Best Western Plus First Coast Inn & Suites

The rooms were clean and very nice, with comfortable beds, and the hotel stayed quiet even during the day. There’s plenty of parking in a well-lit, secure area, the front desk staff are friendly and attentive, and the free breakfast has lots of choices and was excellent. Still, a few things got in the way of an otherwise pleasant stay. We requested housekeeping three times and didn’t get the service we asked for: twice our dirty towels were taken without clean ones being left, and once the room wasn’t cleaned even though we put out the door hanger and I spoke to the young woman about needing service. Management fixed each problem quickly, but it shouldn’t have happened three times. The Wi-Fi was also so poor that we’d have had no internet without our phone hotspots, and the TV casting option wouldn’t work because of it. Those issues caused needless aggravation. I hope they’re addressed, because this could be a great place to stay.

The breakfast was hot, with a good choice of waffles, eggs, and sausage, and the woman managing the serving area kept it clean and the trays stocked. We slept well in the beds, and the newly designed shower worked great. The front desk woman was pleasant, too. My wife, a retired hospital microbiologist, always carefully checks bedding for bugs and bathrooms for cleanliness and mold before she’ll stay in a hotel. This room was one of the best examples of thorough cleaning and good housekeeping we’ve seen in a long time. We live in Florida and have visited this area many times, though we usually stay in Fernandina Beach. Our stay at this Best Western stood out for quality service and good value.

The location was decent, and the room was clean. Breakfast was about what you’d expect from Best Western, average. We stayed two nights and had to switch rooms because the ventilation was so loud in the first one that we could barely hear ourselves speak. The second room was still noisy, just a little better. There was no luggage rack, so our bags and clothes ended up on the floor. The bathroom setup was especially inconvenient: nowhere to hang a towel to dry or clothes.

After a long day of travel, I ran into a small payment mix-up. The team sorted it out right away and handled the whole thing with real grace. Then, completely unexpectedly, they upgraded me to a suite. That kind gesture meant a lot and made me feel genuinely cared for. I’m grateful for how kind they were, and I won’t forget the experience.