Red Lion Hotel Yakima Center

Downtown is fairly close, which is about the only reason I'd consider staying here. The property is generally dingy, and the WiFi cut out while I was there. I stayed in December, when it was around 30°F outside. The building had no heat on, and inside it was only about five degrees warmer. My room was just as cold, and it took roughly two hours to get comfortable. When I complained, I was told, “We can't keep the heat on in all the rooms!”

I only booked one night for a nearby conference because this was the cheapest rate around. That ended up being the last time I'll stay here. You get what you pay for, I guess. I woke to someone repeatedly trying to get into my room. It was terrifying. When I looked, I saw a woman dressed all in black, with no identifying markings. I had a motel-style room facing the parking lot, so it could have been anyone. She never said she was housekeeping, and there was no housekeeping cart nearby, so I had no idea who she was or why she kept coming back. I called the front desk. They confirmed someone had marked me as checked out and said it was probably the housekeeper. At checkout, the desk clerk chuckled and said their system had gone down, which was probably why it showed I had checked out when I was still there. It was a really strange, uncomfortable situation, and I won't return.

The location is great, right in the middle of everything, and the pool was really nice. But the rooms felt like a trip back to the 1950s, with old, creaky floors and paper-thin walls. I could hear my neighbor snoring until 4 a.m. The towels had a strange secondhand-smoke smell, and the shower head had enough pressure to wash the ground. I was here for work and didn't really have a choice. If I had, I'd probably have picked another hotel.

The breakfast is very good, with lots to choose from, and there's a full bar and nightclub. Breakfast is only served on Saturdays and Sundays, though, and costs $10. Other hotels in Yakima offer free breakfast every day.