Golden Sands Resort Motel — Hotel in Penticton

We booked two suites for a total of 11 adults.

This is not the first time our group has stayed here, but will be our last.

The location for the Golden Sands Resort Motel is the only thing that keeps it alive—it has fantastic access to the water, dining, rentals, and adventure experiences.

Almost everything else about our stay was terrible.

blinds are broken and missing; reviews from 2 years ago complain about this as well, so confirming this is a running issue and not properly addressed

ONE housekeeper on staff for a Friday check-in. We waited an additional 6 hours for our rooms after check in time, which was after 8PM. We were informed they had third party contract workers that didn't show up, but not sure if this is accurate

After our rooms had been "cleaned" we still had to pick up cherry stems and other trash from the previous customer, and swept. No mop available in unit, likely hasn't been properly cleaned in some weeks

Met with the notoriously aggressive receptionist upon the request of hygiene products (soap, shampoo) which are, according to her, not included in your stay

Our other suite had complaints about the plumbing; sounded like sewage gases had made way into the living space the first night

did not test the TVs

Overall the condition of the units was pretty rundown, but I'd never have a problem with that if it weren't so dirty and them so seemingly careless about it all—but that tells me this has gone on a lot lately.

When we asked about receiving some sort of compensation for our wait, our request was denied until it went up to the owner (perhaps manager?)—he then offered us 5% off our next stay but ONLY if we booked next year right then and there.

In summary:

Pros Location Window A/C in each bedroom Mostly functional plumbing Has a pool! Towels provided to us while we waited for our rooms balcony chairs available, lakeside view Steve is fantastic and any workplace would be made better with him working there. He is the exception to everything else in this review and was the highlight of our stay

Cons ONE housekeeper on staff Long waits on check in Missing/broken blinds Aggressive receptionist, careless employees Basic hygiene products "not included" Mostly functional plumbing Broken lights Some outlets didn't work security bar had been removed in my window No vehicle access to any other road (we were blocked in for the cycling events) EVERYTHING WAS DIRTY

We spent as little time inside as we could, which was our only saving grace. The single star in this review is for Steve, and whoever this poor overworked housemaid...

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to express my profound disappointment and anger regarding my recent stay at the Golden Sands Motel in Penticton, BC, during the Canada Day long weekend. My family and I have been loyal patrons of your establishment for over a decade, but our experience this year was so abhorrent that we have resolved never to return.

The primary issue stems from the front desk receptionist, whose conduct was not only unprofessional but blatantly racist and rude. Despite our long-standing relationship with your motel, we were met with hostility and disrespect from the moment we arrived. This individual has consistently exhibited a negative attitude toward us in past visits, but this year her behavior reached an intolerable level.

I have a service dog, which is essential for my health and well-being. Although I understand the no dogs policy in the pool area, my service dog accompanied me for a brief period due to my medical needs. The receptionist aggressively confronted me, disregarding my explanation and documentation for the service dog. Her response was dismissive and antagonistic, escalating to the point where my father had to intervene. The receptionist's reaction was shockingly unprofessional and violent, threatening to physically assault my father by stating, “I’ll smack him if he talks to me again.”

This experience was distressing enough that I decided to leave a day early. My family, who stayed an additional day, faced similar issues. When my sister approached the front desk for a receipt and to voice her concerns about the state of the rooms, she was met with further hostility and was refused a receipt. The rooms themselves were in a deplorable condition, and any requests for basic necessities like towels or sheets were met with yelling and excuses.

As someone who works in the hospitality industry, alongside my sister, it is incredibly disheartening to witness such appalling service. No guest should ever be treated with such disrespect and aggression. This individual's behavior is a direct reflection of your establishment and severely tarnishes its reputation.

Given these circumstances, we will not be returning to the Golden Sands Motel. I urge you to take immediate and decisive action to address this employee's behavior. It is imperative that she no longer represents your establishment, as her conduct is completely unacceptable and damaging to your business.

I hope you understand the gravity of this situation and take the necessary steps to ensure no other guests endure the same...

We had a 5 day stay booked recently and my husband had work come up that we couldn’t get around. I called to find out what the cancellation fee would be if we chose to cancel, or if we could move the dates. The staff I spoke too had no answers for me, was very short with me and not personable at all. I expressed that nothing she said was actually helpful to my questions and she said “well I’d have to contact my boss and find out” so that was fine, I gave her my name and number. She called me back THIRTY minutes later telling me she needed a cc for the cancellation fee. She hadn’t even told me the fee still at this point. I had to call my husband for the cc number so asked her about moving the dates so I wasn’t calling him multiple times interrupting his work day.. she then informed me that she had already cancelled our stay and it was already rebooked so changing days wasn’t an option. I was quite upset and explained AGAIN that I wanted to know both things so that I could make the decision on what we would do with our reservation. Her response was “oh well I guess you weren’t clear”… now I’ve worked in customer service my entire life. I’m not an unreasonable person and I understand that mistakes happen. I would have been happy with a simple apology for the misunderstanding, regardless of it was sincere lol. But the complete lack of empathy like it was my fault and not hers was ridiculous. She was very rude and spoke to me like the entire thing was my fault. |The same staff then contacted my husband the day after our reservation was supposed to be to tell him we missed our reservation. He was at work and busy so I called her back and said this is the same reservation that YOU cancelled on us and told us that we couldn’t have because you rebooked it. Her response was “oh yes, I wonder why my system says this. Well they didn’t show, do you want it back?” |Still not an ounce of...