Howard Johnson by Wyndham Williamsburg

We decided not to stay after seeing the rooms. In ours, an open bag of rubbish was on the floor, there was trash all over the bathroom, and the jacuzzi was completely missing. Plumbing stuck out of the wall, and the carpet was gone. We checked the other room we had booked to compare, and it was awful too. The place was boiling hot and smelled terrible. Some people coming and going made us uneasy while we were checking in. My father, sister, girlfriend, one other person, and I all had the same feeling that we shouldn't be there. The owners obviously don't care.

We really enjoyed our first-floor king suite with the hot tub. It was quiet, accommodating, clean, and everything worked. The tub gets seriously hot, so we mixed in cold water and waited for it to cool before getting in. There’s no bathroom fan, so bring some Poo-Pourri, lol. I originally wanted an upper floor, but the first floor was perfect, especially for walking over to breakfast. The waffles were delicious, and I loved making my own. They even had Carbon Golden Waffles spray, the same butter spray I use at home. The owner was very kind and clearly put energy into making the stay enjoyable. They could keep more supplies on hand. They were out of razors when I asked, which seemed odd. There won’t be slippers or a robe, though the towels were folded in a cute way. After I pushed a bit, I did get a razor, and I borrowed a charging block from lost and found, then returned it. I’d definitely come back. We had a wonderful time.

The whole hotel, including the non-smoking floor, smelled strongly of cigarettes. The rooms looked clean, but the smoke smell was overwhelming everywhere. We enjoyed the whirlpool, though it took close to an hour to fill. The water got nice and hot, and the beds were about a B. If you smoke, you may find this place suits you. If you don’t, expect your room and the rest of the hotel to stink of cigarettes.

Mike at the front desk was great, and our king room was clean and comfortable. This is a basic, comfortable hotel. The indoor pool couldn’t be used, and the ice machine on our floor was broken. Coming from the freeway, the entrance was a little hard to spot, so better signs would help.