I booked through Priceline and the troubles were never ending. The room doesn't have the air conditioning on and the refrigerator in the room is unplugged. The wifi doesn't work, no matter how much I tried I had to use my phone as a hotspot as I couldn't even check email. They say free wifi but they mean no actual internet access. There are many holes and threadbare sections of the blankets, sheets, and pillowcases. Many pictures. The mattresses are over 20 years old and they feel terrible. Most hotels don't keep mattresses half this long, and no reputable establishment, even a budget one, would keep them this long. The toilet leaks polluted water from the basin and when you flush it, this is not potable water from the supply lines but instead from human waste infused water. Children living in the subsidized housing behind the motel fire off fireworks (not in July). They also have loud music playing and all sorts of unsupervised activity of young children well into 11PM at night. The grounds have trash throughout the walkways, I found used condoms and hypodermic needles on the premises. Pictures are provided for some of this. The AC smells like mildew and cigarette smoke, even in a non-smoking room. The smell sticks on you and your clothing so when you leave this motel you still wreak of it. My feet turned black walking on the floor (even after housekeeping came through), and later my socks turned black. You don't want to know what bodily fluid stains I found when I took out my black light on first check in. This entire motel runs on a philosophy that there is no corner they will not cut to save some money. Everything I have reported above shows lack of proper maintenance, leaving deteriorated materials that need replacement in place instead of repairing them. I interacted with the management/owners on a limited basis and they have the mindset the customer is an inconvenience and anything they promised is negotiable as long as they can save money by not actually providing it. Don't stay here, even if they offer you an hourly rate. If you insist on staying here then 1) bring your own linens and mattress; 2) wear boots at all times, even in the shower to avoid the dirty floors and the leaking toilet water; 3) try not to breath the air as it smells of mildew and cigarettes; 4) don't expect any of the included items - anything you get is a stroke of luck.
Should have checked out the reviews prior to booking this hotel for a two-night stay. We pulled up to the hotel just as two police cars and an ambulance were driving into the convenience store across the street. Not wanting to stick around to find out what was going on, we drove south, out of the downtown area, to a rundown Holiday Inn Express there. Called Candlewood to cancel and told them why—they still kept the $300 representing one night’s stay. No plans to ever return to Hartford.
We have been going to the Residence Inn in Hartford for more than a decade. Up until now, we have found the hotel to be a perfect place for a night or two. While the Marriott staff was friendly and welcoming, our stay this past weekend was disappointing due to the condition of the room. From cracks in the bathroom tiles, to worn out carpet and furniture, chips and scrapes most everywhere including a two-inch hole in one wall and a popped-up ceiling tile with a cut wire tangling down near the shower head, what used to be a newly renovated landmark hotel in 2014, has become saddle sore, weary and scruffy. Even the pamphlet for the Marriott Bonvoy Card was a sign of neglect. It is really a shame since most of what we noted are cosmetic issues. With nightly rates getting near $400.00 a night, there is no value left in staying in this old shoe. We hope that an overdue renovation is the works. In the meantime, we will look elsewhere when we head for Hartford.