Sleep Inn Elkhart North — Hotel in Elkhart

My wife and specially booked this hotel as we had stayed here twice in the past (has been 5 years or so) .They had a hot tub and pool, and according to their website and billboard out front, was in working order. Upon arrival Thursday night (after an 11 hour drive) we found the lobby in disrepair, the carpets were not vacuumed, there was dirt and debris everywhere, boxes of stuff on the floor, wallpaper peeling, paint chips all over and we could see a section of the hotel was blocked off by plastic drapes. After checking in, walking up to our 3rd floor room the pungent smell of cigarette smoke became overwhelming. We arrive to our room only to find a plastic bag wrapped around a smoke detector, the desk chair upholstery completely peeled off, exposing the cushion. We tried to open the window to let fresh air in and the window was cracked down the middle. I went back down to the front desk to express my dissatisfaction. We explained the only reason we booked here was because they had a pool and hot tub, which we were never advised prior to our arrival, was not in service due to renovations. The front desk attendant offered us a jacuzzi suite for an additional cost. Exhausted from a long drive, we accepted the upgrade and reluctantly stayed the night. The second room had a similar smell, it was obvious someone smoked in there recently. The couch cushions were every which way, zippers were facing outwards, couch pillows looked the same way as the previous guest left them. There was a tissue covering the peep hole on the door and the lamp shade was dirty and torn. The Jacuzzi surprisingly worked; however, the front panel was falling off. The window only opened an inch or so, and the screen was torn allowing bugs and rain to get in. The curtains were stained, and we were unable to move them over to allow for fresh air. My wife and I did not, in any way feel comfortable sleeping in the room. The walls were so thin we could hear people talking in other rooms and in the hallways, there was a constant clicking sound as if the circuit breaker was blowing, and the smoke smell was so strong. That night, my wife and I decided to book rooms at a different hotel in the same vicinity for the rest of the weekend, accepting the fact we would probably be charged a small cancellation fee. The next morning, I go down to the front desk as I needed to “check out” from my first night. I told him I will not be staying any longer and asked what their cancellation policy was. He explained canceling the same day will result in a full charge for both nights. $250 for 2 nights. I asked to speak with a manager, as I did not feel it was fair to be charged for 2 full nights with such appalling conditions. I was told we would get a call from a manger later that day. My wife and I packed up our belongings and were checked into our new hotel before 9am. Surprisingly, I got a call a few hours later from someone who apparently was not a manager, however they offered to reimburse us for 1 night. While I was thankful for the call and the reimbursement, I felt compelled to let the man know of the overwhelming odors, the plastic bag covering the smoke detector, the tissue covering the peep hole, the broken window, the ripped window screen, the filthy floors and dirty lampshades, the torn office chair and the false advertising both on the website as well as the entrance sign in the parking lot. There did not appear to be any compassion or willingness to make it right. I ended up calling corporate the following Monday and am now filing a complaint through them. I understand hotels undergo renovations, if the rooms and lobby were clean, we would have been fine without the pool and hot tub and would have been happy staying here. The decline of this place was shocking. With several other hotels in the same area, pick a different one. We will be sure to alert our fellow ND fans to avoid this place...

Our visit to the Sleep Inn was great! We were a family of three, myself, my husband, and our almost 2 year old. We had a 1 king bedroom reserved for us and the was plenty of space.

When I had placed the reservation it didn't list a mini refrigerator as an in room item (although that showed for the king suite) so I was presently surprised that our room included one. The room also was clean and looked great upon arrival. There was some slight odor that was masked when you walked in, almost like a musky smoke scent. The smell want too noticeable or bad though and could be ignored. I was a bit disappointed with the lighting avaliable though. There was a light that was along the desk and TV, one at the mirror/vanity, one above the toilet and one above the shower in the bathroom. There was also one between the window and bed along the wall, but that one didn't work for us. I would have really liked a light above or next to the bed for reading or to easily turn off as the last light getting into bed for the night.

The bathroom had a standing shower without a bathtub, which was ideal for us but some prefer baths. The shower and toilet were in a small room with a sliding door, while the sink and vanity were just outside. Great if someone needs to put on make up or do hair while another takes a shower.

The bed was soft, but supportive. I tend to like firm beds over soft, but this one was very comfortable and a perfect mix for me. My husband and I both slept soundly without any issue. There were five medium sized pillows that were squishy but still quite comfortable too.

There was a nice sized pool which was ideal side our soon loves swimming. The pool water was very cold and took our son 10 minutes to adjust to before he could really have uninhibited fun. After he was used to it we all had a good time. The initial depth was 3ft and it went as deep as 5ft. I'm 5'2" and could stand in the 5ft area with it only up to my neck and base of my shoulders, so it wasn't actually as deep as the 5ft it claimed, but was perfect for me. There was a set of stairs to walk in to the pool at the 3ft area and also a ladder in the 5ft area. There was a hot tub, but we did not use it (I'm pregnant and can't be in hot tubs and it was too full of people any way). There were about 6 adults in it at once and they didn't look cramped or disappointed with it so I imagine it was nice. The pool area did have is own towels to use, although they were very low on them at 7pm when we arrived.

They had a breakfast available which was nice since we didn't have time to go anywhere before heading out in the morning. The breakfast area didn't have very many tables though and each one was occupied so we ended up grabbing or food and heading back to our room to eat there instead. They had a waffle maker, juice machine, yogurt, sausage links, and standard bread items like muffins, donuts, bagels, and toast.

The hotel's location was great. It was very close to the toll road, but you didn't have any of the car noise and was easy to find. There were plenty of restaurants available within a couple miles for you to choose from, including a pizza place (Papa Johns I think) that would deliver.

Overall it was a wonderful experience, especially considering it was much cheaper than the other nearby chain hotels that wanted $30-50 more for the same amenities. We were only there one night, but it was everything we needed or wanted in a hotel...

Just stayed 3 nights here. That horrid smell that hits you as you walk in, its radiating from the dinning room!!! Upon inspecting for bedbugs, we found 4 different hair types in one area of the bedding. When asked for clean bedding, they had to take it to wash because there are no extras on hand. Then housekeeping left before it was done and the owner wanted to move us to another room. (the problem was, my niece and I were supposed to have joining rooms, we confirmed with the owner before our arrival. Once there, he said they don't have double queen rooms that join. So we were already relocated once, but again, we still wanted to remain close to each other) Once I declined to move to another room, he informed me that housekeeping was gone and he couldn't do anything about it. I asked if he was going to deny me a clean bed that I had already paid for then I offered to go to the laundry room and get it myself, but then he said he would get it. An hour later, we had to call because he didn't show up. He asked that we come get it from the desk. I go down and he offers up like 4 different things when all we needed was the one piece. Finally we just accepted an extra comforter. And most importantly, on Saturday late morning/early afternoon, there was a gentleman around 60+ asking if there were any rooms available, the owner told him no. He asked if he could at least check because he's been driving for days and needs some sleep. Again the owner refused him. Several minutes later, while passing though again, another person, seemingly very sketchy, asked if anything was available, and the owner said yes, and began checking him in. Around 10pm, all sorts of activity starts happening. People are outside smoking weed, carrying in cases upon cases of liquor, gathering in front of the doors and inside the lobby. And that smell! It can't be safe! It's almost like a horrible mold or mildew smell, and that's what I thought it was, until I went into the dining room. Also, it's worth mentioning, that when I called to inquire about the pest problems that had shown up in many recent reviews, the owner assured me by saying "oh no, that's because I keep all the locals on the 1st floor" Take that...