Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Auburn — Hotel in Auburn

I don't even know where to begin with this review. ||||When I was researching rooms in the Bay City/Midland area, I came upon this one. I click on the link and put my dates in I was looking for and boom a price came up of 60 some dollars plus taxes and fees. Then I looked at the pictures and said wow what a nice-looking place, so I booked it.||||Now this is where it gets interesting. We pulled in and the first thing that came out of my 11-year old's mouth was, dad, this place looks sketchy. Needless to say, I agreed with him. My wife's face said it all.||||I go in and give my name, signed all the paperwork. Then the guy behind the desk informs me about stuff happening there. Like, a traveling flee market people were staying there not too long ago and they had to call the cops and they found pistols and assault weapons on them, and many jump out the second story window and got away. But he informed me that they are on the list not to get a room list anymore and much more stuff like that. ||||Now I have to say I am getting a little nervous. Walking out of the hotel I looked down and see a charge for $90 some dollars on my receipt. I stopped and asked why it is this price because when I booked it, it said 60 something. All he could say was that's the weekend rate. I argued back with him and told him when I reserved it on the website it said, 60 something. Then he proceeds to tell me my card was declined and that why I didn't get that rate. I about died laughing. There wasn't anything wrong with my card. Still didn't get my money back either after the argument. ||||That this point, I'm p*ssed off and just walked out. We drove down to our hotel door and started to get our stuff out of the car. When we opened the door to the hotel, that stank was unimaginable. It smelled like something died in there and besides that, the smell of weed was horrible. ||||Now my little guy is freaking out and all I can say is, hey its just one night and we can leave early in the morning. Now this is where the fun begins. Our room. Disgusting is an understatement. That room looked like it was out of the 70's for one, it smelled like the smell when you walked into the place, a dead smell, and it didn't look like it was cleaned for weeks. ||||Now I have already made my mind up and I am not staying here. We never even unpacked any clothes.||||Why walking back out to the car, we ran down to the pool area, because the pool area in the pictures were nice and wanted to see. Well, that was wrong as well to. The pool floor was crumbling all over the place for one, it was extremely cold in there as well. I went over to the hot tub and felt it and let's just say, you could have iced fished off of it. Not kidding it was 50 degrees or lower. Felt the pool and it was the same way.||||So went back to the main office and told them all about it and I would like to have my money back, because the pictures, didn't do this place justice, it smelled like something died in there, our room wasn't clean at all, and something was wrong with their pool and hot tub. ||||All the front-end guy said, was I don't know how to give a refund and I will ask the owner how to do it. I explained how credit card machines work and how do it, but he had no control over it. Right but whatever at this point, I just wanted to leave before I became a victim in that placed. ||||DO NOT STAY AT THIS PLACE PERIOD!! PICTURES ARE FROM A DIFFERENT HOTEL, IT SMELLS, IT ISN'T CLEAN, AND THE PEOPLE ARE...

First impression from outside was run down and in need of improvements. However, we gave it a chance. Going inside the lobby was not to bad, but no one was at the desk. Waited for 5 minutes before someone finally came to help.

After check in we walked to our room. Many rooms didn't have numbers on them and the hall carpet was stained badly. Almost looked like they ran a machine down hall carpet leaving streaks down the center. Getting to our room we walked in to find that getting past the desk that blocked our movement was the first problem. Why add a desk to a tiny room that makes it hard to get into room. Second the lighting was so poor that a dungeon would have been an upgrade.

The room was hot since it was 92 outside so we turned on the a.c. only to have it come on and shut down. Trying several times we got it to stay on using the low setting only to find out it only blew warm air even after 20 minutes.

Went to call the front desk to find out that the phone didn't work either. Surprise.

Person at the front desk switched our room so went to check this one out. Much bigger room, but hot which was a surprise since I heard a.c. running. Checked a.c. which was straight out of the 80's and could feel cold air, but fan was not working.

Back to front desk. They apologized and give us a suite. One out of 2 a.c. units at least works in this room. Dark still, dated and not really clean, but better then first 2 rooms.

Also noticed that they are using the handicapped ramps in hall way to store old matresses. Why? Somehow I am pretty sure this is not a great idea and somehow violates a few laws regarding handicap access.

Finally before the owner gets on and attacks us accusing us of being drunk or not staying here I can easily provide pictures and our expedia reservation information. Seems that instead of taking a negative review as an opportunity to get better they instead attack their guests accusing them of anything and everything instead of just addressing the issues and sincerely reaching out to their guests and trying to make things better.

Our final room was not horrible, but still not great. At least the staff member on duty tried to make things right and that is reason for 2 stars and not the 1 it truly deserved. One final note. If you call cool air 1 inch from an a.c. as working fine and a room temp that was in the 80's you might reevaluate your standards for what your guests want. Most will not give an honest review they will just never come back.

In response to the owner: The expectation is that rooms are maintained. There is no Taj Ma Hal expectation. If the a.c. does not work do not rent the room. While your front desk handled the problem well you have not. In regards to the drunk reference it seems that you have made this reference to several negative reviews. If you would care to speak in a professional manner with me...

I reserved two rooms and had them reserved for over a week. The hotel called me the day before I was the check-in to verify that I wanted two rooms and it wasn't a mistake. So my question is why didn't they tell me that the pool was down for maintenance and wasn't going to be back up for 2 weeks. I spent a lot of money and the only reason I booked the place was for my daughter for her birthday cuz she wanted to go swimming. Did not get a discount did not get a refund. There was a jacuzzi in both rooms so I let my kids play in it because they couldn't play in the pool and I asked for a couple extra towels and was told by the woman at the desk that she wasn't supposed to give me extra towels but she said she would if I went upstairs and got her a couple of the towels I had upstairs and brought them down to her. So I went upstairs and got a couple of the dirty towels they weren't dirty just wet and brought them down to her so I could get two fresh towels and she was very rude. Then an hour after I checked out the next day they charge you charge my card more and said it was due to damages in the bathroom and I said what damages because we never even use the showers we were there for one night just to go swimming which we didn't get to do so we actually weren't even at the hotel that much because we had to go through town to find something to do with our daughter since the pool was down. They told me the soap thing was missing from the shower only from one of the rooms that I paid for, I told the guy that we never even use the shower and either room sorry I never paid attention to some soap thing on the wall because I didn't use the shower and I only use the bathroom like twice and he said well I don't know what to tell you that's bull crap. One room had red on the wall my kids thought was blood on wall next to bed but I think it was marker not sure. One of the three lamps in one room didn't work. They have a bunch of people living on the third floor we were there on a Friday night they were loud screaming sounded like they were drinking when we seen a couple of the people in the hallway and in the parking lot they look like they were on drugs scared my kids all night they couldn't really sleep good because all you could hear was screaming from upstairs and people being loud outside right outside our windows and we're told that they were people that live there on the third floor. Worst customer service and hotel ever it should...