Merrimack Inn and Suites

We spent one night at this hotel while on a multi-day road trip. We were upgraded at check-in to a 2Q Suite (we didn't ask, didn't even know until we opened the room door). We were on the main (second) floor so we only used the front entrance and their weird little elevator there for bringing our stuff in. The check-in process went smoothy and the front desk staff person was friendly and helpful and efficient. After we checked out the room, we noticed there were no bath products (body wash, shampoo, or conditioner) in the bathroom, so we let her know. She made a note of it and also got the products we needed. When we checked out this morning, we were told for our inconvenience they would add some additional points. The room itself was comfortable, but the lighting is terrible. Even with all the lamps on, it still was pretty dim in the room and living room. The air conditioner worked well and we liked that there was a separate unit for both rooms of the suite. The wifi worked well. The shower had good water pressure. The breakfast was pretty standard HIE fare. The food service room is a bit small, but there is plenty of seating in the breakfast area. The staff kept the food stocked and the area cleaned.

We are currently staying here because we just lost our home, belongings, and several of our animals in a house fire. The staff was aware of our situation. What started as a conversation about a pet fee turned into one of the most insensitive and unprofessional interactions I have ever experienced. When my boyfriend explained that we had just lost everything in a fire, the front desk employee responded, “Did I cause the fire? Is that my problem?” The situation escalated from there. The employee repeatedly made comments toward us, got in my boyfriend’s face, mocked him, and continued coming back out even after the manager told her to go into the office and let her handle the situation. When she eventually walked away, she blew us a kiss. During all of this, a man who appeared to know the staff began recording us and mocking my boyfriend while we were visibly upset. Our two surviving dogs, who were trapped inside the house during the fire and have also just experienced something incredibly traumatic, began barking while multiple people were surrounding us. Their barking was then used against us during the confrontation. We were initially told we had to leave. We have since been allowed to remain tonight while the general manager comes in tomorrow to review the security footage, which we were told does not have audio. I completely understand hotel policies, pet fees, and rules regarding animals. That is not why I am leaving this review. A pet fee could have been discussed and resolved professionally in a matter of minutes. What I cannot understand is treating people who have just lost their home and animals with this level of hostility and then responding to their tragedy with, “Is that my problem?” We weren't asking for special treatment. We were asking to be spoken to like human beings. I sincerely hope the general manager takes what happened seriously when the footage is reviewed tomorrow. No guest, regardless of their circumstances, should be spoken to or treated this way.

Terrible customer service at the front desk, the housekeeping is slow and they don’t do a great job cleaning. The breakfast is excellent. The pool and pool area are the best feature of the hotel. They need to learn to be kind and polite to the customer and make sure they have a great stay.