Burrstone Inn, an Ascend Collection Hotel — Hotel in City of Utica

I've stayed at this hotel multiple times over the past several years for a business client. I remember it from back in the day when it was a Holiday Inn; I don't recall their affiliation now. First the good: they've honestly tried to remodel/refresh the rooms. They've honestly tried. Next the 'it is what it is': in the course of refreshing the rooms, they're DARK. Even with all of the lights on, if it's dark outside and opening the curtains does no good, you can have an issue with seeing things; like the metal corners of the bed frame for example. "Ouch !" said my ankle. The bar/lounge is now kind of the bar/lounge/restaurant. It looks like they've closed the restaurant and turned it into a large storage room. The food could be just as good ( I didn't eat there this last stay); but you're gonna eat it in the bar. Finally the bad: I've stayed here multiple times pre-pandemic and I've NEVER been able to check in before 4PM. They can't say that it's because they can't find any help; it's likely because their staffing levels are too thin. They do have multiple entrances to what's a fairly large hotel but not all of them have keycard access. I made the mistake of parking near the banquet entrance in the back and found this out. Not really an issue in good weather but in rain, snow or in the dark - maybe different. The business center is hit or miss. The Windows versions loaded on the two computers are ANCIENT. Only one of them would connect to the internet; and the one that did connect would not connect to the printer. (I moved the CAT5 cable and fixed it for them - no charge). This could be an issue if you need to print out a document. This property may be OK for a basic hotel but they seem to have struggled for...

We came to this after having to leave another hotel in the middle of the night due to the beds at the former being harder to sleep on than an actual rock and booked a room with two queen sized beds. The main halls of this place have a very vintage and old style design (not in a bad way), but the rooms felt much more modern, and the overall design of the place felt very warm and comfortable. This hotel offers ramps and disability friendly automatic door rooms, along with an elevator for access to the second floor. The room came with provided TV, fridges, microwaves, internet, coffee makers, outlets, among other things. The lighting was good and the beds were very comfortable and actually possible to sleep in unlike the place we had came from, and the rooms were very clean and livable. It was very refreshing after coming from the previous place. Their juices, scrambled eggs, and potatoes were very good. Their scrambled eggs are normally made using butter which I had an allergy to, but the person running the kitchen at breakfast was very kind and helpful with providing ingredients due to my several allergies, and was able to make butter free eggs for me both mornings. The only thing I can think of about this place within my experience there that could have any change at all was the toilet water pressure, we only experienced one clog though and they were more than happy to help with that for us. Overall this experience was very positive and I'm very happy with the service and accommodations we received, and it was very nice to end up at after having to escape the previous hotel we had been at for the first part of our first night at this place, and if I end up in the area again, I would be very happy to...

This hotel is in serious need of attention. Many of the common areas were visibly dirty, with stains on both the floors and walls. In one hallway, I noticed a fire alarm hanging loosely from the wall. Which was just one of several safety violations I observed as someone who trains others in OSHA compliance.

My initial room (130) had clear signs of water damage on the ceiling and felt damp throughout. Worse, I discovered spiders crawling on me while I slept and found spider egg sacs in multiple corners. I was moved to Room 128 the next morning, which didn’t have the same spider issue, but was still damp, had a strong mildew smell, and dirty floors.

Although I wanted to check out early, the city was completely booked due to a local event. This made the experience even more frustrating.

The general manager, or the woman I believe to be the general manager, was unprofessional. She repeatedly sat in the back office and refused to assist waiting guests when the front desk clerks were away helping others. On one occasion, another guest and I waited nearly 10 minutes before she reluctantly came out to assist us.

On my checkout day, I requested a late checkout due to a delayed flight and was told I had to pay $40 because “the hotel was really busy.” As a Choice Rewards member who had dealt with multiple issues during my stay, I found this response especially disappointing.

The only reason this review isn’t a 1-star is because the evening and morning front desk clerks were truly exceptional! They were friendly, helpful, and genuinely kind. They went out of their way to make things easier for my daughter and me, and I’m grateful for...