Howard Johnson by Wyndham Middletown Newport Area — Hotel in Middletown

I want to preface this review by stating that I am VERY easy to please so for me to even have these thoughts let alone feel compelled to write this review is a real testament to the negative experience I’ve had here. This has easily been the worst hotel stay I’ve ever had for the amount of money they are charging ($500+/night). The night before this I stayed in a gorgeous boutique hotel in Boston for the same price (boutique was actually even slightly cheaper) and we were treated like royalty. My biggest mistake was leaving there to come to RI. Maybe it’s the time of year but when I last visited the area in October I had a MUCH better experience and there was a lot more availability/affordability. This hotel was one of the only places available that wouldn’t cost me a mortgage payment or two per night and was still not even the cheapest option and had great reviews so I figured it must be decent. Boy was I wrong!!!!!||I’m convinced the positive reviews for this Howard Johnson are manufactured somehow because it just makes no sense. The room itself is clean but extremely dark and has very little sunlight or actual in-room lighting which not only makes it hard to see but also hard to feel upbeat and happy- more like a dungeon or the forgotten bottom of a ship. The bed was so uncomfortable that I can barely even walk today my back hurts so bad and I’m not even slightly exaggerating. The fan in the bathroom is either malfunctioning or just not working because the steam built up so bad I could barely see and almost fell and broke my neck when getting out of the shower. The towels will scratch the skin off your face they are so rough. The walls are very thin- if you walk down the hallway you can hear absolutely everything happening in each room. I could hear children screaming and crying while sitting in bed. The balconies offer “picturesque” views of the parking lot. Although the lobby appears to have been updated within maybe the last 20 years, the hallways are very dated, every area has an odd smell, and the entire place leaves a lot to be desired to put it nicely. ||Here’s what really sent me over the edge- I’m STUNNED that so many people wrote about the “great breakfast” here. I’ve stayed in countless hotels for both business and pleasure and I specifically choose ones that have free breakfast- this one has been by FAR the worst I’ve ever had. The only hot items were turkey sausage that was cooked into oblivion and scrambled eggs that were likely powdered and equally as unappetizing. The rest of the items were the usual bread, bagels, cereal, yoplait yogurt, waffles, and oranges/bananas. But again, for $500/night this was completely underwhelming and extremely disappointing. I’ve had much better breakfasts at hotels that cost $89/night. The staff even recommended we go to ihop down the street as an alternative (???) so that also did not instill much confidence in this place. Now we have to go put out even more money for an edible breakfast despite paying this place over $1k. I also will need to seek chiropractic care due to the cheap mattresses/pillows. ||Long story short- BEWARE of the positive reviews. My entire vacation was ruined because of this terrible...

I want to preface this review by stating that I am VERY easy to please so for me to even have these thoughts let alone feel compelled to write this review is a real testament to the negative experience I’ve had here. This has easily been the worst hotel stay I’ve ever had for the amount of money they are charging ($500+/night). The night before this I stayed in a gorgeous boutique hotel in Boston for the same price (boutique was actually even slightly cheaper) and we were treated like royalty. My biggest mistake was leaving there to come to RI. Maybe it’s the time of year but when I last visited the area in October I had a MUCH better experience and there was a lot more availability/affordability. This hotel was one of the only places available that wouldn’t cost me a mortgage payment or two per night and was still not even the cheapest option and had great reviews so I figured it must be decent. Boy was I wrong!!!!!

I’m convinced the positive reviews for this Howard Johnson are manufactured somehow because it just makes no sense. The room itself is clean but extremely dark and has very little sunlight or actual in-room lighting which not only makes it hard to see but also hard to feel upbeat and happy- more like a dungeon or the forgotten bottom of a ship. The bed was so uncomfortable that I can barely even walk today my back hurts so bad and I’m not even slightly exaggerating. The fan in the bathroom is either malfunctioning or just not working because the steam built up so bad I could barely see and almost fell and broke my neck when getting out of the shower. The towels will scratch the skin off your face they are so rough. The walls are very thin- if you walk down the hallway you can hear absolutely everything happening in each room. I could hear children screaming and crying while sitting in bed. The balconies offer “picturesque” views of the parking lot. Although the lobby appears to have been updated within maybe the last 20 years, the hallways are very dated, every area has an odd smell, and the entire place leaves a lot to be desired to put it nicely.

Here’s what really sent me over the edge- I’m STUNNED that so many people wrote about the “great breakfast” here. I’ve stayed in countless hotels for both business and pleasure and I specifically choose ones that have free breakfast- this one has been by FAR the worst I’ve ever had. The only hot items were turkey sausage that was cooked into oblivion and scrambled eggs that were likely powdered and equally as unappetizing. The rest of the items were the usual bread, bagels, cereal, yoplait yogurt, waffles, and oranges/bananas. But again, for $500/night this was completely underwhelming and extremely disappointing. I’ve had much better breakfasts at hotels that cost $89/night. The staff even recommended we go to ihop down the street as an alternative (???) so that also did not instill much confidence in this place. Now we have to go put out even more money for an edible breakfast despite paying this place over $1k. I also will need to seek chiropractic care due to the cheap mattresses/pillows.

Long story short- BEWARE of the positive reviews. My entire vacation was ruined because of this terrible...

What a wonderful hotel!

When we first walked in we were immediately greeted and checked in. The guy gave us directions on the best place to park and the times for their complimentary breakfast.

The best part is that we found out that if you have a pet, they have their own rooms! I was extremely thrilled knowing that we didn't have to sleep in a bed or in a room that a pet had been in. I think ALL hotels should have this as a requirement... If you choose or need to bring a pet to a hotel then they have completely separate rooms than if you don't. In fact the first floor is dedicated to people with pets while the second floor is for those without pets. They have signs stating no pets beyond this point. What a FANTASTIC idea.

Once we got to the room, we immediately noticed how well appointed and spacious the room was. It has plenty of space for hanging clothes, folded clothes, a bench to sit and put shoes on or to rest your small bags or purse on and even a safe! There were cubbies for additional storage. There is a balcony which was neat to have since the weather outside was beautiful, we kept the door open for a bit.

The bed was comfortable and so were the pillows. The nightstand between the beds had ample charging ports on both sides of the stand for all of your gadgets to get charged.

The work table was plenty big enough if you had to or needed to work for a bit.

The bathroom had a sink with a little counter space. The other sink was on the outside of the bathroom which I think is a fantastic idea. One could be taking a shower while the others are getting ready and brush their teeth.

The room itself was super clean and updated.

After about an hour or so of checking in, the guy who checked us in called to make sure that everything was ok and if we needed anything which I thought was a thoughtful thing to do. This the first hotel that we have ever stayed at that did that.

My child loved the swimming pool. The sauna and warm tub were getting redone so those weren't open.

Breakfast was breads, waffles, cereal, fruit. The hotel staff were extremely friendly, visiting with guests and making sure that everything stayed nice and tidy and refilled things as needed quickly.

Very close to Newport and restaurants.

Overall, fantastic hotel and super friendly staff. I would definitely stay again if we are ever back in Rhode Island...