Comfort Inn Monterey Park - Los Angeles — Hotel in Monterey Park

Have stayed here twice as of this review. First stay was good.

The second stay was done through a prepay option online. There were two major disruptions that jeopardize this hotel as a useful or safe option in the future.

First, checking in in the later evening presented me with the front desk agent already associated with several negative reviews on this place already - May Liu. It is clear her behaviors and unprofessionalism have not improved. She remains barely present to perform customer service duties. She straight up walked away and disappeared for 10+ minutes knowing I am on the phone with my bank, delaying the process unnecessarily. She is as stubborn as she is clueless about how transactions and charges operate, and she is clueless as to how to operate the accounts systems as a different front desk agent claimed that she should have been able to resolve the second issue. An utterly useless experience to endure.

Now for the higher-level organization issue. There’s a common theme in some negative reviews of utilizing the prepay option for the hotel, the payment being caught in pending limbo (for which, with debit cards, can NOT be lifted by our banks because these are authorized transactions waiting on YOUR systems to complete them), requiring a “double charge and see what happens when they post” scenario. I too was caught in this.

This is an UNACCEPTABLE shortcoming. The hotel should NOT be advertising this option if it straight up does not function. I was fortunate enough to be able to call in favors to just get funds to get into the room, but this placed my tight but appropriately budgeted business and travel plans into a position where I had to seriously evaluate being on the street for the evening. This is especially considering the dead weight I was slogging through at the front desk to get anything done.

And all of this just to walk through to the end of a hallway that smells like piss to get into my room this time around. A really nice cherry on top.

The financial fallout of this experience may take weeks to unravel fully. The immediate stress and frustration from this experience left me sleepless regardless of how decent the room was. I am at 31 hours awake straight at the time of writing this because theres no available additional time. An...

Check-in clerk with out a name tag demanded that I have to hand him my DL so that he can make a copy of my drivers license along with my credit card in order to check me in It was 11:30 PM. His system was down due to system maintenance at Choice Hotels. When I brought up name tag, he put a name tag "Sri". Sri said I have to wait till the system comes up, which could be anywhere from 45 minutes or longer. I presented him the online reservation confirmation from Choice. Told him I am a loyal Choice Privilege member for 10 years. I always stay at Choice property when I can.

When I told the Sri, DL number is a privilege info and I guard against abuse, he says that is your problem, not mine, I am told to get copy of DL of every guest at check in or I will risk losing my job. He showed me of copies of DL of all the guest he checked-in that evening. I also told him you are free to verify my info just please do not make a copy of my DL.

Called Choice privilege after 30 minutes on hold got disconnected, called 2nd time this time I reached a very helpful lady explained her my problem, it was about 12:15 she called the property, spoke with the front desk clerk and got me checked in with letting him make a copy of my drivers license. He made a copy of credit card, I requested him to shred the credit card copy.

Checking ID or Drivers License is completely understandable.

Check out smooth and excellent.

I have asked other check-in clerks in other properties since then and they are surprised hearing about my experience.

Hope the hotel management will look into check-in process and make loyal Choice Privilege...

We chose this hotel because it is affordable, in a pleasant neighborhood outside the city, and on a main bus line with an easy ride to Pasadena, where we'd learned parking for the Rose Parade is problematic. On the day we arrived, I considered cancelling because the driveway and main doorway was blocked by concrete work being done, but I asked the man at the desk for a preview of our room, and it seemed clean, and he assured me the work would be completed by the weekend, so we checked in. The building was undergoing renovation and the lobby remained closed off during our whole stay; we were most concerned because at one point the only entrance was through the parking area and basement, so those doors were left open 24-hours, which did not feel safe. The breakfast room was obviously new and was very nice, except maybe all the new furniture hadn't yet arrived, because there were only 3 tables, so guests sat on the floor or went to their rooms to eat (we ate in our car because it was windy and with the main entrance closed off, we would have had to go outside and through the parking area to go back to our room. Hallways were swept and tidy despite all the construction dust, which was impressive and appreciated! Our room was well-kept during our 6-day stay except for one day when it was not made up by the time we returned in the afternoon, and although we couldn't find desk staff, we'd become friendly with a housekeeper, who took care of it right away. Staff was very pleasant and apologetic about the inconveniences, and let me use the desk computer to print some event tickets, which was...