HI White River Junction The Hotel Coolidge Hostel

The historic Hotel Coolidge has plenty of character, from its period-style radiators and amenities to the train we heard once, which added to the atmosphere. It's in a great spot, with lots of restaurants and bars in walking distance. Parking was easy, with plenty of off-street spaces, and our clean room had a surprisingly large bathroom. The front desk staff were incredibly patient, kind, and accommodating. They even let me check in well before 4 pm. I really enjoyed staying here.

The room felt like a transient yardsale, with a fridge balanced precariously on a swapmeet end table and an extension cord you had to jump over to get around. The floors sloped, and the bed put my feet higher than my head. Between that and the crumbling awning over the main entrance, it had an authentic Dracula and Transylvania feel. We live in a small town in the western part of the country with older, rustic historic places that have actually been renovated enough for people to stay in. After one sleepless night, we fled the Hotel Coolidge ASAP and missed the downtown businesses we'd heard were amazing. We found a Hampton Inn nearby that met all my family's needs. At the Coolidge there was surface-mounted conduit, cracked plaster stained by water, and belligerent local bar patrons screaming outside. We could hear them through the window-mounted A/C from the street below. If the rooms had been anything like the advertisement, I wouldn't be so disappointed. It was like being offered steak and getting oatmeal. This isn't a personal attack, but we're entitled to judge a business and how its management performs. You're welcome for the review. I look forward to the sarcastic, borderline narcissistic response, full of disdain and no accountability, like so many of your other replies.

The first things I noticed were the smell and how dirty the hotel was. An old building can be fine, but it still needs to be clean. The floors were filthy, none of my room doors closed properly, and the locks were broken or missing. After reading about the building's history, I was worried that there were no fire extinguishers posted anywhere. The elevator was out of service, and the stairs felt unsafe, especially for someone with limited mobility. The toilet was an odd size and hard to use with the sink right in front of it. I even hit my head trying to get up. They said they'd price match, but when I showed them they had charged more than Expedia, they didn't honor it. I only extended my stay because of graduation exercises and because this was the only hotel close to the school we were visiting. If there'd been another hotel or even a campground nearby, I'd have preferred that. I'd give it minus 10 if I could.

There are a couple of good restaurants and cute shops on the same block, and the old building has a quaint charm. The rooms were the problem: VERY hot, and hard to cool down.