Howard Johnson Plaza by Wyndham by the Falls / Niagara Falls — Hotel in Niagara Falls

it’s sad that i have to write this kind of review considering my girlfriend and i used to really like this place. july 28th 2025 we checked into the howard johnson hotel around 4pm. my girlfriend always checks the room and bed at ANY hotel we stay at to ensure it’s safe and clean. unfortunately upon entering the room and checking, she noticed black/brown/redish (blood) speckles on the mattress of the bed itself, and the box spring cover (video proof is attached). these speckles were clearly from bedbug infestation as it was all along the seams of the bed. she then called the front desk to inform them about the situation and politely requested to be moved rooms. at this point we could have got up and left, but since we really enjoyed this place last time, we decided to give another room a chance. the lady on the phone told us she would send someone up to check the room. after waiting about 45 minutes someone finally came up. we showed her what we were seeing and she immediately denied that’s what it was. she then continued to explained that she’s seen it many times before (i assume in this hotel) and acted as if we didn’t know what we were talking about. she tried to play it off as a spill but as u can see in video, it is speckles and at head board of bed. she was visibly nervous as she knew that the marks were from bed bugs but she refused to admit that. after trying to convince us to stay in this room (733), my girlfriend made it very clear that we would be more comfortable to switch rooms. the lady from the desk CONTINUED to deny but said she would check for any other available rooms. after waiting ANOTHER 30-40 mins , she finally called the room and told us there were no rooms available. we then got all of our stuff and went down to desk for refund as we did not want to take any chances. the receptionist told us she would not be refunding the first night as it as the room was considered “used” (we did not unpack or anything, didn’t even sit down). in total we got $423 refunded (that included the deposit and parking), but we originally paid $661 for 2 nights. we tried to argue that we offered to just move rooms and it was not our fault that this has occurred, but they still refused to give us back our money for the first night and they kept the taxes and fees we paid as well. the receptionist had gone to the back room to “speak with higher up management” to tell them about the situation, but nothing was resolved. my girlfriend then requested to speak with that higher up individual and was handed a card with the general managers name on it (kevin liddle). my girlfriend called him and left a message as he did not answer. we have called on multiple different numbers and he has ignored all completely. no acknowledgment what so ever. we have contacted public heath, customer care, and bi law is being contacted in the morning. we have also just looked at recent reviews posted about a week ago, and people have had similar situations.

SAVE YOUR MONEY, would not recommend

video is...

We stayed in downtown Toronto the night before, at a brand new hotel that is operated by a very popular resort franchise, and charged 3x the amount for a room that was half the size of the one that we stayed in while at the Howard Johnson in Niagara Falls. In comparison to our Toronto stay, I would have to say that the Howard Johnson exceeded our expectations and surpassed the hotel we stayed in while in Toronto. The lobby of the Howard Johnson did have a slighly stale smell, but it was to be expected as it's been around forever! Aside from the stale, but not unpleasant smell, everything else was amazing! Our room was retro to the core, but had a modern twist. The mod style, with the round mirrors, the globe and spiral floor lamp, the side lamps that were on the bedside tables and desk and the wall colors were all impecably designed to bring you back to the days when the HoJo was the KING of hotels and motels! We felt like we stepped back in time but stayed up to date with ammenities and expectations. The bathroom was BEYOND SPOTLESS. The caulking around the water features and the faucets in the sink looked brand new, there was no odor at all in the hotel room (aside from when we started up the AC - it was pretty rank smelling to be honest, but they usually are when they haven't been used in a while), and the TV was easy to operate.||||We especially loved the Timex table-side clock! The time was wrong, and we couldn't be bothered to reset it because we didn't need to use it, our phones were our alarms, but it was the perfect finishing touch to the overall esthetic.||||The mattress and pillows were, or seemed to be, BRAND NEW, and OH SO COMFORTABLE!! The blankets were a bit lacking, and even though there was an extra one in the closet, it did have a bit of a dust layer on the top of it, so perhaps just shaking it out after each turnover could help - they're not always used, but they do need to be shaken and re-folded to keep them from collecting the room dust.||||The desk staff were friendly and helpful, fast and courteous.||||While we wish we had the chance to check out the pool, we were too exhausted to even get out of bed, but when we scouted it through the windows, it looked inviting and clean.||||It wasn't noted on the booking site that the parking would cost us an additional $24. We could have parked in a lot just down the street for $10 had we known there was going to be a charge, and it would have been for a full 24 hours versus the hotel parking only being available to us from check in to check out. Better communication on parking would have been appreciated.||||We will be returning to the HoJo with our kids to enjoy a close to the fun hotel experience with them on our next visit to Niagara Falls.||||Don't skip over this gem. It might seem dated from the photos, but everything was new, clean and PERFECT!!! We can't wait to come back, and are so happy that we took the chance at booking with the HoJo over the other options that were...

Hello, I didn’t know how to reply so I mistakenly deleted my previous review and I am posting the answer for your reply here again!

First I want to tgank you for your response. I’ve added a star back to my review to recognize the time and effort put into your reply, and I do appreciate that. It’s a step in the right direction for good customer service.

To answer your question about why we didn’t report these issues during our stay: we were simply trying to be understanding guests. We assumed we were staying at a business that cared about its customers just as much. It was our first time in Niagara. We arrived around 7PM, parked at the hotel, and went out for a walk. That’s when we saw the $10 lot right nearby. We thought, “Maybe hotel parking is more expensive because it’s more secure or better managed.” No big deal.

Later that evening, we noticed the long hair in the shower. My girlfriend pointed it out and even took a photo. But again, I said, “Okay, it happens, maybe housekeeping just missed a spot.” We didn’t want to be difficult.

Same with the hot tub. It didn’t work when we tried to turn on the jets, but it was late, we were soaked and we were a bit tipsy, and honestly, we just wanted to relax. We assumed the tub was broken and didn’t feel like calling someone up or changing rooms. We had no clue there was a wall timer, and frankly, it still makes no sense why it would be far away and not clearly marked. A quick heads-up at check-in would’ve made all the difference.

We were honestly being chill about all of it, until the food voucher situation. That’s when it all flipped for me. Yes, there was a very small print says two entrées are required and the front desk staff showed it when we notified them. But let’s be honest: after a long drive, at 7PM, no one is pulling out a magnifying glass to read tiny terms on a voucher. We even asked your front desk to explain the deal and were told we’d get $25 off breakfast, no mention of conditions. Isn’t that catchy?

Would it have really been that hard for someone to say, “Just so you know, you need to order two meals for the voucher to work”? That simple line would’ve saved us from being blindsided.

When I brought it up afterward, all I heard was “sorry” and a repeat of the rules. I’ve worked in customer service and good service is not about reading the tiny policies back to the guest. It’s about understanding when something was poorly communicated and finding a way to make it right.

And even the restaurant, you work with them. Don’t they see hotel guests with vouchers all the time? Couldn’t someone just ask, “Do you have a voucher?” or remind us of the conditions before taking our order? The voucher was literally on the table. Maybe they didn’t notice it, but it’s hard to believe.

So now I’ll say this: if you truly care about customer service and want to make it right, I’m open to hearing that. But if the only thing you’re going to do is repeat policies and terms again, please don’t waste more of our...