Budget Inn — Hotel in Garden View

My two friends and I were driving home from a wedding and stopped in Williamsport. About an hour before arriving, I looked on Hotwire on my phone and found this hotel advertising one double bedroom for three people (max 4) at about $67 for the night plus tax. To confirm availability, I called the hotel and inquired with the receptionist, who told me there was availability for a double bedroom for three adults at $69.99. I thanked her and proceeded to book online. During that time, the page refreshed and the search reset to a default setting for two adults, which I didn't realize or think much of at the time, so I continued and booked and paid for the room successfully.

By the time we arrived it was already past midnight and two of us were already sleeping, so the friend driving checked us in. When she came out she was visibly upset, and woke me and told me about how the receptionist charged her an extra $10 fee because she'd mentioned that there were three of us, and it said two on the reservation. The woman had insisted that two adults and two children were fine, but three adults (for a room with two double beds!) incurred a $10 fee. She also told my friend that if she didn't like it, she could "find somewhere else to sleep" and was extremely rude and nasty with her from the moment she realized the booking had been made online. My friend, who is not as experienced as I am with hotels, reluctantly paid the fee, which the woman tried to insist she pay cash but she had no cash, so used her card (and was charged $10.99). I said not to worry about it, and that I'd talk to someone in the morning when we checked out.

The room itself was less than acceptable under any normal circumstances. As soon as we walked in it hit us with the strong odor of mildew, which we opened the windows to air out. There was a questionable stain on the carpet and the beds were so hard that it was only slightly more comfortable than sleeping directly on a box spring.

The "complimentary breakfast" advertised the next morning was nothing more than a few packaged muffins and danishes and two browning bananas. There wasn't even anything to drink: no milk, orange juice, even water. Needless to say, we had to get breakfast elsewhere.

The real fun started when we went to check out. I approached the woman behind the counter, who my friend confirmed was the same one from the night before. I asked her politely about the charge and she immediately became defensive and nasty. She said it was policy, and I asked to see anywhere this was written down. She refused to show me any proof of such a policy even existing. I also told her I'd called and she said it was $69.99 for three people, and that was about what I paid online (save for $2) plus taxes, which ended up coming to nearly $79. She called me a liar and said I only paid about $50, but then said that was all she received because the travel agency took out commission. I said as a customer that shouldn't be my business, and that from my end I spent the same price I would have spent anyway, and she said "but you didn't book through me, you booked through Expedia, so I didn't get all the money." She made it very clear that she created this "policy" because she was upset that we had booked online and she had to pay commission. I told her that wasn't my fault as a customer, and if she was unhappy with using travel agencies then perhaps she shouldn't advertise through them.

At that point she insisted I leave the property, I wasn't welcome, and even threatened to call the police. She said I wasn't getting my money back and it"didn't matter" what I said. She also adamantly refused to show any written policy regarding charging $10 for a third person in a four person room. Her teenage son came to the door and began yelling at us to leave, and I went outside and called Hotwire. While I was on the phone, her son came out and started yelling profanities at us as she watched.

We left and finished the call on the road. I ended up getting reimbursed $10 through Hotwire, but the whole experience was...

I stayed at this Budget Inn for two nights and it worked out well for me.

The owners live right there on the property. Priti, who owns the hotel with her husband, was friendly and nice to me and spoke to me respectfully.

The room I stayed in was on the first floor, and it was pretty much new and very clean. Everything in the bathroom was new and clean. New sink/counter, new-ish shower surround, new-ish floor. New-ish mirror and paint. Just really nice and clean and roomy bathroom. The main room was quite roomy, with two beds. I didn't need two beds, but this was the room they gave me and it was rather impressive. There was a larger-than-normal refrigerator with a truly separate freezer compartment, so I could keep ice cream there and it stayed truly frozen. There was a microwave that was a bit smaller than usual, but it worked well and it was clean.

The entire room was very clean, and yes they do change the sheets out and exchange them with clean ones when you check out .... I hung out in my car in the parking lot for a bit (because there was no lobby to sit in) after I checked out, and saw the housekeeping guy diligently cleaning rooms and taking used sheets off the beds and replacing them with clean ones. There are no shortcuts with cleanliness here and the owners and staff are quite conscientious about it.

No coffee! That's right - there is no coffee pot in the room. And no coffee available in the lobby because the lobby is closed, like literally locked so you can't get in. There are two coffee pots there in the lobby, and the lobby looks nice and clean and comfortable and inviting ..... but it is off-limits, and guests are not welcome there. This is a shame because it looks like such a nice clean cozy little area, and it would be enjoyable to sit there in the morning sipping on coffee and chatting with the owners or whoever is at the desk or with other guests ... you know, just to be neighborly and friendly.

The owners have decided not to offer any coffee at all and not to let anyone in the lobby area because it would be a little extra work ..... but I wish they would reconsider this decision, because having that area open would be a way that they could get to know their guests better, and form a better bond with the folks staying there. Plus it would be really nice to have some way to get coffee in the morning .... there is a convenience store right across the street, but unbelievably, that convenience store does not have coffee either. It is bizarre that the only hotel I have ever been at that does not have coffee is right across the street from the only convenience store that I have ever been at that doesn't have coffee.

Any time I am in the Williamsport area, I will stay here at this Budget Inn, because the owner Priti was nice and respectful to me and because the room was so clean and new and because the price is reasonable. It is bothersome that there is no coffee, so I will have to bring an electric coffee pot from home and make a trip to Walmart to buy a can of coffee, so that I can make it in the room. This is an inconvenience, but it's just what you have to do if you want coffee and if you want to stay at this nice motel with the...

While researching hotels in the area that were close to the Little League World Series, this place sparked my interest due to the lower rate and 4.5 mile drive to the complex.

Upon arriving to this hotel, the location is very hidden. There are a few houses that block the view of the hotel and the entrance is barely noticeable. Without the large sign and arrow to the hotel, you would more than likely drive right past and have to turn around.

While checking in, I noticed that a house is connected to the hotel itself. I have never seen this before so I was in a bit of shock and disbelief. When I entered the lobby, there was absolutely no one at the front desk or within the vicinity. Instead, there appears to be a door that connects to the attached house. Within a minute or two of my entry, a kind woman exited this same door to check myself in. Again, very odd setup and just something I’ve never stumbled across while staying at a hotel.

After checking in, I received my key and was told that checkout is an express checkout which consists of just leaving your key in the room before 11.

The room itself is just okay. And when I say just okay, it’s enough. The room itself was out-dated and you can tell that nothing is new/fresh. The A/C was not running prior to our arrival, making our room uncomfortable for the first hour or two. Our beds were okay but the television on the wall is pitiful. A 20in TV on the wall looks like an iPad in a room with two double beds.

As for amenities, don’t expect much. They offer “complimentary breakfast” on their website, yet the “dining area” was closed and looks like it hasn’t been open since the 90s. Free WiFi, complimentary soap/shampoo, mini fridge, and a microwave. Also, don’t expect any overnight assistance or early morning visits to the front desk. Zero assistance and no overnight staff, although the open sign was on the entire duration of our stay.

Overall, I would recommend that if you are on a budget and looking for a single night stay, this isn’t the worst place to stay. You for sure will get what you pay for and that’s exactly what we were expecting. With that being said, the area is for sure a “sketchy” area but we felt comfortable, safe, and didn’t leave during our stay.

Yes, I would stay here in the future, and more than likely will on my next trip to Williamsport for the LLWS. Just an honest review for those traveling...