If I could give this motel negative stars, I would. We booked 4 rooms more than a month in advance for Fourth of July weekend, expecting at minimum a clean, comfortable stay that looked remotely like the photos online. Instead, what we got was an overpriced, dingy, badly maintained disaster that completely ruined what was supposed to be a fun family weekend in Fredericksburg.
We paid between $517 and $570 per room (x4) for two nights, taxes included. For those prices, no one should be checking into rooms that feel like neglected afterthoughts. From the outside, the property looks older but charming enough, and the parking situation is decent - even offering covered parking for cars/small SUV's. Unfortunately, that is where the positives end.
My fiancé and I were assigned Room 11, and the moment I opened the door I was stunned. The room was tiny, dark, depressing, and nothing like what was advertised online. It had dark gray-black carpet, an unbearably loud window AC unit, outdated bedding, towels that were laundered but visibly stained, and a dingy bathroom that looked like it had been patched together and ignored for years. There was a hole in the wall behind the sink cabinet, broken molding around the tile baseboards, and mold on the shower tiles. It felt less like a guest room and more like a storage closet someone decided to rent out.
The most infuriating part is that I had specifically called shortly after booking to confirm the room would be large enough for my two very small dogs (5 and 6lbs) and their playpen. I even explained that if we needed to book a different room, we were happy to do that. I was assured the room would be fine. When I questioned why our room was so ridiculously small and so clearly inferior, the employee in the office, Courtney, snapped back with, “Well, you should have booked a different room.” (How would I possibly know what this room was to look like? it looked NOTHING like the pictures online. I did called ensure that we had adequate space - and was more than willing to change the room type if needed) Her response perfectly sums up the level of customer service at this place: dismissive, unhelpful, and completely unwilling to take responsibility for anything.
My daughter and her boyfriend’s room was better in size and flooring, but it also had mold in the shower. Then the situation got even worse. That evening, my daughter simply sat down on the bed and the bed frame broke underneath her. I was in the room with her when it happened. She is thin young woman, so this was not a matter of misuse. The bed was obviously unstable and should never have been in service. We immediately called the number posted in the room, and no one answered. There was no voicemail and no way to get help.
Because their bed had collapsed, my daughter and her boyfriend had to sleep on the pull-out sofa in another family member’s room. When that family member opened the sofa bed for them, they found a dirty sheet with blood stains on it. At that point, this was no longer just inconvenient or unpleasant. It was disgusting and unacceptable.
The next morning, when I reported the broken bed and explained that no one answered the posted number, Courtney’s response was to say we had called the wrong number (despite that number being posted in our rooms) and that the after-hours number had been posted on the office door. When I turned around to look at the office door, she admitted it was not actually there. Again, there was no apology, no urgency, and no accountability. When I suggested my daughter should be refunded for the night because the room was unusable, Courtney said, “I don’t issue refunds — I just work here.” She also said the manager was in the hospital and she did not want to bother them. Apparently guest safety, sanitation, and basic service standards were not important enough to justify a phone call to someone who might be able to assist. I understand that she may not have the authority to issue the refund without permission but there was absolutely no apology, sympathy or plan of action of what it would take to have the refund issued. If it wasn't for one of the other family members having a pull out sofa in their room, my daughter and her boyfriend would not have had a place to sleep.
To be fair, the maintenance man was kind and seemed genuinely sorry, which made him the only person associated with this property who showed any professionalism or concern. But by then, the damage was done. My daughter and her boyfriend decided immediately they would not stay another night, and other members of our group also had concerns and similarly unpleasant interactions with Courtney. (I will let them write their own reviews) The entire experience was such a mess that all of us chose to cut our family trip short and go home early. During one conversation - Courtney openly stated that my daughter and I were booked "the crappiest rooms" they have.
While my daughter eventually received a full refund for her room, that does not undo the stress, frustration, and disappointment this place caused. We had been looking forward to spending quality time with our adult children and their significant others, something that is not easy to arrange with everyone’s schedules. Instead, this motel turned the weekend into a miserable, expensive fiasco.
Do not stay here unless you are prepared for false advertising, dingy conditions, broken furniture, mold, stained linens, and shockingly poor customer service. This place was grossly overpriced for the holiday weekend, badly managed, and nowhere near acceptable. I would never recommend it to anyone.
Final note: Despite originally planning to bring my pups and having the "space" conversation with the office, I opted not to included them. Thank goodness I didn't, as there would not have been space for them and their play pen. I really can't wrap my head around the great reviews on this place - maybe it is the low price that they normally charge and the fact that they are dog friendly? If you are assigned Room 11 - RUN!
