughout the visit. Breakfast was embarrassingly poor: undercooked biscuits, watery "sausage" gravy, the usual waffle machine, or sweetened cereal. No eggs, bacon, or anything like a standard breakfast. Staff were reasonably friendly and helpful when I could find someone, but about three quarters of the times I passed through the lobby, no one was at the desk. The hotel's name is misleading if you're choosing it for Dinosaur National Monument. It's right at the edge of town, handy for Vernal downtown, but about as far from the monument as you can be while still staying in Vernal. The low price is probably what keeps it going, but I'd pay more and stay elsewhere. Choice hotels should be ashamed of this stain on an otherwise reliable brand.

I made an honest booking mistake through the Choice Hotels app and reserved more nights than I needed. I contacted Choice Hotels and the hotel as soon as I noticed. Choice Hotels sent me back to the hotel, but the staff wouldn't help at all. I offered to pay the full rate for the one night I actually stayed and get the rest refunded, rather than keep the discounted rate, but they still refused. I wasn't asking for anything unreasonable, just some flexibility and basic customer service. The whole thing was frustrating, and I'd rate the service here poorly. I hope management takes this feedback seriously and is more willing to work with guests when an honest booking error happens.

Both beds looked as if they'd only been made up after the previous guest. There was long hair all over the sheets, and the pillows were yellow. I had to track down the front desk and insist on another room. On Saturday morning, the woman preparing the food was also covering the front desk. Nobody answered the phone when I called to speak with a manager, and there was no manager on duty. I later tried calling Choice Hotels corporate to report the poor experience. They said they'd “noted my concern,” but I saw no accountability for the brand's quality.